मनो मोहम् उपादत्ते यस्यासौ मूढ उच्यते । शरीरे मोहम् आपन्ने न शवे मूढ उच्यते
The mind takes up delusion; he whose mind does so is called deluded. When the body is deluded, it is not called deluded—like a corpse.
मनः पश्यद् भवत्य् अक्षि शृण्वच् श्रवणतां गतम् । त्वग्भावं स्पर्शनाद् एति घ्राणताम् एति शिङ्घनात्
The mind sees when it takes on the nature of the eye, hears when it assumes the state of the ear, becomes the sense of touch through contact, and attains the sense of smell by sniffing.
रसनाद् रसताम् एति विचित्रास्व् अत्र वृत्तिषु । नाटके नटवद् देहे मन एवाभिवर्तते
Through tasting, it becomes the sense of taste; in these various functions, the mind alone acts within the body, just as an actor performs in a play.
लघु दीर्घं करोत्य् एतत् सत्तासत्तां च गच्छति । कटुतां नयति स्वादु रिपुं नयति मित्रताम्
It makes things light or long, brings about existence or nonexistence, turns sweetness into bitterness, and makes an enemy into a friend.
य एव प्रतिभासो ऽस्य चेतसो वृत्तिवर्तिनः । तत् सद् एव हि प्रत्यक्षं तन्मात्रानुभवाद् इह
Whatever appearance arises in this mind, which operates through its functions, that alone is truly perceived here, due to the experience of the subtle elements.
प्रतिभासवशाद् एव स्वप्नार्थलितचेतसः । हरिश्चन्द्रस्य सम्पन्ना रात्रिर् द्वादशवार्षिकी
By the power of appearances alone, a single night for Hariśchandra, whose mind was absorbed in dream objects, became twelve years long.
चित्तानुभाववशतो मुहूर्तत्वं गतं युगम् । इन्द्रद्युम्नस्य वैरिञ्चपुराभ्यन्तरवर्तिनः
Through the influence of mental experience, an age became a moment for Indradyumna, who dwelled within the city of Brahma.
मनोज्ञया मनोवृत्त्या सुखतां याति रौरवम् । प्रातःप्राप्यस्वराज्यस्य सुबद्धस्येव बन्धनम्
By a delightful mental disposition, even the hell called Raurava becomes happiness; bondage feels like the royal sovereignty to one who will attain it in the morning.
जिते मनसि सर्वैव विजितैवेन्द्रियावली । शीर्यते च यथा तन्तौ दग्धे सौक्तिकमालिका
When the mind is conquered, all the senses are conquered as well; just as a pearl necklace falls apart when its thread is burned.
सर्वतस् स्थितया स्वच्छरूपया निर्विकारया । समया सूक्ष्मया नित्यं चिच्छक्त्या साक्षिभूतया
By the subtle, ever-present, witness-like power of consciousness, which remains everywhere, in its own form, unchanging and constant.
सर्वभावानुगतया न चेत्यार्थविभिन्नया । रामात्मसत्तयामूकम् अपि देहसमं जडम्
With the essence of Rama's self, which follows all states and is not divided by objects of cognition, even the mute and inert body becomes like consciousness.
मनो ऽन्तर् वल्गति व्यस्तमननैषणम् ऊर्जया । बहिर्गिरिसरिद्व्योमसमुद्रपुरलीलया
The mind, within, moves with the force of scattered thoughts, and outwardly plays among mountains, rivers, sky, ocean, and cities.
जाग्रच् चाभिमतं वस्तु नयत्य् अमृतमृष्टताम् । अनीहितं च विषतां नयत्य् अमृतम् अप्य् अलम्
In waking, it brings the desired object to the taste of immortality; and what is undesired, it leads to poison, even if it is truly nectar.
प्रसृज्य सर्वभावानाम् अलम् आत्मचमत्कृतिम् । मनस् त्व् अभिमताकारं रूपं सृजति वस्तुषु
Casting aside the wonder of all states, the mind creates the desired form among objects.
स्पन्देषु वायुताम् एति प्रकाशेषु प्रकाशताम् । द्रवेषु द्रवताम् एति चिच्छक्तिच्छुरितं मनः
In movements, it becomes like air; in illumination, it becomes light; in fluids, it becomes fluidity—the mind, infused with the power of consciousness.
पृथ्व्यां कठिनताम् एति शून्यवृत्तिषु शून्यताम् । सर्वत्रेच्छास्थितौ याति चिच्छक्तिच्छुरितं मनः
On earth, it becomes hardness; in void-like states, it becomes emptiness; everywhere, according to desire, the mind, imbued with consciousness, assumes its form.
शुक्लं कृष्णीकरोत्य् एतत् कृष्णं नयति शुक्लताम् । विनैव देशकालाभ्यां शक्तिं पश्यास्य चेतसः
This mind turns white into black, and black into white; without regard for place or time, observe its power.
मनस्य् अन्यत्र संसक्ते चर्वितस्यापि जिह्वया । भोजनस्यातिमृष्टस्य न स्वादो ह्य् अनुभूयते
When the mind is absorbed elsewhere, even if food is chewed thoroughly by the tongue, its taste is not truly experienced.
यच् चित्तदृष्टं तद् दृष्टं न दृष्टं तदलोकितम् । अन्धकारे यथा रूपम् इन्द्रियं निर्मनस् तथा
What is seen by the mind is seen; what is not seen by the mind is not seen—just as in darkness, form is not perceived by the senses without the mind.
इन्द्रियेण विनोदेति मनो नेन्द्रियम् उन्मनः । इन्द्रियाणि प्रसूतानि मनसो नेन्द्रियान् मनः
The mind finds delight through the senses, but the senses do not delight without the mind; the senses arise from the mind, but the mind does not arise from the senses.
अत्यन्तभिन्नयोर् ऐक्यं येषाम् चित्तशरीरयोः । ज्ञातज्ञेया महात्मानो नमस्यास् ते सुपण्डिताः
Those who realize the unity of the utterly distinct mind and body, who know both the knower and the known—those great souls, learned ones, are worthy of reverence.
कुसुमोल्लासिधम्मिला हेलावलितलोचना । काष्ठकुड्योपमाङ्गेषु लग्नाप्य् अमनसो ऽङ्गना
A woman, adorned with blooming flowers, playful and with darting eyes, though attached to a body like wood or a wall, remains absent-minded.
मनस्य् अन्यत्र संसक्ते वीतरागेण कानने । क्रव्यादचर्वितो ऽङ्गस्थस् स्वकरो ऽपि न लक्षितः
When the mind is absorbed elsewhere, even in a forest, a detached person does not notice his own hand, even if it is bitten by a wild animal.
सुखीकर्तुं सुदुःखानि दुःखीकर्तुं सुखानि च । सुखेनैवाशु युज्यन्ते मनसो ऽतिशयान् मुनेः
To make intense suffering pleasant, or to make pleasure painful, the mind of the sage swiftly adapts, always with ease.
मनस्य् अन्यत्र संसक्ते कथ्यमानापि यत्नतः । लता परशुकृत्तेव कथा विच्छिद्यते बत
When the mind is absorbed elsewhere, even if a story is told with effort, it is interrupted, just as a vine is cut by an axe.
मनस्य् अद्रितटारूढे गृहस्थेनापि जन्तुना । श्वभ्राभ्रकन्दरभ्रान्तिदुःखं समनुभूयते
Even a householder, when his mind is caught up in the depths of attachment, experiences the suffering of confusion, as if lost in chasms, clouds, and ravines.
मनस्य् उल्लसिते स्वप्ने हृद्य् एव पुरपर्वताः । आकाश इव विस्तीर्णे दृश्यन्ते निर्मिताः क्षणात्
When the mind becomes radiant in a dream, entire cities and mountains appear instantly within the heart, spread out vast as the sky.
मनो विलुलितं स्वप्ने हृद्य् एवाद्रिपुरावलीम् । तनोति चलितो ऽम्भोधिर् वीचीचयम् इवात्मनि
When the mind is agitated in a dream, it generates within itself a succession of mountain ranges and cities, just as a stirred ocean raises up waves upon itself.
अन्तर् अब्धेर् जलाद् यद्वत् तरङ्गापीडवीचयः । देहान्तर् मनसस् तद्वत् स्वप्नाद्रिपुरराजयः
Just as rows of waves and crests arise from the water within the ocean, so too, within the body, the mind produces dream-mountains and city-kingships.
अङ्कुरस्य यथा पत्त्रलतापुष्पफलश्रियः । मनसो ऽस्य तथा जाग्रत्स्वप्नविभ्रमभूतयः
Just as shoots give rise to leaves, creepers, flowers, and fruits, so too, from the mind arise the various illusions of waking and dreaming.