कथम् अस्यातिलोलस्य वेगावेगैककारणम् । चलता मनसो ब्रह्मन् बलतो विनिवार्यते
How can the forceful motion of this exceedingly restless mind, whose only cause is its own momentum, be restrained by strength, O Brahman?
नेह चञ्चलताहीनं मनः क्वचन दृश्यते । चञ्चलत्वं मनोधर्मो वह्निधर्मो यथोष्णता
Nowhere is a mind without restlessness ever seen; restlessness is the nature of the mind, just as heat is the nature of fire.
यैषा हि चञ्चला स्पन्दशक्तिश् चित्तत्वसंस्थिता । तां विद्धि मानसीं शक्तिं जगदाडम्बरात्मिकाम्
This very restless power, established in consciousness, know that as the mental energy, the essence of the world's display.
स्पन्दस्पर्शाद् ऋते वायोर् यथा सत्तैव नोह्यते । तथास्ति चित्तसत्ता नो चञ्चलस्पन्दनाद् ऋते
Just as the existence of air is not known without its movement or touch, so too the existence of consciousness is only through restless vibration.
यत् तु चञ्चलताहीनं तन् मनो मृतम् उच्यते । स एव च तपश्शास्त्रप्रसिद्धो मोक्ष उच्यते
That which is free from restlessness is called the dead mind; and that alone is said to be asceticism, the liberation celebrated in the scriptures.
मनोविलयमात्रेण दुःखशान्तिर् अवाप्यते । मनोजननमात्रेण दुःखं परम् अवाप्यते
By the mere dissolution of the mind, the cessation of suffering is attained; by the mere arising of the mind, the highest suffering is obtained.
दुःखम् उत्पादयत्य् उच्चैर् उत्थितश् चित्तराक्षसः । सुखायानन्तभोग्याय तं प्रयत्नेन पातय
The demon of the mind, when it rises up, loudly produces suffering; for the sake of endless enjoyment and happiness, strive diligently to bring it down.
तस्य चञ्चलता यैषा ह्य् अविद्या नाम सोच्यते । वासनापरनाम्नी तां विचारेण विनाशय
Its fickleness is indeed called ignorance, also known by the other name 'tendency'; destroy it through discernment.
अविद्यया वासनया तयान्तश् चित्तशान्तया । विलीनया त्यागवशात् परं श्रेयो ऽधिगम्यते
By the dissolution of ignorance, which is tendency, and by the inner peace of mind—when these are dissolved through renunciation—the highest good is attained.
यत् तत् सदसतोर् मध्यं यन् मध्यं चित्त्वजाड्ययोः । तन् मनः प्रोच्यते राम द्वयदोलायिताकृति
That which is between existence and non-existence, which is between consciousness and inertness—that, O Rama, is called the mind, having the form of oscillation between the two.
जाड्यानुसन्धानहृतं जाड्यात्मकतयेद्धया । चेतो जडत्वम् आयाति दृढाभ्यासवशेन हि
When the mind is absorbed in dullness and, by identifying with dullness, is seized by it, then, through the force of firm habit, the mind attains inertness.
विवेकैकानुसन्धानाच् चिदंशात्मतया मनः । चितैकताम् उपायाति दृढाभ्यासवशात् स्थिरम्
Through constant inquiry into discrimination, the mind, by identifying with the aspect of consciousness, attains the state of pure consciousness, becoming steady through the force of firm practice.
पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन यस्मिन्न् एव पदे मनः । पात्यते तत् पदं प्राप्य भवत्य् अभ्यासलोहितम्
By human effort and diligent practice, wherever the mind is made to rest, having attained that state, it becomes colored by repeated practice.
अतः पौरुषम् आश्रित्य चित्तम् आक्रम्य चेतसा । विशोकं पदम् आश्रित्य निराशङ्कस् स्थिरो भव
Therefore, relying on your own effort, seize the mind with your awareness; taking refuge in the state free from sorrow, be steadfast and without fear.
भवभावनया भग्नं मनसैव न चेन् मनः । बलाद् उत्तार्यते राम तद् उपायो ऽस्ति नेतरः
If the mind, shattered by thoughts of worldly existence, is not itself lifted up by the mind, O Rama, then it can only be forcibly raised—there is no other means.
मन एव समर्थं वै मनसो दृढनिग्रहे । अराजा कस् समर्थस् स्याद् राज्ञो राघव निग्रहे
Only the mind is capable of firmly restraining itself; who else could subdue a king, O Raghava, except another king?
तृष्णाग्राहगृहीतानां संसारार्णवरंहसि । आवर्तैर् उह्यमानानां दूरं स्वमन एव नौः
For those seized by the crocodile of craving and tossed about by the whirlpools in the ocean of worldly existence, their own mind alone is the boat that can take them far.
मनसैव मनश् छित्त्वा पाशं परमबन्धनम् । उन्मोचितो न येनात्मा नासाव् अन्येन मोक्ष्यते
By the mind alone, cutting the noose of the mind—the supreme bondage—if one does not free oneself, then there is no other who can liberate him.
या योदेति मनोनाम्नी वासना वासितान्तरा । तां तां परिहरेत् प्राज्ञस् ततो ऽविद्याक्षयो भवेत्
Whatever tendencies arise under the name 'mind,' each colored by its own impressions, the wise should abandon them; then ignorance is destroyed.
भोगौघवासनां त्यक्त्वा त्यज त्वं खेदवासनाम् । भावाभावौ ततस् त्यक्त्वा निर्विकल्पस् सुखी भव
Having abandoned the desire for enjoyment, also abandon the tendency toward suffering; then, letting go of both existence and non-existence, be happy in the state beyond concepts.
अभावनं भावनायास् त्व् एतावान् भावनाक्षयः । एष एव मनोनाशस् त्व् अविद्यानाश उच्यते
The cessation of imagining is itself the end of imagination; this alone is called the dissolution of the mind and the destruction of ignorance.
यद् यत् संवेद्यते किञ्चित् तत्रासंवेदनं वरम् । असंवित्तिस् तु निर्वाणं दुःखं संवेदनाद् भवेत्
Wherever anything is perceived, non-perception is preferable there; non-awareness is liberation, while suffering arises from perception.
स्वेनैव तत् प्रयत्नेन पुंसस् सम्पद्यते क्षणात् । भावस्याभावनं भूत्यै तत् तस्मान् नित्यम् आहरेत्
By one's own effort, a person attains this instantly; the absence of mental constructs leads to well-being, so one should always cultivate it.
रागादयो ये मनसेप्सितास् ते बुद्ध्वैव तांस् तांस् त्वम् अवस्तुभूतान् । त्यक्त्वा तदास्थाङ्कुरम् अस्तबीजं मा हर्षशोकौ समुपैषि तृप्तः
Those passions and the like, which are desired by the mind, recognize them as unreal; abandoning their root, which is attachment, and the seedless state, you will not experience joy or sorrow, but remain content.
एषा हि वासना नित्यम् असत्य् एव यद् उत्थिता । द्विचन्द्रभ्रान्तिवत् तेन त्यक्तुं राघव युज्यते
This tendency always arises in what is unreal; like the illusion of seeing two moons, therefore, Raghava, it is proper to abandon it.
अविद्याविद्यमानैव नष्टप्रज्ञस्य विद्यते । नाम्नैवाङ्गीकृताभावा सम्यक्प्रज्ञस्य सा कुतः
Ignorance exists only for one whose wisdom is lost; it is accepted merely by name, so how can it exist for one whose wisdom is complete?
मा भवाज्ञो भव प्राज्ञस् सम्यग् राम विचारय । नास्त्य् एवेन्दुर् द्वितीयः खे भ्रान्त्या संलक्ष्यते मुधा
Do not be ignorant, be wise; examine rightly, Rama. There is not truly a second moon in the sky—it is perceived only through error.
नात्मतत्त्वाद् ऋते किञ्चिद् विद्यते वस्त्व् अवस्तु वा । ऊर्मिमालिनि विस्तीर्णे वारिपूराद् ऋते यथा
Apart from the essence of the Self, nothing exists, whether real or unreal; just as, in a vast mass of waves, nothing exists apart from the water.
स्वविकल्पकृतान् एतान् भावाभावान् असन्मयान् । नित्ये तते सिते शुद्धे मा समारोपयात्मनि
Do not impose these unreal states of existence and non-existence, created by your own imagination, upon the eternal, pure, spotless Self.
नासि कर्ता किम् एतासु क्रियासु ममता तव । एकस्मिन् विद्यमाने हि किं केन क्रियते कथम्
You are not the doer—what claim of ownership do you have in these actions? For when there is only one reality, what is done, by whom, and how?