मा चाकर्ता भव प्राज्ञ किम् अकर्तृतयेह ते । साध्यं साध्यम् उपादेयं तस्मात् स्वस्थो भवानघ
Nor should you, O wise one, become a non-doer—what use is there for you in not acting? That which is to be accomplished should be undertaken; therefore, remain composed and blameless.
कर्ता संस् त्वम् असक्तत्वाद् भवाकर्ता रघूद्वह । असक्तत्वाद् अकर्तापि कर्तृवत् स्पन्दनं कुरु
You are indeed the doer, yet due to non-attachment, you are not the doer, O descendant of Raghu. Because of non-attachment, even as a non-doer, act outwardly as a doer.
सत्यं चेत् स्याद् उपादेयं मिथ्या स्याद् धेयम् एव तत् । उपादेयैकसक्तत्वाद् युक्ता सक्तिर् हि कर्मणि
If something is true, it is to be accepted; if it is false, it is to be discarded. Attachment to what is to be accepted alone is proper, for attachment is fitting only in action.
यत्रेन्द्रजालम् अखिलं मायामयम् अवस्तुकम् । तत्र कास् ताः कथं राम हेयोपादेयदृष्टयः
Where all is an illusion, a magical display, entirely unreal, O Rama, what then are those notions of acceptance and rejection, and how can they arise there?
संसारबीजकणिका यैषाविद्या रघूद्वह । एषा ह्य् अविद्यमानैव सतीव स्फारतां गता
This ignorance, O descendant of Raghu, is the tiny seed of worldly existence; though truly non-existent, it appears as if real and becomes manifest.
येयम् आभोगिनिस्सारसंसारारम्भचक्रिका । विज्ञेया वासनैषा सा चैतसी मोहदायिनी
This revolving wheel of worldly activity, which arises from enjoyment, is to be understood as latent tendency; it is mental and gives rise to delusion.
चारुवंशलतेवान्तश्शून्यनिस्सारकोटरा । सरित्तरङ्गमालेव न व्युच्छिन्ना विनश्वरी
Like a beautiful vine whose inner hollows are empty and fruitless, or like a river’s wave that is never cut off yet perishes, so is it.
गृह्यमाणापि हस्तेन ग्रहीतुं नैव युज्यते । मृद्व्य् अप्य् अत्यन्ततीक्ष्णाग्रा निर्झरोर्मिर् इवोत्थिता
Even when seized by the hand, it cannot truly be grasped; though soft, its tip is exceedingly sharp, like a wave rising from a waterfall.
दृश्यते प्रकटाभासा सदर्थे नोपयुज्यते । तरङ्गिणी तरङ्गाभास्व् आकारपरिनिष्ठिता
It appears clearly visible, yet is of no real use; like a wave upon a river, established only in the form of a wave.
क्वचिद् वक्रा क्वचिद् ऋज्वी दीर्घा खर्वा स्थिरा चला । यत्प्रसादोद्भवा तस्माद् व्यतिरेकम् उपागता
At times crooked, at times straight, long or short, steady or unsteady; arising from its own favor, it comes to distinction from that.
अन्तश्शून्यापि सर्वत्र दृश्यते ऽसारसुन्दरी । न क्वचित् संस्थितापीह सर्वत्रैवोपलक्ष्यते
Though empty within, everywhere it is seen as a beauty without substance; though not settled anywhere, it is observed everywhere.
जडैव चिन्मयीवासाव् अन्यस्पन्दोपजीविनी । निमेषम् अप्य् अतिष्ठन्ती स्थैर्याशङ्कां प्रयच्छति
Though inert, it seems conscious, living by the movement of another; even while not lasting a moment, it gives the impression of stability.
ज्वालेव शुद्धवर्णापि मषीमलिनकोटरा । वल्गत्य् अन्यप्रसादेन क्षीयते तदवीक्षिता
Like a flame, pure in color yet dark at its core with soot; it flickers by another's favor, and fades away when not regarded.
आलोके विमले म्लाना तमस्य् अतिविराजते । मृगतृष्णेव सुस्फारा नानावर्णविलासिनी
Pale in pure light, yet shining brightly in darkness; like a mirage, it appears full and splendid, displaying many colors.
वक्रा विषमयी तन्वी मृद्वी कण्टककर्कशा । ललना चञ्चला क्षुद्धा तृष्णा जिह्वेव भोगिनः
Crooked, perilous, slender, soft yet prickly and rough; a restless, hungry maiden—craving, like the tongue of a serpent.
स्वयं दीपशिखेवाशु क्षीयते स्नेहसङ्क्षये । सिन्दूरधूलिलेखेव विना रागं न रञ्जते
Just as a lamp quickly fades when its oil is exhausted, or as a streak of vermilion dust does not shine without color, so too does it lose its luster without attachment.
क्षणप्रकाशा तरला कृतसंस्था जडाशये । मुग्धानां त्रासजननी वक्रा विद्युद् इवोदिता
Ephemeral and flickering, established in inertness, it appears suddenly and frightens the innocent, like a crooked lightning flash.
यत्नाद् गृहीत्वा दहति भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते । लभ्यते ऽपि च नान्विष्टा विद्युद्वद् अतिभङ्गुरा
Though seized with effort, it burns and repeatedly dissolves; even when found, it is not sought after, as fragile as lightning.
अप्रार्थितैवोपनता रमणीयाप्य् अनर्थदा । अकालपुष्पमालेव श्रेयसे नाभिनन्दिता
Unasked, it arrives; though delightful, it brings misfortune. Like an untimely blossom, it is not welcomed for one's welfare.
अत्यन्तविस्मृतैवातिसुखाय भ्रमदायिनी । दुस्स्वप्नकलनेवेयम् अनर्थायैव सूत्थिता
Utterly forgotten, it brings wandering joy; yet, like the creation of a bad dream, it arises only for harm.
प्रतिभासवशाद् एव त्रिजगन्ति महान्ति च । मुहूर्तमात्रेणोत्पाद्य धत्ते ग्रासीकरोति च
By the power of appearance alone, it creates and sustains the three vast worlds for a moment, then devours them.
मुहूर्तो वत्सरश्रेणी लवणस्यानया कृता । रात्रिर् द्वादशवर्षाणि हरिश्चन्द्रस्य निर्मिता
A moment becomes a series of years through it; a night of twelve years was fashioned for Harishchandra by its agency.
वियोगिनाम् अथान्येषां कान्ताविरहशालिनाम् । रात्रिर् वत्सरवद् दीर्घा भवत्य् अस्याः प्रसादतः
For those separated from their beloved, for those suffering the pain of separation, a night becomes as long as a year by its influence.
सुखितस्याल्पताम् एति दुःखितस्यैति दीर्घताम् । कालो ह्य् अस्याः प्रसादेन विपर्यासैकशालिना
For one who is happy, time appears short; for one who is unhappy, it seems long. By the influence of this alone, time is marked by a single quality: reversal.
अस्यास् स्वसत्तामात्रेण कर्तृतैतासु वृत्तिषु । दीपस्यालोककार्याणां यथा तद्वन् न वस्तुतः
By its mere existence, it appears to be the agent in these activities, just as a lamp seems to be the doer of the acts of illumination; but in reality, it is not so.
सनितम्बस्तना चित्रे न स्त्री स्त्रीधर्मिणी यथा । तथैवाकारधीरेयं कर्तुं योग्या न किञ्चन
Just as a painted figure with hips and breasts is not truly a woman, nor does it possess the nature of womanhood, so too this form, though it appears, is not truly fit to act as anything.
मनोराज्यम् इवाकारभास्वरा सत्यवर्जिता । सहस्रशतशाखापि न किञ्चित् परमार्थतः
Like a kingdom imagined in the mind, shining with forms but devoid of reality, even if it has hundreds or thousands of branches, in truth it is nothing at all.
अरण्ये मृगतृष्णेव मिथ्यैवाडम्बरान्विता । विडम्बयति तान् मुग्धमृगान् एव न मानुषान्
Like a mirage in the forest, adorned with false display, it deceives only the bewildered deer, not human beings.
फेनमालेव सञ्जातध्वस्ता विच्छेदवर्जिता । जडैव चञ्चलाकारा गृह्यमाना न किञ्चन
Like foam that arises and is destroyed, without true separation, it is inert, though appearing restless in form, and when grasped, is found to be nothing.
अनन्या चेतनस्यापि नूनम् अन्येव च स्थिता । क्रिमितन्तुर् इवादीर्घा जडैवाप्य् अजडाश्रिता
Though not different from consciousness, it certainly appears as something else; like a short thread of a worm, it is inert, yet dependent on the non-inert.