कलुषोड्डामरकारा रजःप्रसरधूसरा । चला कल्पान्तवात्येव स्वाक्रान्तभुवनान्तरा
Turbid, with an arrogant appearance, dusted by the spread of passion, it is unsteady like a hurricane at the end of an age, encompassing its own world.
धूमालीवाङ्गसंलग्ना दाहस्वेदप्रदायिनी । गर्भीकृतरसाक्रम्य जगन्ति परिवर्तते
Like a trail of smoke clinging to the limbs, giving rise to burning and sweat, she moves through the worlds, having absorbed their essence within herself.
धारा जलधरस्येव सुदीर्घा जडनिर्मिता । असारसङ्घातदृढरज्जुस् तृणगणैर् इव
Her stream is long, fashioned by inertia, like the flow of a raincloud; her cord is firm, made of insubstantial clusters, like a rope woven from blades of grass.
तरङ्गोत्पलमालेव कल्पनामात्रवर्णिता । मृणालीव बहुच्छिद्रा पङ्कप्रौढा जडात्मिका
She is described only by imagination, like a wave or a lotus; full of many holes like a lotus stem, thick with mud, and composed of inertia.
ज्वालेव दृश्यते वृद्धितत्परा न च वर्धते । विषास्वाद इवापातमधुरान्ते सुदारुणा
She appears like a flame, intent on growth yet never increasing; sweet at first like the taste of poison, but ultimately exceedingly harsh.
नष्टा दीपशिखेवैषा न जाने क्वेह गच्छति । मिहिकेवाग्रदृष्टापि गृह्यमाणा न किञ्चन
She vanishes like a lamp’s flame—I do not know where she goes; like mist seen from afar, when grasped, she is nothing at all.
पांसुमुष्टिर् इवास्तीर्य प्रेक्षिता पारमाणवी । आकाशनीलिमेवैषा निर्निमित्तैव दृश्यते
Spread out like a handful of dust, she is observed as atomic; like a haze in the sky, she is seen without any cause.
द्विचन्द्रमोहवज् जाता स्वप्नवद् विहितभ्रमा । यथा नौयायिनस् स्थाणुस्पन्दस् तद्वद् इहोत्थिता
She arises like the confusion of seeing two moons, or the delusion of a dream; just as the motion of a stationary object is perceived by those on a moving ship, so she appears here.
अनयोपहते चित्ते दीर्घकालम् इवाकुलैः । जनैर् आलक्ष्यते दीर्घस् संसारस्वप्नविभ्रमः
When the mind is afflicted by her, people perceive for a long time the bewildering dream of worldly existence, as if troubled and restless.
मनोज्ञम् अपि सत्यं च दृश्यते सद् असत्तया । अमनोज्ञम् असत्यं च दृश्यते ऽसच् च सत्तया
Even what is pleasing and true is perceived sometimes as real, sometimes as unreal; and what is displeasing and untrue is sometimes perceived as unreal, sometimes as real.
अनयोपहते त्व् अस्मिंश् चित्राश् चेतसि विभ्रमाः । उत्पद्यन्ते विनश्यन्ते तरङ्गास् तोयधेर् इव
When this mind is disturbed by such confusion, various delusions arise and vanish within it, like waves on the surface of the ocean.
पदार्थरथम् आरूढा भावनैषा बलान्विता । आक्रामति मनः क्षिप्रं विहगं वागुरा यथा
This imagination, endowed with force, mounts the chariot of objects and swiftly seizes the mind, just as a net captures a bird.
कारुण्यात् स्पन्दमानाक्षीं स्रवत्क्षीरलवस्तनीम् । नयत्य् उल्लासितानन्दं जननीं गृहिणीपदम्
Out of compassion, a mother with eyes full of affection and breasts moist with flowing milk, is led to the role of a householder, delighting in the joy of her child.
विषीकरोति निष्ष्यन्दसन्तर्पितजगत्त्रयम् । सुधा सार्द्रम् अपि क्षिप्रं प्रवृद्धा बिम्बम् ऐन्दवम्
Even the moon, though full of nectar and moist, quickly becomes poisonous and destroys the three worlds when it grows too large.
उन्मत्तवरवेतालवर्तनारम्भसम्भ्रमम् । स्थाणवस् सम्प्रयच्छन्ति मूकम् अप्य् एति यद् धिया
Even those who are steady as pillars can be made to act with the confusion of madmen, ghosts, or drunkards; and even the mute may speak, when the mind is thus affected.
सन्ध्यादिषु च कालेषु लोष्टपाषाणभित्तयः । अस्याः प्रसादाद् दृश्यन्ते सर्पा जगति दृष्टिभिः
At twilight and other such times, by the influence of this mind, people see snakes on earthen clods, stones, and walls in the world.
एको ऽपि द्वितयोदेति यथा द्विशशिदर्शने । दूरम् अभ्याशतां याति स्वप्ने ऽब्धितरणं यथा
Just as a single moon appears as two when seen with double vision, or a distant shore seems near in a dream, so too does the mind create such illusions.
आदीर्घः क्षणताम् एति कालस् सेष्टा यथा निशा । क्षणो वर्षम् इवाभाति कान्ताविरहिणाम् इव
A long span becomes as brief as a moment, just as a long night passes quickly; a moment seems like a year, as it does for those separated from their beloved.
न तद् अस्ति न यन् नाम न करोतीयम् उद्धता । अस्यास् त्व् अकिञ्चनायास् तु शक्ततां पश्य राघव
There is nothing that this restless mind does not name or create; but see, O Raghava, the powerlessness of this mind when it is empty of possessions.
संरोधयेत् प्रयत्नेन संविदैवाशु संविदम् । संवित्स्रोतोनिरोधेन शुष्यत्य् एषा मनोनदी
One should diligently restrain consciousness by consciousness itself; by blocking the flow of awareness, this river of the mind dries up.
अविद्यमानयैवेदं पेलवाङ्ग्या सुतुच्छया । मिथ्याभावनया नाम चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
By what does not exist, by what is frail and utterly empty, by what is called false imagination, this world is wondrously cast into darkness.
अरूपया निराकृत्या चारुचेतनहीनया । असत्येवाशु नश्यन्त्या चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
By what is formless, without shape, lacking in pure awareness, and perishing swiftly like the unreal, this world is wondrously cast into darkness.
आलोकेन विनश्यन्त्या स्फुरन्त्या तमसो ऽन्तरे । कौशिकेक्षणधर्मिण्या चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
By what perishes without light, flickers within darkness, and has the nature of an owl’s vision, this world is wondrously cast into darkness.
कुकर्मैकान्तकारिण्या न सहन्त्यावलोकनम् । देहम् अप्य् अविजानन्त्या चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
By what acts only in evil ways, cannot bear to be seen, and does not even recognize the body, this world is wondrously cast into darkness.
सुधीराचारधर्मिण्या नित्यं प्राकृतकान्तया । अनारतास्तङ्गतया चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
By what follows the conduct of the wise, is always naturally beautiful, and is continually setting, this world is wondrously cast into darkness.
अनन्तदुःखाकुलया सदैव धृतयानया । सम्बोधहीनया नाम चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
The world is strangely blinded by one who is always afflicted with endless suffering, led by misguided resolve, and lacking in true understanding.
कामक्रोधघनस्तन्या तमःप्रसरवक्त्रया । अचेतनशरीरिण्या चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
The world is strangely blinded by one whose body is insentient, whose mouth spreads darkness, and whose breast is dense with desire and anger.
आत्मान्धकूपास्पदया जडया जाड्यजीर्णया । दुःखदीर्घप्रलापिन्या चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
The world is strangely blinded by one who dwells at the threshold of the dark well of the self, dulled by inertia and aged by dullness, and who endlessly laments in sorrow.
पुरुषासङ्गभङ्गिन्या रोगिण्याक्षतमायया । विवर्तिन्या विवक्षासु चित्रम् अन्धीकृतं जगत्
The world is strangely blinded by one who shatters relationships, is afflicted by disease and unbroken illusion, and who is ever-changing in intentions.
पुरुषस्य न या शक्ता सोढुम् ईक्षितम् अप्य् अलम् । तया स्त्रियाशरणया चित्रम् अन्धीकृतः पुमान्
The man who cannot endure even the sight of her, who is unprotected by such a woman, is strangely blinded.