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.
न यस्याश् चेतनैवास्ति याप्य् अनष्टैव नश्यति । तया स्त्रियापुरुषया चित्रम् अन्धीकृतः पुमान्
The man is strangely blinded by such a woman, who has no awareness, and who perishes even though she is not destroyed.
अनन्तदुष्प्रसरविलासकारिणी क्षयोदयोन्मुखसुखदुःखकारिणी । इयं प्रभो विगलति केन वासना मनोगुहानिलयनिबद्धभावना
O Lord, this one, who endlessly indulges in difficult passions, who brings about both pleasure and pain through rise and decline, dissolves by which tendency, bound by the impressions dwelling in the cave of the mind?
अविद्याविभवप्रोत्थं जगतः पुरुषस्य वा । महद् आन्ध्यम् इदं ब्रह्मन् कथं नाम विनश्यति
O Brahman, how does this great blindness, arising from the power of ignorance in the world or in man, come to an end?
यथा तुषारनलिनी भास्करालोकनात् क्षणात् । नश्यत्य् एवम् अविद्येयं नश्यत्य् आत्मावलोकनात्
Just as a lotus covered with frost perishes instantly when sunlight appears, so too does this ignorance vanish upon the vision of the Self.
तावत् संसारभृगुषु स्वात्मना सह देहिनम् । आन्दोलयति सा यैषा दुःखकण्टकजालिषु
So long as it endures, this ignorance agitates the embodied being along with his own self among the waves of worldly existence, in the thickets of suffering and pain.
अविद्या यावद् अस्यास् तु नोत्पन्ना क्षयकारिणी । स्वयम् आत्मावलोकेच्छा मोहसङ्क्षयदायिनी
Until the desire for Self-realization, which brings about the destruction of delusion, arises within him, this ignorance does not begin to be destroyed.
अस्याः परं प्रपश्यन्त्यास् स्वात्मनाशः प्रवर्तते । आतपानुभवार्थिन्याश् छायाया इव राघव
When one begins to see beyond this ignorance, the dissolution of self-ignorance commences, just as the shadow starts to disappear when exposed to sunlight, O Raghava.
दृष्टे सर्वगते देवे स्वयम् एव विलीयते । सर्वाशाभ्युदिते छाया द्वादशार्कगणे यथा
When the all-pervading divine is seen, the shadow itself dissolves, just as all shadows vanish when the twelve-rayed sun rises in the sky.
इच्छामात्रम् अविद्येह तन्नाशो मोक्ष उच्यते । स चासङ्कल्पमात्रेण सिद्धो भवति राघव
Here, ignorance is nothing but mere imagination; its destruction is called liberation, and this is accomplished, O Raghava, by the mere cessation of thought-construction.
मनाग् अपि मनोव्योम्नि वासनातमसि क्षते । कालिमा तनुताम् एति चिदादित्यमहोदयात्
Even the slightest wound in the darkness of latent tendencies within the sky of the mind causes its blackness to become thin, due to the rising of the sun of consciousness.