स्वदृष्टिक्षयसम्पत्ताव् असद् एवोत्थितं तमः । वस्तु स्वभावात् तद् व्योम्नः कार्ष्ण्यम् इत्य् अवलोक्यते
When one’s own vision is lost, only nonexistence arises as darkness; thus, the blackness seen in the sky is due to the very nature of the object.
एतद्बुद्ध्या यथा व्योम्नि दृश्यमानो ऽपि कालिमा । न कालिमेति बोधस् स्याद् अविद्यातिमिरे तथा
Just as, with right understanding, the darkness seen in the sky is known not to be real darkness, so too, in the gloom of ignorance, knowledge arises.
असङ्कल्पो ह्य् अविद्याया निग्रहः कथितो बुधैः । यथा गगनपद्मिन्यास् स चातिसुकरस् स्वयम्
The wise have said that the restraint of ignorance is simply the absence of imagination, just as with the sky-lotus; and this is very easy in itself.
भ्रमस्य जागतस्यास्य जातस्याकाशवर्णवत् । अपुनस्स्मरणं मन्ये साधो विस्मरणं वरम्
For this world-illusion, which has arisen like the color of the sky, O noble one, I consider non-remembrance to be better—forgetting is preferable.
नष्टो ऽहम् इति सङ्कल्पाद् यथा दुःखेन नश्यति । प्रबुद्धो ऽस्मीति सङ्कल्पाज् जनो ऽभ्येति तथा सुखम्
Just as a person perishes in sorrow by the thought 'I am lost,' so too, by the thought 'I am awakened,' one attains happiness.
तथा सम्मूढसङ्कल्पान् मूढताम् एति वै पुनः । प्रबोधोदारसङ्कल्पात् प्रबोधायानुधावति
In the same way, from deluded thoughts one again falls into delusion; from the noble thought of awakening, one pursues awakening.
क्षणात् संस्मरणाद् एषाम् अविद्योदेति शाश्वती । यत्नाद् विस्मरणाद् अर्थः परिनश्यति तत्त्वतः
From a moment's recollection, this perpetual ignorance arises; by effortful forgetting, the object truly dissolves.
भावनी सर्वभावानां सर्वभूतविमोहनी । तारणी स्वात्मनो नाशे स्वात्मवृद्धौ विनाशिकी
Imagination is the creator of all states, the deluder of all beings; it is the liberator in the destruction of the self, and the destroyer in the growth of the self.
मनो यद् अनुसन्धत्ते तत् सर्वेन्द्रियवृत्तयः । क्षणात् सम्पादयन्त्य् एता राजाज्ञाम् इव मन्त्रिणः
Whatever the mind contemplates, all the activities of the senses immediately carry out, just as ministers obey the command of a king.
तस्मान् मनोऽनुसन्धानं भावेषु न करोति यः । अन्तश् चेतनयत्नेन स शान्तिम् अधिगच्छति
Therefore, one who does not let the mind dwell on objects, but with inner awareness and effort, attains peace.
यद् आदाव् एव नास्तीदं तद् अद्यापि न विद्यते । यद् इदं भाति तद् ब्रह्म शान्तम् एकम् अनिङ्गनम्
That which did not exist at the beginning does not exist even now; what appears as this is the one peaceful, unblemished Brahman.
मननीयमनोमानान्य् अतः कस्य कथं कुतः । निर्विकारम् अनाद्यन्तम् आस्यताम् अपयन्त्रणम्
Whose, how, and whence are these esteemed notions of the mind? Remain unperturbed, beginningless and endless, unconfined by any restraint.
परं पौरुषम् आश्रित्य यत्नाद् परमया धिया । भोगाशाभावनां चित्तात् समूलम् अलम् उद्धरेत्
Relying on supreme effort and with utmost discernment, one should completely uproot from the mind, along with its roots, the very conception of desire for enjoyment.
यद् उदेति परो मोहो जरामरणकारणम् । आशापाशशतोल्लासी वासना तद् विजृम्भते
That which arises as the supreme delusion, the cause of old age and death, is the latent tendency that flourishes with countless bonds of hope.
मम पुत्रा मम धनम् अहं सो ऽयम् इदं मम । इतीयम् इन्द्रजालेन वासनैका विवल्गति
"My sons, my wealth, I am this, this is mine"—thus, by this one latent tendency, like a magician’s illusion, the mind leaps about.
शून्य एव शरीरे ऽस्मिन् विलोलो ऽर्जुनवातवत् । अविद्यया वासनया त्व् अहम्भावाहिर् अर्पितः
In this body, which is itself empty, the notion of 'I' is cast by ignorance and latent impression, wavering like the wind in a hollow.
परमार्थेन तत्त्वज्ञ ममाहम् इदम् इत्य् अलम् । आत्मतत्त्वाद् ऋते मन्ये न कदाचन किञ्चन
In truth, O knower of reality, enough of 'mine', 'I', and 'this'; apart from the essence of the Self, I consider nothing ever to truly exist.
साद्रिद्यूर्वीगिरिश्रेण्या सृष्टिदृष्ट्या पुनः पुनः । सैवान्येव विचित्रेयम् अविद्या परिवर्तते
With the perception of creation, this same manifold ignorance revolves again and again, as mountain ranges, continents, and peaks appear and reappear.
उदेत्य् अज्ञानमात्रेण नश्यति ज्ञानमात्रतः । संविन्मात्रपरिच्छेद्या रज्ज्वाम् इव भुजङ्गमः
It arises merely from ignorance and ceases merely through knowledge; it is delimited only by consciousness, like a snake on a rope.
साद्रिद्यूर्वीनदी सेयं याविद्या ज्ञस्य राम सा । नाविद्या तस्य तद् ब्रह्म स्वे महिम्नि व्यवस्थितम्
This earth with its mountains and rivers is that knowledge, O Rama, for the knower; it is not ignorance for him, for that Brahman abides in its own greatness.
रज्जुसर्पविकल्पौ द्वाव् अज्ञानैकोपकल्पितौ । ज्ञेन त्व् एकैव निर्णीता ब्रह्मदृष्टिर् अकृत्रिमा
The two—rope and snake—are both imagined by ignorance; but through knowledge, only one is determined: the vision of Brahman, uncontrived.
मा भवाज्ञो भव ज्ञस् त्वं जहि संसारवासनाः । अनात्मन्य् आत्मभावेन किम् अन्य इव रोदिषि
Do not be ignorant; become a knower. Abandon the tendencies of worldly existence. Why do you grieve as if you were another, identifying with what is not the Self?
कस् तवायं जडो मूको देहो भवति राघव । यदर्थं सुखदुःखाभ्याम् अवशः परिहीयते
What is this inert, mute body to you, O Raghava, for whose sake you are helplessly subjected to pleasure and pain?
यथा हि काष्ठजतुनोर् यथा बदरकुण्डयोः । श्लिष्टयोर् अपि नैकत्वं देहदेहवतोस् तथा
Just as there is no unity between wood and resin, or between two berry vessels even when joined, so too between body and embodied being there is no oneness.
भस्त्रादाहे यथा दाहो न भस्त्रान्तरवर्तिनः । पवनस्य तथा देहनाशे नात्म विनश्यति
Just as the fire in a bellows does not affect the air within the bellows, so too, when the body perishes, the Self does not perish.
दुःखितो ऽहं सुखाढ्यो ऽहम् इति भ्रान्ती रघूद्वह । अनयोपहते चित्ते दुष्पारेह कदर्थना
‘I am unhappy, I am full of happiness’—such delusion, O descendant of Raghu, afflicts the mind, and this torment is hard to overcome.
मिथ्यैवानर्थकारिण्या मनोमननपीनया । अनया दुःखदायिन्या महामोहमलान्धया
By this false, harmful, and mind-inflating notion—by this giver of sorrow, blinded by the great impurity of delusion—
चन्द्रबिम्बे सुधार्द्रे ऽपि कृत्वा रौरवकल्पनाम् । नारकं दाहसंशोषदुःखं समनुभूयते
Even when the moon's disk is moist with nectar, if one imagines it as a Raurava hell, one experiences the suffering of burning and desiccation as in a hellish realm.
जललोलोच्चकल्हारपुष्पशीतलवीचिषु । सरस्सु मृगतृष्णाढ्यं महत्त्वं परिदृश्यते
In lakes with cool waves adorned by garlands of water-moving lotuses, the greatness of a mirage is perceived.
नभोनगरनिर्माणपातोत्पतनसम्भ्रमाः । स्वप्नादिष्व् अनुभूयन्ते विचित्रसुखदुःखदाः
In dreams and similar states, the excitement of building cities in the sky, falling, and flying is experienced, giving rise to various pleasures and pains.