अचले चञ्चलाकारः पादपे पवनो यथा । स्फुरत्य् एवं मनो देहे स्थितो देहो न चेतसि
As wind moves restlessly among unmoving trees, so the mind stirs within the body, though the body itself does not enter the mind.
सर्वेषु सुखदुःखेषु सर्वासु कलनासु च । मनः कर्तृ मनो भोक्तृ मानसं विद्धि मानवम्
In all experiences of pleasure and pain, and in every thought, the mind is the doer and the enjoyer; know the mind as the true person.
अत्र ते शृणु वक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तम् इमम् अद्भुतम् । लवणो ऽसौ यथा यातश् चण्डालत्वं मनोभ्रमात्
Now listen as I tell you this marvelous story—how Lavaṇa, through a delusion of mind, came to be a chandāla.
मनः कर्मफलं भुङ्क्ते शुभं वाशुभम् एव वा । यथैतद् बुध्यसे नूनं तथाकर्णय राघव
The mind experiences the fruits of actions, whether good or bad; as you will surely understand, listen to this, O Rāghava.
हरिश्चन्द्रकुलोत्थेन लवणेन पुरानघ । एकान्तैकोपविष्टेन चिन्तितं मनसा चिरम्
Once, Lavaṇa of the Harishchandra lineage, sinless one, sat alone and pondered deeply in his mind for a long time.
पितामहो मे सुमहान् राजसूयस्य याजकः । अहं तस्य कुले जातस् तं यजे मनसा मखम्
My grandfather was great, the priest of the rājasūya sacrifice; I was born in his line, and I perform that sacrifice in my mind.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा कृत्वा सम्भारम् आदितः । राजसूयस्य दीक्षायां विवेश स महीपतिः
Thinking thus in his mind, gathering all the necessary materials, that king entered the initiation for the rājasūya sacrifice.
ऋत्विजश् चार्चयाम् आस पूजयाम् आस सन्मुनीन् । देवता वन्दयाम् आस ज्वालयाम् आस पावकम्
He worshipped the priests, honored the noble sages, saluted the deities, and kindled the sacred fire.
तस्येत्थं यजमानस्य मनस्य् उपवनान्तरे । ययौ संवत्सरस् साग्रो देवर्षिद्विजपूजया
Thus, as the sacrificer’s mind dwelled in the grove, a year passed by, filled with the worship of gods, sages, and twice-born ones.
भूतेभ्यो द्विजपूर्वेभ्यो दत्त्वा सर्वस्वदक्षिणाम् । व्यबुध्यत दिनस्यान्ते स्वस्मिन्न् उपवने नृपः
Having given all his wealth as gifts to beings and to the twice-born ancestors, the king awoke at the end of the day in his own grove.
एवं स लवणो राजा राजसूयम् अवाप्तवान् । मनसैव हि पुष्टेन युक्तस् तस्य फलेन च
In this way, King Lavaṇa attained the Rājasūya sacrifice, for his mind, being strong, was united with its result.
अतश् चित्तं नरं विद्धि भोक्तारं सुखदुःखयोः । तद् अनादाव् अनायासे सत्ये योजय राघव
Therefore, know the mind to be the experiencer of pleasure and pain in a person; in that beginningless, effortless reality, establish yourself, O Rāghava.
पूर्णे चेतसि सम्पूर्णः पुमान् नष्टे विनश्यति । देहो ऽहम् इति येषां तु निश्चयस् तैर् अलं बुधैः
When the mind is full, the person is fulfilled; when it is lost, he perishes. But those whose conviction is ‘I am the body’—the wise have no use for them.
पूर्णे विवेकवति चेतसि सम्प्रबुद्धे दुःखान्य् अलं विगलितानि विविक्तबुद्धेः । भास्वत्करप्रकटिते ननु पद्मषण्डे सङ्कोचजाड्यतिमिराणि चिरं कृतानि
When the mind is full of discernment and truly awakened, all sorrows vanish for one whose understanding is clear—just as, when the sun’s rays shine in a lotus pond, the darkness of contraction and dullness, long present, is dispelled.
राजसूयफलं प्राप्तं लवणेन खिल प्रभो । प्रमाणं किम् इवात्र स्यात् कल्पनाजालशम्बरे
Lavaṇa attained the fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice, O lord of the field; what proof could there be in this web of imagination?
यदा शाम्बरिकः काले सम्प्राप्तो लावणीं सभाम् । तदाहम् अवसं तत्र तत् प्रत्यक्षेण दृष्टवान्
When Shambarika arrived at the assembly of Lavana at the appointed time, I was present there and witnessed it directly.
अहं सभ्यैस् ततस् तत्र गते शम्बरकारिणि । किम् एतद् इति यत्नेन पृष्टश् च लवणेन च
After Shambarika entered, I, along with the other members of the assembly, earnestly questioned Lavana about what this was.
चिन्तयित्वा मया दृष्ट्वा तत्र यत् कथितं ततः । शृणु तत् ते प्रवक्ष्यामि राम शाम्बरिकेहितम्
Having reflected and observed what was spoken there, listen, O Rama, I will tell you what happened concerning Shambarika.
राजसूयस्य कर्तारो ये हि ते द्वादशाब्दिकम् । आपद्दुःखं प्राप्नुवन्ति नानाकारदशामयम्
Those who perform the Rājasūya sacrifice experience twelve years of adversity and suffering, afflicted by various forms of misfortune.
अतश् शक्रेण गगनाद् दुःखाय लवणस्य सः । प्रहितो देवदूतो हि राम शाम्बरिकाकृतिः
Therefore, O Rama, Indra sent a divine messenger in the form of Shambarika from the heavens to bring distress upon Lavana.
राजसूयक्रियाकर्तुस् तस्य दत्त्वा महापदम् । अगच्छत् स्वनभोमार्गं सुरसिद्धनिषेवितम्
Having inflicted great calamity upon the performer of the Rājasūya rite, he departed along his celestial path, attended by gods and siddhas.
भावराशिस् तथा बोधे सर्वो यात्य् एकपिण्डताम् । विचित्रमृद्भाण्डगणो यथापक्वो जले स्थितः
In the same way, the multitude of mental states, upon awakening, becomes unified, just as a collection of diverse clay pots dissolves when placed in water.
कीदृश्यो भगवन् योगभूमिकास् सप्त सिद्धिदाः । समासेनेति मे ब्रूहि सर्वतत्त्वविदां वर
O revered one, what are the seven stages of yoga that grant perfection? Please tell me briefly, you who are foremost among those who know all truths.
अज्ञानभूस् सप्तपदा ज्ञभूस् सप्तपदैव च । पदान्तराण्य् असङ्ख्यानि भवन्त्य् अन्यान्य् अथैतयोः
The field of ignorance is sevenfold, and the field of knowledge is also sevenfold; between these two, countless other stages arise.
स्वयत्नमाधवरसान् महासत्तातरौ लते । एते प्रतिपदं बद्धमूले स्वं फलतः फलम्
These two—self-effort and the delight in supreme existence—are like two great trees, and at every stage, each bears its own fruit from its firmly rooted base.
तत्र सप्तप्रकारत्वं त्वम् अज्ञानभुवश् शृणु । ततस् सप्तप्रकारत्वं श्रोष्यसि ज्ञानभूमिजम्
Now, listen as I explain to you the sevenfold nature of the field of ignorance; afterwards, you will hear of the sevenfold nature that arises from the field of knowledge.
स्वरूपावस्थितिर् मुक्तिस् तद्भ्रंशो ऽहन्त्ववेदनम् । एतत् सङ्क्षेपतः प्रोक्तं तज्ज्ञत्वाज्ञत्वलक्षणम्
Abiding in one's own true nature is liberation; falling from that is the sense of 'I' and 'not-I.' This, in brief, is said to be the mark distinguishing knowledge from ignorance.
शुद्धचिन्मात्रसंवित्तेस् स्वरूपान् न चलन्ति ये । रागद्वेषोदयाभावात् तेषां नाज्ञत्वसम्भवः
Those who do not stray from their own nature, which is pure consciousness alone, and in whom the arising of attraction and aversion is absent—ignorance cannot arise in them.
यत् स्वरूपपरिभ्रंशश् चेत्यार्थपरिमज्जनम् । एतस्माद् अपरो मोहो न भूतो न भविष्यति
That which is the loss of one's own nature and immersion in the objectified—apart from this, there is no other delusion, nor will there ever be.
अर्थाद् अर्थान्तरं चित्ते याते मध्ये हि या स्थितिः । निरस्तमननाङ्कासौ स्वरूपस्थितिर् उच्यते
When, as one object passes to another in the mind, the state that remains in between—free from the marks of thought—that is called abiding in one's own nature.