परिज्ञायोपभुक्तो हि भोगो भवति तुष्टये । विज्ञायाश्वासितो मैत्रीम् एति चौरो न शत्रुताम्
Pleasure, when experienced with understanding, brings satisfaction; just as a thief, when recognized and reassured, becomes friendly and not an enemy.
नरनारीनटौघानां कलहे दूरगामिना । ज्ञेन यात्रेव सुभगा भोगश्रीर् अवलोक्यते
Amid the quarrels of crowds of men and women, the wise one, traveling far from conflict, beholds the prosperity of enjoyment as if on a fortunate journey.
अशङ्कितोपसम्प्राप्ता ग्रामयात्रा यथाध्वगैः । प्रेक्ष्यते तद्वद् एव ज्ञैर् व्यवहारमयी क्रिया
Just as travelers view a village procession that arrives without suspicion, so too do the wise observe actions filled with worldly dealings.
अयत्नोपनतेष्व् अक्षि दिग्द्रव्येषु यथा पुरः । नीरागम् एव पतति तद्वत् कार्येषु धीरधीः
Just as the eye naturally falls upon objects in all directions without effort, so does the mind of the wise descend upon tasks without attachment.
इन्द्रियाणां न हरति प्राप्तम् अर्थं कदाचन । न ददाति तथा प्राप्तं सम्पूर्णो ज्ञो ऽवतिष्ठते
The senses never seize the object attained, nor does he give it away; the wise, being complete, remains steadfast.
अप्राप्तचिन्तास् सम्प्राप्तसमुपेक्षाश् च सन्मतिम् । नाकम्पयन्ति तरलाः पिञ्छघाता इवाचलम्
Restless thoughts about what is not attained and indifference to what is attained do not disturb the wise mind, just as fluttering feathers do not shake a mountain.
संशान्तसर्वसन्देहो गलिताखिलकौतुकः । सङ्क्षीणवासनाजालो ज्ञस् सम्राड् इव शोभते
With all doubts calmed, all curiosity vanished, and the web of desires diminished, the wise one shines like a sovereign.
आत्मन्य् एव न मात्य् अन्तस् स्वात्मनात्मनि जृम्भते । सम्पूर्णापारपर्यन्तः क्षीरार्णव इवात्मवान्
The self does not die within itself; it expands from its own essence within itself, complete and boundless on every side, like the ocean of milk, is the one established in the Self.
भोगेच्छाकृपणाञ् जन्तून् दीनान् दीनेन्द्रियाणि च । अनुन्मत्तमनाश् शान्तो हसत्य् उन्मत्तकान् इव
The peaceful one laughs at creatures who are pitiable in their craving for enjoyment, whose senses are weak and dejected, just as a sane man laughs at those who are mad.
इच्छतो ऽन्यनिजां जायां यथैवान्येन हस्यते । इन्द्रियस्येच्छतो भोगं तथैव ज्ञेन हस्यते
Just as one laughs when another desires his own wife, so too does the wise one laugh when the senses desire enjoyment.
त्यजन्तं सुसुखं साम्यं मनो विषयविद्रुतम् । अङ्कुशेनेव नागेन्द्रं विचारेण शमं नयेत्
When the mind, fleeing toward sense objects, abandons the ease of equanimity, it should be brought to tranquility by discrimination, as an elephant is restrained by a goad.
भोगेषु प्रसरो यस्या मनोवृत्तेः प्रदीयते । साप्य् आदाव् एव हन्तव्या विषस्येवाङ्कुरोद्गतिः
If the tendency of the mind is allowed to indulge in pleasures, it must be destroyed at the very beginning, just as the sprouting of poison is cut off at its first growth.
ताडितस्य हि यः पश्चात् सम्मानस् सो ऽप्य् अनन्तकः । शालेर् ग्रीष्मोपतप्तस्य कुसेको ऽप्य् अमृतायते
Honor given afterwards to one who has been hurt is endless suffering; for rice scorched by summer heat, even a little water seems like nectar.
अनार्तेन हि सम्मानो बहुमानो न बुध्यते । पूर्णानां सरितां प्रावृट्पूरस् स्वल्पं विराजते
For one who is not afflicted, honor or high regard is not noticed; just as, when rivers are full, a small flood in the rainy season does not stand out.
पूर्णस् तूपकृतो ऽप्य् अन्यत् पुनर् अप्य् अभिवाञ्छति । जगत्पूरणयाप्य् अम्बु गृह्णात्य् एकार्णवो ऽखिलम्
But one who is full, even when benefited, desires something else again; just as the single ocean, though filled by all the waters of the world, still takes in everything.
मनसो निगृहीतस्य या पश्चाद् भागमण्डना । ताम् एवालब्धविस्तारलब्धत्वाद् बहु मन्यते
When the mind has been restrained, whatever little adornment or pleasure comes afterward, due to its not having been experienced before, is regarded as much.
बद्धमुक्तो महीपालो ग्राममात्रेण तुष्यति । परैर् अबद्धो नाक्रान्तो न राज्यं बहु मन्यते
A king who has been bound and then freed is satisfied even with a mere village; but another, who has never been bound or conquered by others, does not value even a kingdom highly.
हस्तं हस्तेन सम्पीड्य दन्तैर् दन्तान् विचूर्ण्य च । अङ्गान्य् अङ्गैर् इवाक्रम्य जय स्वेन्द्रियशात्रवान्
Crush your hand with your own hand, grind your teeth with your teeth, subdue your limbs with your limbs—so too, conquer the enemies that are your own senses.
जेतुम् अन्यं कृतोत्साहैः पुरुषैर् उद्बुभूषुभिः । पूर्वं हृदयशत्रुत्वाज् जेतव्यानीन्द्रियाण्य् अलम्
For those eager to conquer others, striving with effort, the senses—because they are the first enemies in the heart—must certainly be conquered first.
एतावति धरणितले सुभगास् ते साधुचेतनाः पुरुषाः । पुरुषकथासु च गण्या न जिता ये चेतसा स्वेन
On this earth, those men of noble mind who have not conquered their own mind are not counted among the truly fortunate, nor are they esteemed in the stories of men.
हृदयबिले कृतकुण्डल उल्बणकलनाविषो मनोभुजगः । यस्योपशान्तिम् आगत उदितं तम् अरिन्दमं वन्दे
I bow to that subduer of enemies in whom the serpent of the mind, whose poison is fierce imagination and who has made a coil in the cave of the heart, has become tranquil.
स्वाश्रयं प्रथमं देहं कृतघ्ना नाशयन्ति ये । ते कुकार्यमहाकोशा दुर्जयास् स्वेन्द्रियारयः
Those who destroy their own body, their own support, are ungrateful; they are great repositories of evil deeds, and their own senses, the enemies, are hard to conquer.
कलेवराश्रयं प्राप्य विषयामिषगर्धतः । अक्षगृध्रा विवल्गन्ति कार्याकार्योग्रपक्षिणः
Having gained a body as their base, the senses, greedy like vultures for objects of pleasure, roam about restlessly, like fierce birds of prey for what should and should not be done.
विवेकतन्तुजालेन गृहीता येन ते शठाः । तस्याङ्गानि न लुम्पन्ति पाषाणकवलं यथा
Those deceivers who are caught by the net of discrimination do not harm its parts, just as a lump of stone does not damage a net.
आपातरमणीयेषु रमन्ति विषयेषु ये । अत्यन्तविरसान्तेषु पतन्ति नरकेषु ते
Those who delight in pleasures that are charming at first fall into hells when those pleasures become utterly tasteless in the end.
विवेकधनवान् अस्मिन् कुकलेवरपत्तने । इन्द्रियारिभिर् अन्तस्स्थैर् अवशो नाभिभूयते
He who is wealthy in discrimination, in this city of the wretched body, is not overpowered by the inner enemies—the senses—even though he is helpless.
तथा न सुखिता भूपा मृण्मयोग्रपुरीजुषः । यथा स्वाधीनमनसस् स्वशरीरपुरीश्वराः
Kings who dwell in mighty clay cities are not as happy as those who, with minds under their own control, are lords of the city of their own bodies.
स्वाक्रान्तेन्द्रियभृत्यस्य सुगृहीतमनोरिपोः । वसन्त इव मञ्जर्यो वर्धन्ते बुद्धबुद्धयः
For one whose servant-senses are subdued and whose mind-enemy is well restrained, wise insights flourish like springtime blossoms.
प्रक्षीणचित्तदर्पस्य निगृहीतेन्द्रियद्विषः । पद्मिन्य इव हेमन्ते क्षीयन्ते भोगवासनाः
For one whose pride of mind is exhausted and whose sense-enemies are subdued, desires for enjoyment fade away like lotuses in winter.
तावन् निशीव वेताल्यो वल्गन्ते हृदि वासनाः । एकतत्त्वदृढाभ्यासाद् यावन् न विजितं मनः
Desires roam in the heart like ghosts at night, until the mind is conquered through steadfast practice of oneness with the truth.