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.
भृत्यो ऽभिमतकर्तृत्वान् मन्त्री सत्कार्यकारणात् । सामन्तस् स्वेन्द्रियाक्रान्तेर् मनो मन्ये विवेकिनः
I consider the mind of the discerning person to be a servant because of its obedience, a minister because of its accomplishment of noble deeds, and a lord because it has subdued its own senses.
लालनात् स्निग्धललना पालनात् पावनः पिता । सुहृद् उत्तमविश्वासान् मनो मन्ये मनीषिणाम्
Through nurturing, gentle care is fostered; through protection, the father becomes pure. I consider the mind of the wise as the best friend, endowed with supreme trust.
स्वालोकितं शास्त्रदृशा सुध्यातं स्वनुनाथितम् । प्रयच्छति परां सिद्धिं त्यक्त्वात्मानं मनःपिता
When the mind, guided by the vision of scripture, purified and awakened by one's own insight, relinquishes itself, it grants the highest accomplishment.
सुघृष्टस् सुपरामृष्टस् सुधृतस् स्वनुबोधितः । सुगुणायोजितो भाति हृदि हृद्यो मनोमणिः
Well polished, thoroughly cleansed, firmly established, awakened by self-knowledge, adorned with noble qualities, the jewel of the mind shines delightfully in the heart.
जन्मवृक्षकुठाराणि तथोदर्कोदयानि च । दिशत्य् एष मनोमन्त्री कर्माणि शुभकर्मणः
This minister of the mind, through auspicious actions, provides axes to cut the tree of birth and also brings forth their subsequent results.
एवं मनोमणिं राम बहुपङ्ककलङ्कितम् । विवेकवारिणा सिद्ध्यै प्रक्षाल्यालोकवान् भव
Thus, O Rama, cleanse the jewel of the mind, stained by much mud and blemish, with the water of discernment for attainment, and become radiant.
भवभूमिषु भीमासु विवेकविततो ऽपि सन् । मा पतोत्पातपूर्णासु विवशः प्राकृतो यथा
Even when discernment is spread across the dreadful realms of existence, do not, like the ordinary, fall helplessly into those full of calamities.
संसारमायाम् उदिताम् अनर्थशतसङ्कुलाम् । मा महामोहमिहिकाम् इमां त्वम् अवधीरय
Do not disregard this great mist of delusion arising in the world, crowded with hundreds of misfortunes born of worldly illusion.
विवेकं परम् आश्रित्य बुद्ध्या सत्यम् अवेक्ष्य च । इन्द्रियारीन् अलं जित्वा तीर्णो भव भवार्णवात्
Relying on supreme discernment and perceiving truth with intellect, having conquered the enemies of the senses, cross over the ocean of existence.
असत्य् एव शरीरे ऽस्मिन् सुखदुःखेष्व् असत्सु च । दामव्यालकटन्यायो मा ते भवतु राघव
Let the analogy of the rope, snake, and stick not arise in you, O Raghava, regarding this body, which is itself unreal, and in the pleasures and pains that are likewise unreal.