नानैकताम् अतीतात् तु सर्वगाद् अमलात्मनः । द्वितीया कल्पनैवास्ति काचिन् नेतरथा क्वचित्
Beyond multiplicity and unity, for the pure Self that is all-pervading, any notion of a second is only imagination; otherwise, nowhere does it exist.
राशेर् अभावाद् अन्यस्य भावाभावाश् शुभाशुभाः । सृष्टयः परिकल्प्यन्ते नात्मनैवाथ वात्मनि
Because of the absence of a separate heap, the existence or nonexistence of another, auspicious or inauspicious, creations are imagined; but not in the Self itself, nor in the wind.
नासि रामो न चारामस् त्वम् इयं ब्रह्मसंस्थितिः । सर्वद्वन्द्वविनिर्मुक्तः कर्ता भव गतज्वरः
You are neither Rāma nor not Rāma; this is the state of Brahman. Free from all dualities, become the doer, rid of all affliction.
पुरः कृत्वा कृत्वा बहुविधम् इदं कर्म तरसा त्वया प्राप्यं किं तद् वद यद् उचितं भूतगणकात् । अकर्तृत्वे चास्था भवतु तव मावाञ्छनमतेर् भव स्वस्थस्वच्छस् स्थिततरमतिर् धैर्यजलधिः
Having placed before you and performed many kinds of actions, what is it that you should swiftly attain? Tell me what is proper, O knower of beings. Let your mind rest in non-doership; do not desire anything. Be established in your own clear, tranquil state, with your mind firmly settled like an ocean of patience.
गत्वा सुदूरम् अपि यत्नवता जनेन नासाद्यते तद् इह येन सुपूर्णतेति । मत्वेति सन्त्यज पदार्थगणं धिया त्वं तत्त्वं स्वम् एव परमार्थतया चिदात्मा
Even by great effort, what is sought cannot be attained here by anyone, so consider this and abandon all objects with your intellect. Recognize your own true nature as the supreme reality, the consciousness-self.
कुर्वतो ऽकुर्वतो वापि स्वर्गे वा नरके ऽपि वा । यादृग्वासनम् एतत् स्यान् मनस् तद् अनुभूयते
Whether acting or not acting, whether in heaven or in hell, whatever disposition exists, the mind experiences accordingly.
नानन्दो न निरानन्दो न चलं नाचलं स्थिरम् । न सन् नासन् न चैतेषां मध्यं ज्ञमननं विदुः
There is neither joy nor absence of joy, neither movement nor stillness, neither existence nor non-existence; and the wise do not know any intermediate state among these.
न मोक्षो ऽस्ति न संसारस् त्व् असक्तमनसाम् इह । संसक्तमनसां त्व् अन्तस् सर्वम् अस्ति यथास्थितम्
There is neither liberation nor bondage for those whose minds are unattached here; but for those whose minds are attached, everything remains as it is.
न बन्धो ऽस्ति न मोक्षो ऽस्ति न बध्यो ऽस्ति न बन्धनः । अप्रबोधाद् इदं दुःखं प्रबोधात् प्रविलीयते
There is no bondage, no liberation, no one bound, nor any binding. This suffering arises from lack of awakening and dissolves upon awakening.
सङ्कल्पिता जगति बन्धमतिर् मुधैव सङ्कल्पिता जगति मोक्षमतिर् मुधैव । सन्त्यज्य सर्वम् अनहङ्कृतिर् आत्मनिष्ठो धीरो धिया व्यवहरन् भुवि राम तिष्ठ
The notion of bondage in the world is merely imagined, and the notion of liberation in the world is also merely imagined. Abandoning everything, free from ego, established in the self, act wisely in the world, O Rama, and remain.
सर्वेषाम् एव जीवानां सर्वासाम् अभितो दृशाम् । समग्राणां पदार्थानाम् उत्पत्तिर् ब्रह्मणो ऽनिशम्
For all living beings, for all perceptions everywhere, and for all objects in their entirety, their origin is perpetually from Brahman.
लोकाः पराद् उपायान्ति तस्मिन् स्थित्वा विशन्त्य् अलम् । तन्मया एव सततं तरङ्गा इव सागरे
Worlds come forth from that, and having abided, they merge completely; always absorbed in it, just as waves in the ocean.
ब्रह्मैवेदं स्थितं नाना मलम् अस्तीह नानघ । तरङ्गोर्मिगणैर् अम्भस् सिन्धौ स्फुरति नो रजः
This is Brahman alone, established; there is no impurity nor purity here. Just as dust does not arise from the groups of waves in water, so too.
द्वितीया कल्पनैवेह न रघूद्वह विद्यते । ब्रह्ममात्राद् ऋते वह्नाव् औष्ण्यमात्राद् ऋते यथा
There is no second imagination here, O descendant of Raghu; apart from Brahman alone, just as apart from fire there is only heat.
निर्दुःखं ब्रह्म निर्धर्म तज्जं दुःखम् इदं जगत् । अस्पष्टार्थम् इदं ब्रह्मन् न वेद्मि वचनं तव
Brahman is free from suffering and free from attributes; this world, born from that, is suffering. O Brahman, I do not understand the meaning of your words, which are unclear.
इत्य् उक्ते तत्र रामेण चिन्तयाम् आस चेतसा । वसिष्ठो मुनिशार्दूलो राघवस्योपदेशने
When this was spoken by Rama, the sage Vasistha, lion among sages, began to reflect in his mind regarding the instruction to the descendant of Raghu.
परं विकासम् आयाता नास्य तावद् इयं मतिः । किञ्चिन् निर्मलतां प्राप्ता प्रोह्यते वेह वस्तुनि
His mind has reached a great expansion, but it has not yet attained complete purity; it has gained some clarity, but is still repelled by the reality here.
व्युत्पन्नमनसस् त्व् अस्य ज्ञातज्ञेयस्य धीमतः । मोक्षोपायगिरां पारं प्रयातस्य विवेकतः
His mind is well-developed, he knows what is to be known, and is wise; having reached the far shore of the teachings on liberation, through discrimination.
न कश्चित् कस्यचिद् दोषो नास्त्य् अविद्यात्मनीत्य् अलम् । यावन् नोक्तं न विश्रान्तिं तावद् यात्य् एव राघवः
No one has any fault, nor is there ignorance in the Self, O Raghava; until it is spoken, he does not attain rest.
अर्धव्युत्पन्नबुद्धेस् तु नैतत् वक्तुं हि शोभनम् । दृष्ट्यानया भोगदशां भावयन्न् एष नश्यति
For one whose understanding is only half-developed, it is not proper to speak thus; by contemplating enjoyment with this view, he perishes.
परां दृष्टिं प्रयातस्य भोगेच्छा नाभिजायते । सर्वं ब्रह्मेति सिद्धान्तकाले रामस्य युज्यते
For one who has attained the supreme vision, the desire for enjoyment does not arise; at the time of final conclusion, it is fitting for Rama to hold that all is Brahman.
आदौ शमदमप्रायैर् गुणैश् शिष्यं विशोधयेत् । पश्चात् सर्वम् इदं ब्रह्म शुद्धस् त्वम् इति बोधयेत्
At first, the disciple should be purified by qualities such as tranquility and self-control; afterwards, he should be instructed that all this is Brahman and that he himself is pure.
अज्ञस्यार्धप्रबुद्धस्य सर्वं ब्रह्मेति यो वदेत् । महानरकजालेषु स तेन विनियोजितः
If someone, ignorant and only half-awakened, declares that all is Brahman, he is thereby consigned to the net of great hells.
प्रबुद्धबुद्धेः प्रक्षीणभोगेच्छस्य निराशिषः । नास्त्य् अविद्यामलम् इति युक्तं वक्तुं महात्मनः
For one whose intellect is awakened, whose desire for enjoyment is exhausted, and who is free from expectations, it is appropriate for the great soul to say: 'There is no impurity of ignorance.'
इति सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् अज्ञानतिमिरापहः । समुवाच मुनिश्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठो भूमिभास्करः
Having considered thus, the blessed one, remover of the darkness of ignorance, the foremost sage, Vasistha, the illuminator of the earth, spoke.
कलङ्ककलना ब्रह्मण्य् अस्ति नास्तीति राघव । सिद्धान्तकाले वक्तव्यं स्वयं ज्ञास्यसि वानघ
Raghava, the notion of stain in Brahman—whether it exists or not—should be spoken of at the time of final conclusion; you will know it yourself, O sinless one.
स्मयविस्मयसम्मोहहर्षामर्षविकारिताम् । समताचलितस् तज्ज्ञो न कदाचन गच्छति
The one who knows this never deviates from equanimity, even when affected by smiling, wonder, delusion, joy, or anger.
सति दीप इवालोकस् सत्य् अर्क इव वासरः । सति पुष्प इवामोदस् स्वतस् सम्पद्यते जगत्
When it exists, illumination is like a lamp; when it exists, day is like the sun; when it exists, fragrance is like a flower; in the same way, the world arises spontaneously.
आभासमात्रम् एवेदं परिदृश्यत एव वा । स्पन्दस् समीरणस्येव न सन् नासद् इव स्थितम्
This is merely an appearance, or perhaps only seems to be seen; like the movement of the wind, it is neither existent nor non-existent, but remains as if in between.
नश्यतीह हि तद् वस्तु नात्मभूतं यद् आत्मनः । कथं नश्यति तद् वस्तु स्वात्मभूतं यद् आत्मनः
Here, that object which is not of the nature of the self perishes; how can that object which is of the nature of the self ever perish?