अविद्ययैवोत्तमया स्वात्मनाशोद्यमोत्कया । विद्या सम्प्राप्यते राम सर्वदोषातिहारिणी
Indeed, O Rama, it is by the very highest form of ignorance, which stirs the desire for self-destruction, that knowledge is attained—knowledge which removes all faults.
शाम्यति ह्य् अस्त्रम् अस्त्रेण मलेन क्षाल्यते मलम् । शमं विषं विषेणैति रिपुणा हन्यते रिपुः
One weapon is stilled by another weapon, impurity is washed away by impurity, poison is neutralized by poison, and an enemy is slain by an enemy.
ईदृशी भूतमायेयं या स्वनाशेन हर्षदा । न लक्ष्यते स्वभावो ऽस्याः प्रेक्ष्यमाणैव नश्यति
Such is this elemental illusion: it brings joy by its own destruction; its true nature cannot be perceived, for as soon as it is observed, it vanishes.
विवेकम् आच्छादयति जगन्ति जनयत्य् अलम् । न च विज्ञायते कैषा पश्याश्चर्यम् इदं महत्
It thoroughly conceals discernment and brings forth worlds, yet it is not recognized at all—behold, what a great wonder this is!
अप्रेक्ष्यमाणा स्फुरति प्रेक्षिता तु विनश्यति । मायेयम् अपरिज्ञायमानरूपैव वल्गति
Unseen, it stirs; when observed, it vanishes. This illusion, whose true nature is never understood, dances about.
अहो नु खलु चित्रेयं माया संसारबन्धनी । असत्यैवातिसत्येव प्राज्ञान् अपि हिनस्ति या
Indeed, how marvelous is this illusion, binding to worldly existence! Though utterly unreal, it appears as most real and even harms the wise.
अत्यभिन्ने पदे तस्मिंस् तन्वाना भेदम् आततम् । संसारमाया विज्ञाता येनासौ पुरुषोत्तमः
Projecting division upon that which is utterly undivided, the one who knows this worldly illusion is the supreme person.
नास्त्य् एषा परमार्थेनेत्य् एवम्भावनयेद्धया । ज्ञो भूत्वा ज्ञेयसम्प्राप्त्या ज्ञास्यस्य् अस्यास् त्वम् आशयम्
By firmly contemplating, 'This truly does not exist,' and by becoming knowledgeable, when you attain what is to be known, you will understand the essence of this illusion.
यावत् तु न प्रबुद्धस् त्वं तावन् मद्वचसैव ते । निश्चयो भवतूद्दामो नास्त्य् अविद्येति निश्चलः
But until you awaken, let your conviction, inspired by my words, be unwavering and resolute: 'Ignorance does not exist.'
यद् इदं दृश्यतां यातं मानसं मननं महत् । असत् तद् इति यस्यान्तर् निश्चयो मोक्षभाग् असौ
Whatever appears as this great mental reflection—if one is inwardly certain that it is unreal, that person attains liberation.
यद् इदं दृश्यतां प्राप्तं मनोमात्रविजृम्भितम् । सत् तद् ब्रह्मेति यस्यान्तर् निश्चयस् सो ऽपि मोक्षभाक्
Whatever appears as this, manifesting only through the mind—if one is inwardly certain that it is real, that it is Brahman, that person too attains liberation.
चलाचला तृतीया या दृष्टिर् आबद्धभावना । सा समग्रजगद्भूतखगबन्धनवागुरा
That third mode of perception, which is both moving and unmoving, is a fixation of imagination; it is the snare that binds the entire world of beings like birds in a net.
यस् स्वप्नभ्रमवद् भ्रान्तम् असत् सद् वैकनिश्चयः । जगत् पश्यत्य् असक्तात्मा न स दुःखे निमज्जति
He who, with a detached mind, sees this world as uncertain, real and unreal, like a delusion in a dream, does not sink into suffering.
यस्येमास् स्वस्वरूपासु भावनास्व् आत्मभावनाः । अस्वरूपस्वरूपस्य तस्याविद्यैव विद्यते
For one whose self-conceptions arise within these various imagined forms, for whom the true and false natures are confused, only ignorance exists.
विकारितादयो दोषा न केचन महात्मनि । परमात्मनि विद्यन्ते पयसीवेह पांसवः
Defects such as change do not exist at all in the great Self, the supreme Self, just as dust does not remain in pure water.
भावना शब्दशब्दार्थरञ्जनेयं जगद्गता । व्यवहारार्थम् उत्पन्ना व्यतिरिक्ता न चात्मनः
This imagination, which colors the world with words and their meanings, arises for the sake of worldly dealings, and is not separate from the Self.
अनेन व्यवहारेण विनैताश् शास्त्रदृष्टयः । संस्थितिं नाधिगच्छन्ति पटा इव वितन्तवः
Without this practical engagement, the views of the scriptures do not attain stability, just as threads do not hold together without the fabric.
उह्यमानो ह्य् अविद्याध्वन्य् आत्मा नेहोपलभ्यते । आत्मज्ञानाद् ऋते तच् च शास्त्रार्थात् समवाप्यते
The Self is not found here while wandering on the path of ignorance; it is attained only through self-knowledge, and that is obtained from the meaning of the scriptures.
अविद्यासरितः पारम् आत्मलाभाद् ऋते किल । राम नासाद्यते तद् धि पदम् अक्षयम् अच्युतम्
O Rama, the far shore of the river of ignorance is not reached except by attaining the Self; for that is the imperishable, unchanging state.
यतः कुतश्चिज् जातेयम् अविद्या भ्रमदायिनी । नूनं स्थितिम् उपायाता समाच्छाद्य पदं स्थिता
This ignorance, which causes delusion, has arisen from somewhere or other; surely, it has taken hold, covering the true state and remaining established.
कुतो जातेयम् इति ते राम मास्तु विचारणा । इमां कथम् अहं हन्मीत्य् एषा ते ऽस्तु विचारणा
Do not concern yourself, O Rama, with the question of where this has arisen from; rather, let your inquiry be: how shall I destroy it?
अस्तङ्गतायां क्षीणायाम् अस्यां ज्ञास्यसि राघव । यत एषा यथा चैषा यथा नष्टेत्य् अखण्डितम्
When this has set and diminished, O Raghava, you will know—fully and without division—whence it came, what it was, and how it was lost.
वस्तुतः खलु नास्त्य् एषा विभात्य् एवानवेक्षिता । असतो भ्रान्तिभातस्य रूपं जानाति कः कुतः
In truth, it does not exist at all; it only appears when not examined. Who can know the form of a delusion that is unreal, and from where?
जातेयं प्रौढिम् आपन्ना दोषायैवातताकृतिः । बलात् प्रणाशयित्वैनां परिज्ञास्यसि वै ततः
This has arisen and grown strong, taking on a form only for the sake of causing harm; by forcefully destroying it, you will then truly understand.
अपि शूरा अपि प्राज्ञास् ते न सन्ति जगत्त्रये । अविद्यया ये पुरुषा न नाम विवशीकृताः
Even those who are brave and wise in the three worlds are not truly so, if they are made helpless by ignorance.
तद् अस्यां रोगशालायां यत्नं कुरु चिकित्सने । यथैषा जन्मदुःखेन न भूयस् त्वां नियोक्ष्यति
Therefore, in this hospital of disease, make every effort at treatment, so that this (ignorance) will not again subject you to the pain of birth.
सर्वापदाम् एकसखीम् अज्ञानतरुमञ्जरीम् । अनर्थसार्थजननीम् अविद्याम् अलम् उद्धर
Uproot ignorance completely—the single companion of all misfortunes, the blossom of the tree of unknowing, the mother of the caravan of calamities.
भयविषाददुराधिविपत्प्रदां हृदयमोहमहापटलाकुलाम् । भृशम् अपास्य कुदृष्टिम् इमां बलाद् भव भवार्णवपारम् उपागतः
Forcefully cast aside this distorted vision, which brings about fear, poison, unbearable suffering, and calamity, and which fills the heart with the dense darkness of delusion; then, reach the far shore of the ocean of existence.
कुपितस्यासतो ऽप्य् अस्य प्रेक्षामात्रविनाशिनः । अविद्याविततव्याधेर् औषधं शृणु राघव
Listen, Raghava, to the remedy for the disease of ignorance, which is spread out and difficult to cure, and which is destroyed merely by seeing through the false and angry mind.
यां तां कथयितुं जातिं राम राजससात्त्विकीम् । मनोवीर्यविचारार्थं प्रस्तुतो ऽस्मीति तां शृणु
Rama, hear now about that sattvic nature, which I am prepared to describe for the sake of examining the power of the mind.