गन्धर्वनगरस्यार्धे भूषिते दूषिते ऽथ वा । अविद्यांशे सुतादौ वा कः क्रमस् सुखदुःखयोः
Whether a city of the Gandharvas is adorned or defiled, or whether ignorance affects children and others, what is the sequence of happiness and sorrow in these?
प्राप्ते धने ऽथ दारादौ हर्षस्यावसरो हि कः । वृद्धायां मृगतृष्णायां किम् आनन्दो जलार्थिनः
When wealth or spouse is gained, what occasion is there for joy? What happiness does a thirsty person find in a mirage that has grown larger?
धनदारेषु वृद्धेषु दुःखं युक्तं न तुष्टता । वृद्धायां मोहमायायां कस् समाश्वासवान् इह
When wealth and spouse have increased, sorrow is appropriate, not satisfaction. When delusion and illusion have grown, who here finds reassurance?
यैर् एव जायते रागो मूर्खस्याधिकतां गतैः । तैर् एव भोगैः प्राज्ञस्य विराग उपजायते
The very enjoyments that give rise to attachment in the foolish, when pursued excessively, are the same enjoyments by which the wise develop detachment.
अपारदर्शिनो मूढा भोगैर् आयान्ति तुष्टताम् । पारावलोकिनस् त्व् एतैर् विरागं यान्ति साधवः
Those who do not see the other shore, the deluded, attain satisfaction through enjoyments; but those who perceive the far shore, the virtuous, attain detachment through these same enjoyments.
अतो राघव तत्त्वज्ञो व्यवहारेषु संसृतेः । नष्टं नष्टम् उपेक्षस्व प्राप्तं प्राप्तम् उपाहर
Therefore, Raghava, knowing the truth, in worldly dealings, disregard what is lost as lost, and accept what is gained as gained.
अनागतानां भोगानाम् अवाञ्छनम् अकृत्रिमम् । आगतानां च सम्भोग इति पण्डितलक्षणम्
The mark of the wise is genuine indifference toward pleasures not yet arrived, and enjoyment of those that have come.
संसारसम्भ्रमे ह्य् अस्मिंश् छन्नात्मन्य् आततायिनि । तथा विहर सम्बुद्धो यथा नायासि मूढताम्
In this turmoil of worldly existence, where the true self is concealed and hostile, live with awakened understanding so that you do not fall into delusion.
संसाराडम्बरस्यास्य प्रपञ्चरचिते क्रमे । सम्यक् समं न पश्यन्ति ये हतास् ते कुबुद्धयः
In this display of worldly grandeur, constructed by the process of manifestation, those whose insight is destroyed do not see rightly or evenly; they are of misguided intellect.
यया कयाचिद् युक्त्येह यस्य दृश्यगतारतिः । परिमज्जति तस्याच्छा न क्वचिन् निर्मला मतिः
By whatever means, here, one whose mind is attached to objects of perception and is cleansed by them, never attains pure understanding anywhere.
यस्यासद् इदम् इत्य् आस्था निवृत्ता सर्ववस्तुषु । क्रोडीकरोति सर्वज्ञं नाविद्या तम् अवास्तवी
For one whose conviction that 'this is unreal' has ceased regarding all things, ignorance does not touch him; he embraces the all-knowing.
अहं जगच् चैकम् इदं सर्वम् एवेति यस्य धीः । आस्थानास्थे परित्यज्य संस्थिता स न मज्जति
He whose understanding is established in the view that 'I and the world are one, all this is indeed one,' having abandoned both attachment and aversion, does not sink.
शुद्धं सदसतोर् मध्यं पदं बुद्ध्यावलम्ब्य च । सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं विश्वं मा गृहाण विमुञ्च मा
Relying on the pure middle ground between existence and non-existence with your intellect, neither grasp nor abandon the universe, whether external or internal.
अत्यन्तविततस् स्वच्छस् सर्ववान् सर्ववर्जितः । व्योमवत् तिष्ठ नीरागं राम कार्यकरो ऽपि सन्
Remain, O Rama, utterly expansive, pure, possessing all, yet free from all; like the sky, abide without attachment, even while performing actions.
यस्य नेच्छा न चानिच्छा ज्ञस्य कर्मणि तिष्ठतः । न तस्य लिप्यते प्रज्ञा पद्मपत्त्रम् इवाम्बुभिः
For one who is wise, who neither desires nor rejects while engaged in action, understanding is not tainted—just as a lotus leaf is not wetted by water.
दर्शनस्पर्शनादीनि मा करोतु करोतु वा । तवेन्द्रियगणो गौणस् त्वम् अनिच्छो भवात्मवान्
Let your senses perform seeing, touching, and so on, or not; they are secondary to you—be established in the Self, without desire.
ममेदम् इत्य् असद्भूते इन्द्रियार्थे भवन्मनः । मा निमज्जत्व् अमग्नं सन् मा करोतु करोतु वा
Let not your mind, thinking 'this is mine' about unreal sense objects, sink into them; remaining unsunken, let it act or not act.
यदि ते नेन्द्रियार्थश्रीस् स्वदते हृदि राघव । तद् असि ज्ञातविज्ञानस् समुत्तीर्णो भवार्णवात्
O Raghava, if the splendor of sense objects does not delight your heart, then, endowed with knowledge and discernment, you have crossed the ocean of worldly existence.
अस्वादितेन्द्रियार्थस्य सतनोर् अतनोर् अपि । अनिच्छतो ऽपि सम्पन्ना मुक्तिर् अर्थवशात् तव
Even for one whose body has or has not experienced sense objects, and who is without desire, liberation arises for you, according to the force of circumstances.
उच्चैःपदाय परया प्रज्ञया वासनागणात् । पुष्पाद् गन्धम् इवोदारं चेतो राम पृथक् कुरु
With supreme wisdom, separate your mind, O Rama, from the multitude of tendencies, as one would distinctly separate fragrance from a flower.
संसाराम्बुनिधाव् अस्मिन् वासनाम्बुपरिप्लुते । ये प्रज्ञानावम् आरूढास् ते तीर्णा ब्रुडिताः परे
In this ocean of worldly existence, filled with the waters of tendencies, those who have ascended the boat of wisdom are said to have crossed to the other shore.
क्षुरधाराग्रशितया धिया परमधीरया । प्रविचार्यात्मनस् तत्त्वं तत् त्वं स्वं पदम् आविश
With a mind as sharp as the edge of a razor and with supreme steadiness, discern the truth of your own self, and then enter your own true state.
यथा तत्त्वविदः प्राज्ञा ज्ञानबृंहितचेतसः । विहरन्ति तथा राम विहर्तव्यं न मूढवत्
Just as the wise who know reality and whose minds are expanded by knowledge live, so too, O Rama, you should live—not like the deluded.
जीवन्मुक्ता महात्मानो नित्यतृप्ता महाशयाः । आचारैर् अनुगन्तव्या न भोगकृपणाश् शठाः
The great souls who are liberated while living, ever content and noble-hearted, should be followed in conduct—not those who are petty and deceitful, attached to enjoyment.
न त्यजन्ति न वाञ्छन्ति व्यवहारं जगद्गतम् । सर्वम् एवानुवर्तन्ते परावरविदो जनाः
Those who know the highest and the lowest do not abandon nor desire worldly activity; they conform to everything in the world.
प्रभावस्याभिमानस्य गुणानां यशसश् श्रियः । न क्वचित् कृपणा लोके महान्तस् तत्त्वदर्शिनः
Nowhere in the world are the great ones, the seers of truth, ever petty about power, pride, virtues, fame, or wealth.
सुशून्ये ऽपि न खिद्यन्ते देवोद्याने नसङ्गिनः । नियतिं च न मुञ्चन्ति महान्तो भास्करा इव
Even in utter desolation they are not distressed, nor are they attached in the gardens of the gods; the great ones do not abandon their nature, like the sun.
विगतेच्छा यथाप्राप्तव्यवहारानुवर्तिनः । विचरन्त्य् असमुन्नद्धास् स्वस्था देहरथस्थिताः
Free from desire, following the course of action as it comes, they move about unperturbed, self-abiding, established in the chariot of the body.
त्वम् अपि प्राप्तवान् राम विवेकम् इमम् आगतम् । प्रज्ञाबलेन चानेन जाने स्वस्थो ऽसि सुन्दर
You too, O Rama, have attained this discernment; by this strength of wisdom, I know you are at peace, O beautiful one.
स्पष्टां दृष्टिम् अवष्टभ्य निर्मानो गतमत्सरः । विहरास्मिन् भुवः पीठे परां सिद्धिम् अवाप्स्यसि
Relying on clear vision, free from pride and devoid of envy, dwell on this seat of earth and you will attain supreme accomplishment.