यथैवेदं नभश् शून्यं जगच् छून्यं तथैव हि । असन्मयविकल्पोत्थे उभे एते तते यतः
Just as this sky is empty, so too is the world empty; both arise from unreal imagination, therefore they are the same.
असिद्धं सर्वम् एवैतद् यद् असिद्धेन साधितम् । सङ्कल्पेन जगत् तस्माद् भावना क्वावतिष्ठताम्
All this is indeed unaccomplished, for it is established by what is itself unaccomplished; the world is by imagination, so let imagination rest wherever it may.
सत्यास्थायाम् असत्यां तु किंनिष्ठा वासना भवेत् । वासनाक्षयतस् सिद्धिस् ततः प्राप्यं न शिष्यते
When there is no reality, what foundation can tendencies have? When tendencies are exhausted, perfection is attained and nothing remains to be gained.
तस्माद् असद् इदं सर्वं द्रष्टव्यं हेलयेद्धया । न तु भावनया तेन सुखदुःखैर् न लिप्यते
Therefore, all this should be regarded as unreal, with indifference; not by imagination—thus one is not tainted by pleasure or pain.
अवस्त्व् इतीदं निर्णीय नेहास्था सम्प्रवर्तते । आस्थाक्षये न जायेते हर्षामर्षौ भवाभवौ
Having determined that this is unreal, attachment does not arise here; when attachment ceases, joy and anger, coming and going, do not arise.
मनो मिथ्या करोतीदं सुखदुःखाभ्रविभ्रमम् । मनो जीवस् स्फुरत्य् उच्चैर् मानसं नगरं जगत्
The mind falsely creates this confusion of pleasure and pain; the living being, as mind, shines forth intensely—the world is a city of the mind.
भविष्यद् वर्तमानं च भूतं च परिवर्तयत् । वासनावशतो लोके स्फुरच्छक्ति मनस् स्थितम्
In the world, under the sway of tendencies, the mind’s manifesting power causes the future, present, and past to revolve.
करोति स्वाशयेनेमां व्यवस्थां मलिनश् चलः । आत्मनस् सदृशीं लोलां जीवो हृद्वनमर्कटः
The restless soul, impure by its own inclinations, establishes this condition—like a fickle monkey in the forest of the heart, it creates a state resembling itself.
दीर्घम् आकारम् आदाय निमेषाद् यान्ति ह्रस्वताम् । ग्रहीतुं च न युज्यन्ते सङ्कल्पा जडवीचयः
Assuming a long form, in an instant they become small; these waves of thought, dull and inert, are unable to grasp anything.
मनाग्दृष्टा विवर्धन्ते दहन्ति सपरिच्छदम् । तृणमात्रेण दीप्यन्ते सङ्कल्पा वह्निशेषवत्
When seen even slightly, they grow and burn everything around; like fire from a single blade of grass, thoughts flare up with only a spark.
जगत्प्रकटनाकाराः प्रदीप्ताः क्षणभङ्गुराः । भ्रमदा जडसंस्थानास् सङ्कल्पास् तडिदग्नयः
Thoughts, which manifest the world, blaze forth but last only a moment; unstable and inert in nature, they are like flashes of lightning-fire.
यदैवासन्न् अयं पुत्र तदैवाशु चिकित्सितुम् । शक्यते नात्र सन्देहो नासत् सद् भवति क्वचित्
O son, when this is near, it can be swiftly treated—there is no doubt in this; the unreal never becomes real anywhere.
सन् स्थितो यदि सङ्कल्पो दुश्चिकित्सस् ततो भवेत् । किं त्व् असद्भूत एवैष सुचिकित्सस् तदा भृशम्
If a thought remains established as real, it becomes difficult to cure; but if it is truly unreal, it is then easily remedied.
अकृत्रिमं चेत् संसारमलम् अङ्गारकार्ष्ण्यवत् । तद् एतत्क्षालने साधो कः प्रवर्तेत दुर्मतिः
If the impurity of worldly existence were natural, like the blackness of charcoal, then who, O wise one, would attempt to remove it?
किं त्व् एतत् तण्डुले शूकतुषकम्बुकवत् स्थितम् । यदा तदा प्रयत्नेन पौरुषेण विनश्यति
But this exists like husk, straw, and chaff in rice; therefore, with effort and human endeavor, it is destroyed.
अकृत्रिमम् अपि प्राप्तं भृशं कृत्रिमतां सुत । सुखोच्छेद्यतया ज्ञस्य संसारमलम् आततम्
Even what is naturally attained, my son, becomes artificial for the wise, because its capacity for happiness is interrupted by the impurity of worldly existence.
तण्डुलस्य यथा चर्म यथा ताम्रस्य कालिमा । नश्यति क्रियया पुत्र पुरुषस्य तथा मलम्
Just as the husk of rice or the tarnish on copper is removed by action, my son, so too is the impurity of a person dispelled.
जीवस्य तण्डुलस्येव मलं सहजम् अप्य् अलम् । नश्यत्य् एव न सन्देहस् तस्माद् उद्यमवान् भव
The impurity of the living being, like that of rice, is innate but can certainly be removed; there is no doubt. Therefore, be diligent.
असत्कल्पैर् विकल्पैर् यस् संसारो जनितो मुधा । स्तोकेनासौ लयं याति क्वासद् वस्तु किल स्थिरम्
This world is produced in vain by false imaginations and notions; gradually, it dissolves. Where is any lasting substance in what is unreal?
असत्ताम् एति संसारस् स्वां व्यवस्थां विचिन्वतः । दीपालोकाद् इवान्धत्वं द्वीन्दुत्वं स्वीक्षिताद् इव
Worldly existence loses its reality for one who examines its own nature, just as darkness disappears in the presence of a lamp, or duality vanishes when unity is perceived.
नेदं तव न चास्य त्वं भ्रान्तिं पुत्र परित्यज । असत्ये सत्यवद् दृष्टे भावनां मा न्यवीविशः
This is not yours, nor are you its owner; abandon this delusion, my son. Do not let your mind dwell on what is unreal, even if it appears real.
मम गुरुविभवोज्ज्वला विलासा इति तव मास्तु वृथैव विभ्रमो ऽन्तः । त्वयि सति वितताश् च ते विलासा विलसति सर्वम् इदं तदात्मतत्त्वम्
Let there be no vain confusion within you, thinking, 'These glories shine because of my teacher's greatness.' When you exist, your glories are spread out; all this shines as the essence of your own self.
इत्य् आकर्ण्य तदा तत्र रात्राव् आलपनं तयोः । अहं रघुकुलाकाशशशाङ्क रघुनन्दन
Thus, after hearing their conversation that night, I, the moon of the Raghu lineage, O descendant of Raghu...
पतितः खात् कदम्बाग्रे पत्त्रपुष्पलताकुले । तूष्णीं निर्वृष्टिमूकात्मा शृङ्गाग्र इव तोयदः
Fallen into a pit at the tip of a kadamba tree, amidst a mass of leaves, flowers, and creepers, silent and rainless, like a cloud resting atop a peak.
अपश्यं तत्र दाशूरं शूरं इन्द्रियनिग्रहे । परेण तपसा युक्तं तेजसेव हुताशनम्
There I saw Dashura, a hero in self-restraint, endowed with supreme austerity, like fire blazing with radiance.
तेजोभिर् देहनिष्क्रान्तैः काञ्चनीकृतभूरुहैः । तापयन्तं प्रदेशं तं भुवनं भास्करं यथा
With rays emanating from his body, turning the shoots golden, he heated that region like the sun heats the world.
माम् अथालोक्य सम्प्राप्तं दाशूरो ऽर्घ्यसपर्यया । वितीर्णविष्टरं पत्त्रे परया पर्यपूजयत्
Then, seeing me arrive, Dashura honored me with the offering of water, spreading a seat of leaves and worshipping me with utmost reverence.
ततः कुर्वन् कथास् तेन सह दाशूरभास्वता । तास् तत्तनयसम्बद्धास् संसारोत्तारणक्षमाः
After that, conversing with him, Dashura radiant as the sun, we spoke stories connected with his lineage, capable of leading one across the ocean of worldly existence.
दृष्टवांस् तम् अहं वृक्षं कोरकोत्कटकोटरम् । स्मितेनेव स्फुटरदं श्वसनस्फुरितच्छदम्
I saw that tree, with buds densely clustered in its hollows, its branches trembling in the wind, its smile revealed by its open splits.
दाशूरस्येच्छया सर्वैर् अपतद्भिर् मृगद्विजैः । सेव्यमानं वनम् इव लतामण्डपमण्डितम्
By Dashura's wish, it was attended by all the animals and birds that had fallen there, like a forest adorned with a pavilion of creepers.