अथेत्थं योनिम् आसाद्य भुक्त्वा जन्मपरम्पराम् । मोक्षार्थं प्राप्तजन्मा चेत् तत् स राजससात्त्विकः
But if, after entering such a womb and passing through a succession of births, he is born for the sake of liberation, then he is of rajas-sattva nature.
पाश्चात्यजन्मनः पुंसः क्रमं वक्ष्यामि ते ऽधुना । राम राजससत्त्वस्य मोक्षम् आयात्य् असौ यथा
Now, O Rama, I will explain to you the sequence of events after a person's death in the west, and how liberation comes to one endowed with rajas and sattva.
प्राथम्येन य आयातस् संसारम् अतिसात्त्विकः । स कदाचित् क्वचित् कश्चित् सम्भवत्य् अनघाकृते
He who enters the cycle of birth with predominant sattva, sometimes, somewhere, is born as one whose actions are pure, O sinless one.
सम्भवन्तीह पुरुषा राम राजससात्त्विकाः । प्रविचार्यास् त एवातो गन्तव्यं चेह तद्दृशा
Here, O Rama, people of rajas and sattva are born; these alone are to be examined, and among them, one should proceed accordingly.
प्राथम्येन समायाता ये पदात् परमात्मनः । दुर्लभाः पुरुषा राम ते महागुणशालिनः
Those who have come first, having reached the supreme Self, O Rama, are rare individuals, endowed with great virtues.
ये चान्ये विविधा मूका मूढास् तामसजातयः । तेषां स्थावरतुल्यानां किं तद् राम विचार्यते
And others, who are variously mute and deluded, of tamasic nature—what is there to consider about them, Rama, who are like immobile beings?
कतिपयाधिगतात्मभवान्तरः प्रकृतजन्मनि लभ्यमहापदः । अयम् इह प्रविचारणयोग्यताम् अनुगतो ननु राजससात्त्विकः
Only a few, after attaining another birth through self-realization, obtain the great state in their natural life; indeed, the one endowed with rajas and sattva is fit for such inquiry here.
ये हि राजससत्त्वस्था एता भुवि महागुणाः । ते नित्यम् एव मुदिता उदिताः ख इवेन्दवः
Those who abide in rajas and sattva, possessing great virtues on earth, are always joyful and radiant, like moons shining in the sky.
न खेदम् अधिगच्छन्ति व्योमभागा मलं यथा । नापदि म्लानिम् आयान्ति निशि हेमाम्बुजा यथा
They do not experience weariness, just as the sky is untouched by impurity; nor do they wither in adversity, like golden lotuses at night.
नेहन्ते प्राकृताद् अन्यद् दिनान्यद् भास्करो यथा । रमन्ते स्वे सदाचारे स्वार्तवे पादपा यथा
Here, nothing exists apart from the natural order, just as the sun does not bring a different day; they delight in their own proper conduct, as trees enjoy their own season.
नित्यम् आपूर्णताम् अन्तर् अक्षुब्धाम् इन्दुसुन्दरीम् । आपद्य् अपि न मुञ्चन्ति शशिनश् शीतताम् इव
They never abandon the fullness within, serene and beautiful as the moon; even when circumstances arise, they do not forsake their coolness, like the moon’s gentle light.
आकृत्यैव विराजन्ते मैत्र्यादिगुणकान्तया । नवस्तबकहासिन्या लतयेव महाद्रुमाः
They shine forth by their very nature, adorned with the charm of qualities like friendship; like great trees, radiant with fresh clusters of blossoms, they are graced by virtues.
समास् समरसास् सोम्यास् सततं साधुसाधवः । अब्धिवद् धृतमर्यादा भवन्ति वितताशयाः
They are always united, harmonious, gentle, and noble; like the ocean, they maintain their boundaries, and their intentions are expansive.
अतस् तेषां महाबाहो पदम् आपदपासनम् । सर्वदैवानुगन्तव्यं मङ्क्तव्यं नापदर्णवे
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, their state is the remover of calamity; it should always be pursued, and one should not linger in the ocean of misfortune.
तथा तथेह जगति विहर्तव्यम् अखेदिना । आत्मोदयाय वर्तन्ते यथा राजससात्त्विकाः
Thus, one should act in this world without weariness; those of royal and sattvic nature conduct themselves for the rise of the self.
अधिगम्यार्य सच्छास्त्रं विचार्य च पुनः पुनः । अनित्यतां स्वमनसा विविक्तेनाशु भावयेत्
Having attained noble scripture and repeatedly reflected upon it, one should swiftly contemplate, with a secluded mind, the impermanence of things.
आदाव् अन्ते च यन् नित्यं रूपं त्रैलोक्यवर्तिनाम् । पदार्थानां तद् एवाशु भावयेन् नेतरन् मुधा
At the beginning and end, that which is eternal—the true nature of all things in the three worlds—should be swiftly contemplated, not anything else in vain.
असम्यग्दर्शनं त्यक्त्वा व्यर्थसन्तानम् अन्तवत् । स्मर्तव्यं सम्यग् एवेदं ज्ञानसार्थम् अनन्तकम्
Abandoning incorrect perception and futile, perishable thoughts, one should remember only this, rightly, for the sake of endless knowledge.
को ऽहं कथम् इदं वेति संसारम् इदम् आततम् । प्रविचार्यं प्रयत्नेन प्राज्ञेन सह साधुना
Who am I? How has this arisen? What is this expanse of worldly existence? This must be thoroughly examined with effort by the wise, together with the good.
नाकर्मसु निमङ्क्तव्यं नानार्येण सहावसेत् । द्रष्टव्यस् सर्वविच्छेत्ता न मृत्युर् अवहेलया
One should not engage in improper actions, nor associate with the unworthy; one must see that the destroyer of all—death—is not to be disregarded.
उच्चैःपदस्थस् तज्ज्ञेन सुमहाञ् शीतलाशयः । साधुर् एवानुगन्तव्यो मयूरेणाम्बुदो यथा
The noble one who stands at the highest state, who is greatly magnanimous and cool-hearted, alone should be followed, just as the peacock follows the raincloud.
अहङ्कारस्य देहस्य संसारस्योद्भवस्य च । विचारम् अमलं कृत्वा सत्यम् एवाश्रयेन् नरः
Having made a pure inquiry into ego, body, and the origin of worldly existence, a person should rely only on truth.
शरीरम् अस्थिमांसं च त्यक्त्वा रक्ताद्य् अशोभनम् । भूतमुक्तावलीतन्तुं चिन्मात्रम् अवलोकयेत्
Casting aside the body made of bone and flesh, and the unseemly blood and so on, one should behold only pure consciousness, like a string of pearls freed from their casing.
सत्ये नित्ये तते शुद्धे सर्वगे सर्वभावने । शिवे सर्वम् इदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणो यथा
In truth, in the eternal, in the pure, in the all-pervading, in the all-sustaining, in the auspicious—all this is strung, as gems are on a thread.
यैव चिद् भुवनाभोगभूषणे व्योम्नि भास्करे । धराविवरकोशस्थे सैव चित् कीटकोदरे
That very consciousness which adorns the enjoyment of worlds, which is in the sky, in the sun, in the earth’s hidden core, is the same consciousness within the belly of a worm.
कुम्भव्योम्नां न भेदो ऽस्ति यथेह परमार्थतः । चितां शरीरसंस्थानां न भेदो ऽस्ति तथानघ
Just as there is truly no difference between the space inside a pot and the space outside, O sinless one, so too, there is no real difference between consciousness and bodily forms.
सर्वेषाम् एव भूतानां तिक्तं कटु च नान्यथा । एकत्वाद् अनुभूतेर् हि कुतश् चिन्मात्रभिन्नता
For all beings, bitterness and pungency are not otherwise; since experience is one, how can there be any distinction in pure consciousness?
एकस्मिन्न् एव सततं स्थिते चिन्मात्रवस्तुनि । जातो ऽयम् अयम् उन्नष्ट इति कैषाज्ञतेह वः
In the one ever-present reality of pure consciousness, who can say, 'this one is born, that one is destroyed'—such notions arise only from ignorance.
नेह तन् नाम वस्त्व् अस्ति यद् अभूत्वा प्रजायते । न च तन् नाम वस्त्व् अस्ति यद् भूत्वा प्रविलीयते
Here, there is no such thing as an entity that, not having existed, comes into being; nor is there any such thing as an entity that, having existed, ceases to be.
आभासमात्रम् एवेदं न सन् नासच् च राघव । उत्प्लुतेनाप्रशान्तेन चेतसा सद् इव स्थितम्
This is merely an appearance, O Raghava; it is neither real nor unreal, but seems to exist as reality only to a mind that is restless and unsettled.