द्विजकैरवशीतांशुर् द्विषत्तिमिरभास्करः । सौजन्यरत्नजलधिर् भुवं विष्णुर् इवास्थितः
He was like the cool moon to the lilies of the twice-born, the sun dispelling the darkness of enemies, a sea of jewels of nobility, and stood on earth like Vishnu.
प्रफुल्तबाललतिके मञ्जरीपुञ्जपिञ्जरे । स कदाचिन् मधौ मत्तकोकिलोल्लासलासिनि
Once, in spring, amidst blossoming young creepers and clusters of flower buds, he wandered where intoxicated cuckoos sang joyfully.
ययौ कुसुमिताभोगं सविलासलताङ्गनम् । लीलयोपवनं कान्तं नन्दनं वासवो यथा
He entered a grove adorned with blooming vines, delightful and charming, as if Indra himself were enjoying the beautiful Nandana garden.
तस्मिन् वरवने हृद्ये केसरामोदिमारुते । दूरस्थानुचरश् चारुकुञ्जेषु विचचार ह
In that splendid and pleasing forest, with breezes fragrant with the scent of kesara flowers, he roamed through lovely bowers, his attendants remaining at a distance.
अथ शुश्राव कस्मिंश्चित् तमालवनगुल्मके । सिद्धानाम् अप्रदृश्यानां स्वप्रसङ्गाद् उदाहृताः
Then, in a thicket of tamāla trees, he heard the words of invisible siddhas, spoken among themselves.
विरक्तमनसां नित्यं शैलकन्दरचारिणाम् । इमाः कमलपत्त्राक्ष गीता गीतात्मभावनाः
O lotus-eyed one, these are the songs, filled with the essence of realization, sung by those with detached minds who always dwell in mountain caves.
द्रष्टृदृश्यसमायोगात् प्रत्ययानन्दनिश्चयः । यस् तं स्वम् आत्मतत्त्वोत्थं निष्ष्यन्दं समुपास्महे
We worship that pure essence of self, which arises from the union of seer and seen, and is the certainty of bliss born of direct knowledge.
द्रष्टृदर्शनदृश्यानि त्यक्त्वा वासनया सह । दर्शनप्रथमाभासम् आत्मानं समुपास्महे
Abandoning the seer, the seeing, and the seen, along with all impressions, we worship the self, the first light of awareness.
निर्भासनं निर्मननम् आभासमननोपमम् । अभावभावनाभोगं सदात्मानम् उपास्महे
We always worship the self, which is without appearance, without mental construction, incomparable to any manifestation, and whose experience is the contemplation of non-being.
द्वयोर् मध्यगतं नित्यम् अस्ति नास्तीति पक्षयोः । प्रकाशनं प्रकाशानाम् आत्मानं समुपास्महे
We worship that Self, the illuminator of illuminations, which always abides in the middle of the two positions—existence and non-existence.
अशिरस्कहकाराभम् अशेषाकारसंस्थितम् । अजस्रम् उच्चरन्तं तं स्वम् आत्मानम् उपास्महे
We worship our own Self, which is without head or form, established in all forms, and constantly resounds without ceasing.
सन्त्यज्य हृद्गुहेशानं देवम् अन्यं प्रयान्ति ये । ते रत्नम् अभिवाञ्छन्ति त्यक्तहस्तस्थकौस्तुभाः
Those who abandon the Lord dwelling in the cave of the heart and seek another deity are like those who desire a jewel after casting away the Kaustubha gem held in their own hand.
सर्वाशाः किल सन्त्यज्य फलम् एतद् अवाप्यते । येनाशाविषवल्लीनां मूलमाला विलूयते
Indeed, by abandoning all desires, this fruit is attained, by which the root-garland of the poisonous creepers of desire is torn up.
बुद्ध्वाप्य् अत्यन्तवैरस्यं यः पदार्थेषु दुर्मतिः । बध्नाति भावनां भूयो नरो नासौ स गर्दभः
Even after realizing the utter hostility in objects, if a foolish person again binds his mind to them, that man is not a donkey.
उत्थितानुत्थितान् एतान् इन्द्रियाहीन् पुनः पुनः । हन्याद् विवेकवज्रेण वज्रेणेव हरिर् गिरीन्
Again and again, one should destroy these senses, whether risen or not, with the thunderbolt of discrimination, just as Hari destroys mountains with a thunderbolt.
उपशमसुखम् आवहेत् पवित्रं शमवशतश् शमम् एति साधुचेतः । प्रशमितमनसस् स्वके स्वरूपे भवति सुखे स्थितिर् उत्तमा चिराय
Let the pure-hearted one, by the power of tranquility, attain the happiness of peace; with the mind pacified, abiding in one's own true nature, supreme happiness endures for a long time.
इति सिद्धगणोद्गीता गीताश् श्रुत्वा महीपतिः । विषादम् आजगामाशु भीरू रणरवाद् इव
Thus, having heard the songs sung by the hosts of perfected beings, the king quickly fell into despair, just as the timid do at the sound of battle.
जगाम परिवारं स्वम् आकर्षन् स्वगृहं प्रति । स्वतीरवृक्षानुसृतः प्रावृडोघ इवार्णवम्
He returned to his household, drawing his retinue along, like the swelling of the rainy season’s flood following the trees on the riverbank toward the ocean.
परिवारम् अशेषेण विसर्ज्यात्र स्वम् आलयम् । एक एवारुरोहाग्र्यं गृहम् अर्क इवाचलम्
Having dismissed his entire retinue there, he alone ascended to his lofty house, like the sun mounting a mountain peak.
ततः प्रोड्डयनालोलखगपक्षतिचञ्चलाः । आलोकयंल् लोकगतीर् विललापेदम् आतुरः
Then, restless, his mind fluttering like the wings of birds at dusk, he gazed upon the ways of the world and lamented in his distress:
हा कष्टम् अतिकष्टासु लोकलोलदशास्व् अयम् । पाषाणेष्व् इव पाषाण आलुठामि बलाद् अलम्
Alas, how grievous are these ever-changing states of the world! I am tossed about among stones, like a stone, helplessly and in vain.
अपर्यन्तस्य कालस्य को ऽप्य् अंशो जीव्यते मया । तस्मिन् भावं निबध्नामि धिङ् माम् अधमचेतसम्
Of endless time, only a fragment is lived by me; upon that I fix my thoughts—shame on me, whose mind is so base.
कियन्मात्रम् इदं नाम राज्यम् आजीवितं मम । किम् एतेन विना दुःखं तिष्ठामि हतधीर् यथा
How small indeed is this so-called kingdom I have enjoyed in life! What is it worth? Without it, I remain in sorrow, my mind ruined as before.
आदाव् अन्ते ऽप्य् अनन्तो ऽहं मध्ये पेलवजीवितः । बालश् चित्रेन्दुनेवाहं किं मुधा धृतिमान् स्थितः
In the beginning and end I am infinite, yet in the middle my life is frail; like a child marveling at the painted moon, why do I stand firm in vain?
प्रपञ्चरचितेनायम् इन्द्रजालेन जालिना । हा कष्टम् अभिमुह्यामि केनास्मि परिमोहितः
This world, constructed by the magician of illusion, is a net of magic; alas, I am bewildered—by whom have I been so thoroughly deluded?
यद् वस्तु यच् च वा रम्यं यद् उदारम् अकृत्रिमम् । किञ्चित् तद् इह नास्त्य् एव किंनिष्ठेयं धृतिर् मम
Whatever thing is delightful, noble, and genuine—none of that is truly found here; so, upon what should my resolve be fixed?
दूरस्थम् अप्य् अदूरस्थं यन् मे मनसि वर्तते । इति निर्णीय बाह्ये ऽर्थे भावनां सन्त्यजाम्य् अहम्
Even what is far away or near, if it occupies my mind, having discerned this, I abandon all mental fixation on external things.
लोकाजवञ्जवीभावस् सलिलावर्तभङ्गुरः । दृष्टो ऽद्यापि हि दुःखाय केयम् आस्था सुखं प्रति
The world’s nature is crooked and deceptive, fragile like a whirlpool of water; even now it brings sorrow—so what reliance can there be on it for happiness?
प्रत्यब्दं प्रतिमासं च प्रत्यहं च प्रतिक्षणम् । सुखानि दुःखविद्धानि दुःखानि तु पुनः पुनः
Year by year, month by month, day by day, and moment by moment, pleasures are pierced by pain, while pains return again and again.
पुनः पुनः परामृष्टं दृष्टं पृष्टं निभालितम् । अतुच्छं न तद् अस्तीह सतां यत्रास्तु संस्थितिः
Again and again examined, seen, questioned, and observed—there is nothing here that is not hollow, in which the wise might find abiding.