अद्य ये महतां मूर्ध्नि ते दिनैर् निपतन्त्य् अधः । हतचित्त महत्तायां कैषा विश्वस्तता तव
Those who today are at the summit of greatness fall down in a few days; with the mind’s greatness destroyed, how can you place your trust in this?
अरज्जुर् एव बद्धो ऽहम् अपङ्को ऽस्मि कलङ्कितः । पतितो ऽस्म्य् उपरिस्थो ऽपि हा ममात्मन् हता स्थितिः
I am bound by a rope that is no rope, I am unstained yet tainted; I have fallen though I am above—alas, my own state is ruined.
कस्माद् अकस्मान् मोहो ऽयम् आगतो धीमतो ऽपि मे । असितः पिहितालोको भास्कराग्रम् इवाम्बुदः
How has this delusion suddenly come upon me, even though I am wise? My vision is darkened, like the sun’s peak covered by a black cloud.
क इमे मे महाभोगाः क इमे मम बन्धवः । बालो भूतभयेनेव शङ्के केनाहम् आकुलः
What are these great enjoyments to me? Who are these relatives of mine? Like a child frightened by imaginary beings, by what am I disturbed?
स्वयम् एव निबध्नामि जरामरणकारिणीम् । किम् इमाम् अहम् अर्थेषु धृतिम् उद्वेगभारिणीम्
I myself bind myself to old age and death; why do I hold to this resolve regarding possessions, which is laden with anxiety?
यातु तिष्ठतु वा सम्पन् ममैनां प्रति को ग्रहः । बुद्बुदश्रीर् इवैषा हि मिथ्यैवेत्थम् उपस्थिता
Let it come or remain—what hold does this prosperity have over me? For like the beauty of a bubble, it is falsely presented in this way.
ते महाविभवा भोगास् ते सन्तस् स्निग्धबान्धवाः । सर्वं स्मृतिपथं प्राप्तं वर्तमाने ऽपि का धृतिः
Those great riches and enjoyments, those dear and affectionate relatives—all have entered the realm of memory; what steadfastness is there even in the present?
क्व धनानि महीपानां ब्रह्मणां क्व जगन्ति वा । प्राक्तनानि प्रयातानि केयं विश्वस्तता मम
Where are the treasures of kings, or of Brahmās, or even the worlds themselves? All that was before has passed away; what is this trust I have?
गलितानीन्द्रलक्षाणि बुद्बुदानीव वारिणि । मां जीवितनिबद्धाशं विहसिष्यन्ति साधवः
The marks of Indra’s sovereignty have vanished like bubbles on water; the virtuous will laugh at me, who clings to life with hope.
कोटयो ब्रह्मणां याता गतास् सर्गपरम्पराः । प्रयाताः पांसुवद् भूपाः का धृतिर् मम जीविते
Millions of Brahmās have passed away, the cycles of creation have gone; kings have departed like dust—what steadfastness do I have in life?
संसाररात्रिदुस्स्वप्ने शून्ये देहमये भ्रमे । आस्थां चेद् अनुबध्नामि तन् माम् अस्तु धिग् अस्थितिम्
If I place reliance in this empty delusion, this body-based confusion, which is like a bad dream in the night of saṃsāra, then let me be condemned for such a state.
अयं सो ऽहम् इति व्यर्थम् उत्थितासत्स्वरूपिणा । अहङ्कारपिशाचेन किम् अज्ञवद् अहं हतः
In vain, I have been overtaken by the demon of ego, which arises as the false notion 'This is me, I am this'; like a fool, I am destroyed by it.
हृतं हृतम् इदं कस्माद् आयुर् आयतयानया । पश्यन्न् अपि न पश्यामि सूक्ष्मया काललेखया
Why has this life been stolen away, again and again, by this subtle line of time? Though I see, I do not see.
पादपीठीकृतेशानाश् शार्ङ्गिक्रीडनकन्दुकाः । कालकापालिना ग्रस्ताः किम् आस्थे मयि वल्गसि
The lords, made into mere footstools, and the playful balls of the wielder of the bow (Viṣṇu), have all been swallowed by Time the skull-bearer; why do you still take pride in me?
अजस्रम् उपयान्त्य् एते यान्ति चाद्यापि वासराः । अविनष्टैकसद्वस्तुर् दृष्टो नाद्यापि वासरः
Days come and go ceaselessly, even now; yet, not even today have I seen that one imperishable, real thing.
सारसास् सरसीवैते सर्वस्मिञ् जनचेतसि । भोगा एव स्फुरन्त्य् अन्तर् नातुच्छपददृष्टयः
Like the essence in a lake, pleasures alone flash within the minds of all people, but not those fleeting visions of trivial things.
कष्टात् कष्टतरं प्राप्तो दुःखाद् दुःखतरं गतः । अद्यापि न विरक्तो ऽस्मि हा धिङ् माम् अधमाशयम्
I have reached what is more painful than pain, and fallen into suffering greater than suffering; yet even now I am not detached—alas, shame on me with my base mind.
येषु येषु दृढाबद्धा भावना दृढवस्तुषु । तानि तानि विनष्टानि दृष्टानि किम् इहोत्तमम्
Whatever things I have firmly clung to in thought, even those solid things have perished; what, then, is excellent here to be seen?
यन् मध्ये यच् च पर्यन्ते यद् आपाते मनोरमम् । सर्वम् एवापवित्रं तद् विनाशामेध्यदूषितम्
Whatever is delightful in the middle, at the end, or at the outset—all of it is impure, tainted by the filth of destruction.
येषु येषु पदार्थेषु धृतिं बध्नाति मानवः । तेषु तेष्व् एव तस्याशु दृष्टो दुःखोदयो भृशम्
Wherever a person fastens his attachment to objects, there, and only there, he quickly experiences intense suffering.
श्वश् श्वः पापीयसीम् एव श्वश् श्वः क्रूरतराम् अपि । श्वश् श्वः खेदकरीम् एति दशाम् इह जडो जनः
Day by day, a dull person enters ever more sinful, ever more cruel, and ever more distressing states in this world.
अज्ञानोपहतो बाल्ये यौवने मदनाहतः । शेषे कलत्रचिन्तार्तः किं करोतु कदा जडः
Struck by ignorance in childhood, wounded by passion in youth, and later tormented by anxiety for his wife—what can the dull-witted person do, and when?
आगमापायविरसं दशावैषम्यदूषितम् । असारसारं संसारं किं न पश्यति मन्मतिः
Why does the mind, clouded by delusion, not see that worldly existence is tasteless due to coming and going, spoiled by the unevenness of circumstances, and lacking true essence?
राजसूयाश्वमेधाद्यैर् इष्ट्वा यज्ञशतैर् अपि । महाकल्पात् कम् अप्य् अंशं स्वर्गं आप्नोति नाधिकम्
Even by performing hundreds of sacrifices like the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha, one attains but a small portion of heaven for a great age, and nothing more.
को ऽसौ स्वर्गे ऽस्ति भूमौ वा पाताले वा प्रदेशकः । न यत्राभिद्रवन्त्य् एता दुर्भ्रमर्य इवापदः
What is that place, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the netherworld, where these calamities do not assail, like wicked women?
निजचेतोबिलव्यालाश् शरीरस्थलपल्लवाः । आधयो व्याधयश् चैते निवार्यन्ते कथं किल
How indeed can these afflictions and diseases—serpents from the cave of one's own mind, sprouting as shoots in the body—ever be prevented?
सत्ये ऽसत्ता स्थिता मूर्ध्नि मूर्ध्नि रम्येष्व् अरम्यता । सुखेषु मूर्ध्नि दुःखानि किम् एकं संश्रयाम्य् अहम्
Unreality stands atop reality, unpleasantness atop pleasant places, and sorrows atop happiness—so which one thing should I rely upon?
जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च प्राकृताः क्षुद्रजन्तवः । धरा तैर् एव नीरन्ध्रा दुर्लभास् साधुसाधवः
Common, insignificant creatures are born and die; because of them, the earth remains without gaps—truly, noble and virtuous people are rare.
नीलोत्पलालिनयनाः परमप्रेमभूषणाः । हासायैव विलासिन्यः क्षणभङ्गितया स्थिताः
Women, with eyes like blue lotuses and adorned with supreme love, exist only for amusement, remaining for but a fleeting moment.
येषां निमेषणोन्मेषैर् जगतां प्रलयोदयौ । तादृशाः पुरुषा याता मादृशां गणनैव का
Those whose blinking and opening of eyes bring about the dissolution and creation of worlds—such people have come and gone; what significance is there in counting people like me?