अपमृष्टमलोदेति क्षालनेनामृतद्युतिः । मनश्चन्द्रमसः केन तेन कामकलङ्किनः
By what washing is the moon of the mind, stained by desire, cleansed so that the radiance of immortality may arise?
दृष्टसंसारगतिना दृष्टादृष्टविनाशिना । केन वा व्यवहर्तव्यं संसारवनवीथिषु
By what means should one act in the forest-paths of worldly life, seeing the course of the world and the destruction of the seen and unseen?
रागद्वेषमहारोगा भोगपूर्वातिपूतयः । कथं जन्तोर् न बाधन्ते संसारारण्यचारिणः
How do the great diseases of attachment and aversion, born from indulgence, not afflict the creature wandering in the forest of worldly existence?
कथं च वीरवैराग्नौ पततापि न दह्यते । पावके पारतेनेव रसेन रसशालिना
And how is it that, even when one falls into the fierce fire of enmity, one is not burned—like gold in fire, protected by its essence?
यस्मात् किल जगत्य् अस्मिन् व्यवहारक्रियां विना । न स्थितिस् सम्भवत्य् अब्धौ पतितस्याजला यथा
For, indeed, in this world, without the activity of worldly dealings, no stability is possible—just as water cannot remain when it falls into the ocean.
रागद्वेषविनिर्मुक्ता सुखदुःखविवर्जिता । कृशानोर् दाहहीनेव शिखा नास्तीह सत्क्रिया
Those free from attachment and aversion, untouched by pleasure and pain, are like a flame without fuel; here, no proper action remains.
मनोमननमानिन्यास् सतापाभुवनत्रये । क्षयो युक्तिं विना नास्ति ब्रूत ताम् अलम् उत्तमाः
For the proud mind that constantly reflects, suffering in the three worlds does not end without skillful means; tell me that, O noble ones.
व्यवहारवतो युक्त्या दुःखं नायाति मे यया । अथ वाव्यवहारस्य ब्रूत तां गतिम् उत्तमाम्
By what reasoning does suffering not come to one engaged in worldly activity? Or else, tell me the highest path for one who abandons activity.
तत् कथं केन वा किं वा कृतम् उत्तमचेतसा । पूर्वं येनैति विश्रामं परमं पावनं मनः
How, by whom, or by what means, has the mind of the noble attained its supreme, pure rest in the past?
यथा जानासि भगवंस् तथा मोहनिवृत्तये । ब्रूहि मे साधवो येन यूयं निर्दुःखतां गताः
O revered one, as you know, tell me for the removal of delusion—by what means have you sages attained freedom from suffering?
अथ वा तादृशी ब्रह्मन् युक्तिर् यदि न विद्यते । न वक्ति मम वा कश्चिद् विद्यमानाम् अपि स्फुटम्
O Brahman, if such a method does not exist, or if no one tells me clearly, even though it is present,
स्वयं चैव न चाप्नोमि तां विश्रान्तिम् अनुत्तमाम् । तद् अहं त्यक्तसर्वेहो निरहङ्कारतां गतः
and I myself do not attain that supreme rest, then, having abandoned all desires, I become free from ego.
न भोक्ष्ये न पिबाम्य् अम्बु नाहं परिदधे ऽम्बरम् । करोमि नाहं व्यापारं स्नानदानाशनादिकम्
I will not eat, nor drink water, nor wear clothes; I will not engage in any activity such as bathing, giving, or eating.
न च तिष्ठामि कार्येषु सम्पत्स्व् आपद्दशासु च । न किञ्चिद् अभिवाञ्छामि देहत्यागाद् ऋते मुने
I will not remain involved in actions, whether in prosperity or adversity; I desire nothing except the abandonment of the body, O sage.
केवलं विगताशङ्को निर्ममो गतमत्सरः । मौनम् एवेह तिष्ठामि लिपिकर्मस्व् इवार्पितः
Simply, without fear, without possessiveness, free from envy, I will remain silent here, as if assigned to writing tasks.
अथ क्रमेण सन्त्यज्य सश्वासोच्छ्वाससंविदम् । सन्निवेशं त्यजामीमम् अनर्थं देहनामकम्
Then, gradually abandoning awareness of inhalation and exhalation, I will renounce this arrangement called the body, which is useless.
नाहम् अस्य न मे देहश् शाम्याम्य् अस्नेहदीपवत् । सर्वम् एव परित्यज्य त्यजामीदं कलेवरम्
I am not of this body, nor is it mine; I become calm like a lamp without oil. Having abandoned everything, I will renounce this body.
इत्य् उक्तवान् अमलशीतकराभिरामो रामो महत्तरविवेकविकासिचेताः । तूष्णीं बभूव पुरतो महतां घनानां केकारवश्रमवशाद् इव नीलकण्ठः
Thus spoke Rama, radiant with pure, cool hands, his mind expanded by great discernment; he became silent before the great ones, like a blue-throated bird resting after its cry among the clouds.
वदत्य् एवं मनोमोहविनिवृत्तिकरं वचः । रामे राजीवपत्त्राक्षे तस्मिन् राजकुमारके
As he spoke these words, which dispel the delusion of the mind, to Rāma, whose eyes are like lotus petals, that royal youth—
सर्वे बभूवुस् तत्रस्था विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनाः । धृताम्बरा देहरुहैर् गिरश् श्रोतुम् इवोद्गतैः
All those present there became wide-eyed with wonder, their garments held in place, their bodies as if raised to hear the words.
विरामवासनापास्तसमस्तभववासनाः । मुहूर्तम् अमृताम्भोधिवीचीविलुलिता इव
Freed from all worldly impressions, with the residue of desires stilled, for a moment they seemed tossed by the waves of the nectar-ocean.
ता गिरो रामभद्रस्य तस्य चित्रार्पितैर् इव । संश्रुताश् शृणुकैर् अन्तर् आनन्दपरिपीवरैः
Those words of Rāmabhadra, as if painted with wondrous colors, were heard by their ears, filled within with abundant joy.
वसिष्ठविश्वामित्राद्यैर् मुनिभिस् संसदि स्थितैः । जयन्तघृष्टिप्रमुखैर् मन्त्रिभिर् मन्त्रकोविदैः
By sages like Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, who were seated in the assembly, and by ministers led by Jayanta and Ghṛṣṭi, skilled in counsel—
नृपैर् दशरथप्रख्यैः पौरैः पारशवादिभिः । सामन्तै राजपुत्रैश् च ब्राह्मणैर् ब्रह्मवादिभिः
By kings renowned like Daśaratha, by citizens, by bards and reciters, by nobles, princes, and by brāhmaṇas versed in the Veda—
तथा भृत्यैर् अमात्यैश् च पञ्जरस्थैश् च पक्षिभिः । क्रीडामृगैर् गतस्पन्दैस् तुरङ्गैर् गतचर्वणैः
Likewise by servants and ministers, by birds in their cages, by playful deer now motionless, and by horses who had ceased to graze—
कौसल्याप्रमुखैश् चैव निजवातायनस्थितैः । संशान्तभूषणारावैर् अस्पन्दैर् वनितागणैः
And by the women, led by Kausalyā, who stood at their own windows, their ornaments silenced, themselves motionless in groups—
उद्यानवल्लीनिलयैर् विटङ्कनिलयैर् अपि । अक्षुब्धपक्षततिभिर् विहगैर् विरतारवैः
With creepers dwelling in gardens, with monkeys in their abodes, and with flocks of undisturbed birds, silent in song.
सिद्धैर् नभश्चरैश् चैव तथा गन्धर्वकिन्नरैः । नारदव्यासपुलहप्रमुखैर् मुनिपुङ्गवैः
With Siddhas who move through the sky, as well as Gandharvas and Kinnaras, and the foremost sages such as Narada, Vyasa, and Pulaha.
अन्यैश् च देवदेवेशविद्याधरमहोरगैः । रामस्य ता विचित्रार्था महोदारा गिरश् श्रुताः
And with others—lords of gods and lords of Vidyadharas and mighty serpents—those wondrous, noble words of Rama were heard.
अथ तूष्णीं स्थितवति रामे राजीवलोचने । तस्मिन् रघुकुलाकाशशशाङ्कसमसुन्दरे
Then, as Rama, lotus-eyed and as beautiful as the moon in the sky of the Raghu lineage, stood in silence—