सर्वदोदितचन्द्रार्का दिशो दृष्ट्वा स्थिराचलाः । अविनाशि जगत् सर्वम् इत्य् अप्य् अवितथोपमम्
Seeing the directions where the sun and moon always rise, and the stable mountains, it is equally fitting to say that this entire world is imperishable.
न तद् अस्ति न यत् तस्मिन्न् एकस्मिन् विततात्मनि । सङ्कल्पकलनाजालम् अनाख्ये नोपपद्यते
There is nothing that does not exist within that one all-pervading Self; the web of imagined distinctions does not arise in the nameless.
पुनः पुनर् इदं सर्वं पुनर् मरणजन्मनी । पुनस् सुखं पुनर् दुःखं पुनः करणकर्मणी
Again and again, all this recurs—birth and death, happiness and sorrow, actions performed by the senses.
पुनर् आशाः पुनर् व्योम पुनस् साम्बुधयो ऽद्रयः । अभ्युदेति पुनस् सृष्टिश् शश्वद् अर्कप्रभा यथा
Hopes arise again, the sky returns, again the oceans and mountains; creation appears once more, like the constant radiance of the sun.
पुनर् दैत्याः पुनर् देवाः पुनर् लोकान्तरक्रमः । पुनस् स्वर्गापवर्गेहा पुनर् इन्द्रः पुनश् शशी
Again the demons, again the gods, again the progression through worlds; once more heaven, liberation, earthly abodes, Indra, and the moon.
पुनर् नारायणो देवः पुनर् मनुसुतादयः । पुनर् आशाश् चलच्चारुचन्द्रार्कवरुणानिलाः
Again the god Nārāyaṇa, again the sons of Manu and others; again the hopes, the moving, beautiful moon, sun, Varuṇa, and wind.
सुमेरुकर्णिका कान्तऋक्षकेसरशालिनी । फुल्लस्फीतोदरोदेति रोदसीनलिनी पुनः
The earth and sky, like a blossoming, abundant lotus with Mount Meru as its stalk and the stars as its filaments, arise again with swelling fullness.
व्योमकाननम् आक्रम्य वल्गत्य् अंशुनखोत्करैः । तमःकरिघटा भेत्तुं पुनर् भास्करकेसरी
The sun, with its rays like lion's claws, strides through the sky-forest again to shatter the dense darkness, like a lion among elephants.
पुनर् इन्दुश् चलच्चूतमञ्जरीसुन्दरैः करैः । करोत्य् अमृतम् आह्लादं दिग्वधूमुखमण्डनम्
Again the moon, with its lovely, trembling mango-blossom-like beams, brings nectar-like delight, adorning the faces of the quarters as if they were brides.
पुनस् स्वर्गतरोः पुण्यक्षयवातसमीरिताः । पतन्तीह विनुन्नाङ्गाः पुण्यकृत्फलपालयः
Again, from the heavenly tree, driven by the wind of merit's exhaustion, the fruits earned by good deeds fall here, their limbs shaken.
पुनः कार्यक्रियापक्षैस् संसारारम्भनामकम् । किञ्चित् पटपटं कृत्वा याति कालकपिञ्जलः
Again, with the wings of action and its results, called the beginning of worldly existence, the bird of time, making a slight flutter, departs.
पुनर् इन्द्रालिके याते राज्यम् आस्वाद्य केसरम् । आयात्य् अपरदेवेन्द्रषट्पदस् स्वर्गपङ्कजम्
Again, when the Indra-like bee, having tasted the royal pollen, departs, another lord of gods approaches the heavenly lotus.
पुनः कालं कृतापूतं कलुषीकुरुते कलिः । सचक्रिणम् इवाम्भोधिं प्रवृद्धो ऽवकरानिलः
Again, time, once purified, is corrupted by the age of strife, just as a swelling wind stirs up mud in the ocean, even when it is clear.
पुनः कालकुलालेन कृतभूतशरावकम् । चक्रम् आवर्तते वेगाद् अजस्रं कालनामकम्
Again, by the potter of time, the vessel of beings is made, and the wheel called time turns swiftly and ceaselessly.
पुनर् नीरसताम् एति जगद् ध्वस्तशुभस्थिति । अभ्याशीभूतकल्पान्तं संशुष्कम् इव काननम्
Again, the world becomes devoid of essence, its auspicious state destroyed, as the end of an age draws near, like a forest dried up.
पुनर् अर्कगणांश्वग्निदग्धानन्तकलेवरम् । सर्वभूतास्थिसम्पूर्णं जगद् एति श्मशानताम्
Again, when the hosts of suns and fires burn up the bodies at the end of time, the world, filled with the bones of all beings, becomes like a cremation ground.
पुनः कुलाचलाकारपुष्करावर्तवर्षणैः । नृत्यद्भस्मबृहत्फेनां यात्य् एकार्णवतां जगत्
Again, by the torrents from the whirlpools of mountain-like lotuses, the world, with great foaming ashes dancing, becomes a single ocean.
पुनस् संशान्तवाय्वम्बु रिक्तं सकलवस्तुभिः । तदपूर्वम् इवाकाशं जगद् आयाति शून्यताम्
Again, when the winds and waters are stilled and all things are emptied, the world returns to emptiness, as if space itself were unprecedented.
पुनः कतिपया भुक्त्वा समास् समरसाशयः । जीवितं जीर्णया तन्वा ब्रह्माध्यात्मनि लीयते
Then, after enjoying a few moments, with a mind at rest in equanimity, life is worn out and dissolves into the supreme Self, like a worn-out body.
पुनर् अन्येन कालेन तथैव जगतां गणम् । मनस् तनोति वै शून्ये गन्धर्वो नगरं यथा
Once more, after some time, the mind projects the multitude of worlds into the void, just as a celestial musician conjures a city in the sky.
पुनस् सर्गसमारम्भः पुनः प्रलयसम्भवः । सर्वं पुनर् इदं राम चक्रवत् परिवर्तते
Again there is the beginning of creation, again the occurrence of dissolution; all this, O Rama, revolves repeatedly like a wheel.
किम् एतस्मिन् महामायाडम्बरे दीर्घशम्बरे । राम सत्यम् असत्यं वा निर्णीय यद् इहोच्यते
In this grand spectacle of great illusion, with its long display, O Rama, what here can truly be called real or unreal, once it is examined?
दाशूराख्यायिकेवेयं राम संसारचक्रिका । कल्पनारचिताकारा वस्तुशून्या तु वस्तुतः
O Rama, this cycle of worldly existence is like a tale about a servant; its forms are fashioned by imagination, but in reality, it is devoid of substance.
अविरलम् इदम् आततं विकल्पैर् असदुदिताकृतिभिर् द्विचन्द्रकल्पैः । विरचितम् असता तु यन् न सत् तज् जगद् इह तेन विमूढता किमुत्था
This, spread out without interruption, is made by imaginations—forms conjured by what is unreal, like the illusion of two moons; what is created by unreality is not real—so why should there be confusion about this world?
क्रियाविशेषबहुला भोगैश्वर्यहताशयाः । नावेक्षन्ते यदा सत्यं न पश्यन्ति शठास् तदा
When people are absorbed in various actions and their minds are clouded by enjoyment and the pursuit of power, they do not perceive the truth; at that time, the deceitful do not see it.
ये तु पारं गता बुद्धेर् इन्द्रियैर् न वशीकृताः । त एतां जागतीं मायां पश्यन्ति करबिल्ववत्
But those who have crossed beyond the intellect and are not controlled by the senses, they see this worldly illusion as one sees a fruit in the hand.
ननु तां जागतीं मायां जीवो दृष्ट्वा विचारवान् । अहङ्कारमयीं आस्थां त्यजत्य् अहिर् इव त्वचम्
Indeed, when the embodied soul, endowed with discernment, perceives this worldly illusion, he abandons the identification with ego, just as a serpent sheds its skin.
असक्ततां ततो ऽभ्येत्य पुनर् नाम न जायते । क्षेत्रे ऽपि सुचिरं तिष्ठद् बीजं दग्धम् इवाग्निना
Having thus attained detachment, he is not born again; even if he remains long in the body, he is like a seed scorched by fire in a field.
आधिव्याधिपरीताय प्रातर् वाद्य विनाशिने । प्रयतन्ते शरीराय हितम् अज्ञास् तु नात्मने
The ignorant strive for the welfare of the body, afflicted by ailments and destined for destruction, but not for the Self.
त्वम् अप्य् अज्ञवद् अज्ञस्य शरीरस्य समीहितम् । मा सम्पादय दुःखाय भवात्मैकपरायणः
You too, do not, like the ignorant, labor for the aims of the body, which brings suffering; be devoted solely to the Self.