क्षणम् ऐश्वर्यम् आयाति क्षणम् एति दरिद्रता । क्षणं विगतरोगत्वं क्षणम् आगतरोगता
For a moment comes prosperity, for a moment poverty; for a moment health, for a moment illness.
प्रतिक्षणं विपर्यासदायिना महतामुना । जगद्भ्रमेण के नाम धीमन्तो ऽपि न मोहिताः
With every moment, this great illusion brings reversal; who, even among the wise, is not bewildered by the world's delusion?
तमःपङ्कसमालब्धं क्षणम् आकाशमण्डलम् । क्षणं कनकनिष्ष्यन्दकोमलालोकसुन्दरम्
For a moment, the expanse of the sky is sullied by the mire of darkness; for a moment, it is beautiful with the gentle radiance of golden light trickling forth.
क्षणं जलदनीलाब्जमालावलितकोटरम् । क्षणम् उड्डामररवं क्षणं मूकम् अवस्थितम्
For a moment, it is a hollow adorned with garlands of blue lotuses and clouds; for a moment, it resounds with tumultuous noise, and for a moment, it stands silent and mute.
क्षणं ताराविलसितं क्षणम् अर्केण भूषितम् । क्षणम् इन्दुकृताह्लादं क्षणं सर्वबहिष्कृतम्
For a moment, it sparkles with stars; for a moment, it is adorned by the sun; for a moment, it is gladdened by the moon; for a moment, it is entirely cast out.
आगमापायपरया स्थित्या संस्थितनाशया । न बिभेतीह संसारे धीरो ऽपि क इवानया
With the supreme coming and going, with the existence and destruction, who in this world, even the wise, does not fear this?
आपदः क्षणम् आयान्ति क्षणम् आयान्ति सम्पदः । क्षणं जन्माथ मरणं मुने किम् इव न क्षणम्
Calamities come for a moment, fortunes come for a moment; birth and death are but a moment—O sage, what is not momentary?
प्राग् आसीद् अन्य एवेह जातस् त्व् अन्येतरो दिनैः । अप्य् एकरूपं भगवन् किञ्चिद् अस्ति न सुस्थितम्
Before, there was something else here; now, something different has arisen with the passing of days. O Lord, even what appears uniform is not firmly established.
घटस्य पटता दृष्टा पटस्यापि घटस्थितिः । न तद् अस्ति न यद् दृष्टं विपर्यस्यति संसृतिः
The cloth is seen as a pot, and the pot's existence is seen in the cloth; what is not seen does not exist—thus, the cycle of existence is reversed.
अशूरेण हतश् शूर एकेनापि शतं हतम् । प्राकृताः प्रभुतां यातास् सर्वम् आवर्तते जगत्
A hero is slain by a coward, and a single one slays a hundred; the ordinary attain dominance—everything in the world turns in cycles.
जनतेयं विपर्यासम् अजस्रम् अनुगच्छति । जडस्पन्दपरामर्शात् तरङ्गानाम् इवावली
This world constantly follows confusion, due to the dull agitation and grasping, like a series of waves.
बाल्यम् अद्य दिनैर् एव यौवनश्रीस् ततो जरा । देहे ऽपि नैकरूपत्वं कास्था बाह्येषु वस्तुषु
Childhood lasts only a few days, then comes the glory of youth, followed by old age; even the body does not remain the same, just as wood among external objects.
क्षणम् आनन्दिताम् एति क्षणम् एति विषादिताम् । क्षणं सौम्यत्वम् आयाति सर्वस्मिन् नटवन् मनः
For a moment it becomes joyful, for a moment it becomes sorrowful, for a moment it attains gentleness; the mind acts like an actor in everything.
इतश् चान्यद् इतश् चान्यद् इतश् चान्यद् अयं विधिः । रचयन् वस्तु नायाति खेदं लीलास्व् इवार्भकः
From here to elsewhere, from here to elsewhere, from here to elsewhere—this fate creates things without fatigue, like a child at play.
चिनोत्य् उन्मादयत्य् अत्ति निहन्त्य् आहन्ति चात्मसात् । जगज्जातम् इदं धाता पातोत्पातशतैर् इह
It gathers, excites, consumes, destroys, strikes, and absorbs; the creator of this world acts here through hundreds of rises and falls.
क्षणेनान्यद् दिनेनान्यत् प्रातर् अन्यद् इतस् ततः । रचयन् वञ्चनादक्षो विधिर् दृष्टो न केनचित्
In a moment, something else; in a day, something else; in the morning, something else, and so on; fate, skilled in deception, is seen by none.
यद् अद्य तत् तु न प्रातर् यत् प्रातस् तत् तु नाद्य च । यद् अन्यदा तु तन् नाद्य सर्वम् आवर्ततेतराम्
What is today is not tomorrow; what is tomorrow is not today; what is at another time is not today; everything turns again and again.
सन्ततानीह दुःखानि सुखानि विरलानि च । सततं रात्र्यहानीव विवर्तन्ते नरं प्रति
Here, sorrows are continuous, pleasures are rare; like day and night, they constantly revolve for a person.
आविर्भावतिरोभावभागिनो भवभाविनः । जनस्य स्थिरतां यान्ति नापदो न च सम्पदः
For those who are subject to birth and death, who come and go, neither misfortunes nor fortunes remain constant in a person's life.
पदात् पदम् अयं पापस् सर्वम् आपदि पातयन् । हेलाविवलिताशेषः खलकाललवस् स्थितः
From one step to the next, this sin brings all into calamity; it stands as the remnant of wickedness, shaken off carelessly, like a trace of dark time.
समविषमदशाविपाकभिन्नास् त्रिभुवनभूतपरम्पराफलौघाः । समयपवनपातिताः पतन्ति प्रतिदिनम् आततसंसृतिद्रुमेभ्यः
The streams of results arising from the succession of beings in the three worlds, differing in their ripening of pleasure and pain, are struck down each day by the winds of time from the trees of ever-spreading transmigration.
इति मेधोपदावाग्निदग्धे महति चेतसि । प्रस्फुरन्ति न भोगाशा मृगतृष्णास् सरस्स्व् इव
Thus, when the great mind is scorched by the fire of discernment, desires for enjoyment do not arise, just as mirages do not appear in real lakes.
प्रत्यहं चातिकटुताम् एति संसारसंसृतिः । कालपाकवशोल्लासिरसा निम्बलता यथा
Day by day, the cycle of worldly existence becomes exceedingly bitter, like the taste of a neem tree intensified by the ripening of time.
वृद्धिम् आयाति दौर्जन्यं सौजन्यं याति तानवम् । करञ्जकर्कशे राजन् प्रत्यहं जनचेतसि
O King, in the hearts of people, harshness grows and goodness diminishes each day, as if in a grove of rough karañja trees.
भज्यते भुवि मर्यादा झगित्य् एव दिशं प्रति । शुष्केव माषशिमिका टाङ्कारकठिनारवम्
Boundaries on earth are suddenly shattered in every direction, like dry bean pods splitting open with a harsh, cracking sound.
राज्येभ्यो भोगपूगेभ्यश् चिन्तावन्तो महीश्वराः । निरस्तचिन्ताकलिका वरम् एकान्तशीलता
Kings, though possessing kingdoms and heaps of enjoyments, are full of cares; it is better to have a solitary disposition, free from the buds of anxiety.
नानन्दाय ममोद्यानं न सुखाय मम श्रियः । न हर्षाय ममार्थाशा शाम्यामि मनसा सह
My garden does not bring me joy, my wealth does not bring me happiness; my desires for gain do not delight me—I am at rest with my mind.
अनित्यश् चासुखो लोकस् तृष्णा तात दुरुद्वहा । चापलोपहतं चेतः कथं यास्यामि निर्वृतिम्
The world is impermanent and devoid of happiness, and thirst, dear one, is hard to bear; with a mind afflicted by restlessness, how can I find peace?
नाभिनन्दामि मरणं नाभिनन्दामि जीवितम् । यथा तिष्ठामि तिष्ठामि तथैव विगतज्वरम्
I do not welcome death, nor do I welcome life; as I remain, so I remain—free from feverish longing.
किं मे राज्येन किं भोगैः किम् अर्थेन किम् ईहितैः । अहङ्कारवशाद् एतत् स एव गलितो मम
What is the use of a kingdom to me, or enjoyments, or wealth, or ambitions? All this was under the sway of ego, and now that has fallen away for me.