1.
ktu›ra}ya àaPyte
)lm! ,
km› ik< pr< km› tJjfm! . 1 .
kartur ajïaya
prapyate phalam
karma kià paraà karma tajjaòam
Action yields fruit,
For so the Lord ordains it.
How can action be the Lord?
It is insentient.
2.
k&itmhaedxaE ptnkar[m! ,
)lmzañt< gitinraexkm! . 2 .
krti-maho-dadhau
patana-käraëam
phalam-açäçvataà gati-nirodhakam
The fruit of action passes.
But action leaves behind
Seed of further action
Leading to an endless ocean of action;
Not at all to moksha.
3.
$ñraip›t< neCDya k&tm! ,
icÄzaexk< mui´saxkm! . 3 .
éçvar-ärpitaà necchaya
kåtam
citta-çodhakaà mukti-sädhakam
Disinterested action
Surrendered to the Lord
Purifies the mind and points
The way to moksha.
4.
kayva'!mn>kay›muÄmm! ,
pUjn< jpiíNtn< ³mat! . 4 .
kaya-väìg-manaù käryam-uttamam
püjanaà japaç-cintanaà kramat
This is certain:
Worship, praise and meditation,
Being work of body, speech and mind,
Are steps for orderly ascent.
5.
jgt $zxIyu´sevnm!,
AòmUit›É&ÎevpUjnm! . 5 .
jagata éçadhé yukta
sevanaà
añöa-mürti bhåd deva-püjanam
Ether, fire, air, water, earth,
Sun, moon and living beings
Worship of these,
Regarded all as forms of His,
Is perfect worship of the Lord.
6.
%ÄmStvaʽmNdt> ,
icÄj< jpXyanmuÄmm! . 6 .
uttama-staväd-ucca-mandataù
cittajaà japa dhyänam uttamam
Better than hymns of praise
Is repetition of the Name;
Better low-voiced than loud,
But best of all
Is meditation in the mind.
7.
AaJyxarya öaetsa smm! ,
srlicNtn< ivrlt> prm! . 7 .
ajya-dhäraya srotasa samam
sarala cintanaà viralataù param
Better than spells of meditation
Is one continuous current,
Steady as a stream,
Or downward flow of oil.
8.
ÉedÉavnaTsae=himTysaE ,
Éavna=iÉda pavnI mta . 8 .
bheda-bhävanät so’hamityasau
bhavana’bhidä pävané matä
Better than viewing Him
as Other,
Indeed the noblest attitude of all,
Is to hold Him as the 'I' within,
The very 'I'.
9.
É avzUNysÑavsuiSwit> ,
ÉavnablaÑi´éÄma . 9 .
bhäva çünyasad bhäva susthitiù
bhävanä-baläd bhaktir-uttamä
Abidance in pure being
Transcending thought through love intense
Is the very essence
Of supreme devotion.
10.
ùTSwle
mn> SvSwta i³ya ,
É i´yaegbaexaí iniítm! . 10 .
håtsthale manaù svasthatä kriyä
bhakti yoga bodhaçca niçcitam
Absorption in
the heart of being,
Whence we sprang,
Is the path of action, of devotion,
Of union and of knowledge.
11.
vayuraexna‘Iyte mn> ,
jalpi]vÔaexsaxnm! . 11 .
vayu-rodhanäl léyate manaù
jäla-pakñivat rodha-sädhanam
Holding the breath
controls the mind,
A bird caught in a net.
Breath-regulation helps
Absorption in the heart.
12.
icÄvayviíiT³yayuta> ,
zaoyaeÖ›yI zi´mUlka . 12 .
citta-väyavaç cit-kriyäyutäù
çä khayor-dvayi çakti-mülakä
Mind and breath
(as thought and action)
Fork out like two branches.
But both spring
From a single root.
13.
lyivnazne %Éyraexne ,
lygt< punɛvit nae m&tm! . 13 .
laya vinaçane ubhaya-rodhane
laya-gataà punar bhavati no måtam
Absorption is
of two sorts;
Submergence and destruction.
Mind submerged rises again;
Dead, it revives no more.
14.
àa[bNxna‘Inmansm! ,
@kicNtnaÚazmeTyd> . 14 .
präëa-bandhanät léna-mänasam
eka-cintanät näçametyadaù
Breath controlled
and thought restrained,
The mind turned one-way inward
Fades and dies.
15.
nòmansaeTk&òyaeign> ,
k&TymiSt ik< SviSwit< yt> . 15 .
nañta-manasot-kåñöa
yoginaù
kåtyam asti kià svasthitià yataù
Mind extinct,
the mighty seer
Returns to his own natural being
And has no action to perform.
16.
†Zyvairt< icÄmaTmn> ,
icÅvdz›n< tTvdz›nm! . 16 .
dåçya-väritaà citta-mätmanaù
citva-darçanaà tattva darçanam
It is true wisdom
For the mind to turn away
From outer objects and behold
Its own effulgent form.
17.
mans< tu ik< mag›[e k&te
,
nEv mans< mag› Aaj›vat! . 17 .
mänasaà tu kià märgaëe
kåte
naiva mänasaà märge ärjavät
When unceasingly
the mind
Scans its own form
There is nothing of the kind.
For every one
This path direct is open.
18.
v&ÄySTvh< v&iÄmaiïta> ,
v&Äyae mnae ivÏ(h< mn> . 18 .
våttayastvahaà våtti-maçritaù
våttayo mano viddhayahaà manaù
Thoughts alone
make up the mind;
And of all thoughts the 'I' thought is the root.
What is called mind is but the notion 'I'.
19.
Ahmy< kutae Évit icNvt> ,
Aiy ptTyh< injivcar[m! . 19 .
ahamayaà kuto bhavati cinvataù
ayi patatyahaà nijavicäraëam
When one turns
within and searches
Whence this 'I' thought arises,
The shamed 'I' vanishes ---
And wisdom's quest begins.
20.
Ahim nazÉaJyhmh<tya ,
S)urit ùTSvy< prmpU[›st! . 20 .
ahami näça-bhajy ahama-hantaya
sphurati håt-svayaà parama-pürëa-sat
Where this 'I'
notion faded
Now there as I, as I, arises
The One, the very Self,
The Infinite.
21.
#dmh<pdaiÉOymNvhm! ,
Ahim lInke=PylysÄya . 21 .
idamaham padä’bhikhya-manvaham
aham-ilénake’pyalaya sattyä
Of the term,
'I', the permanent import
Is That. For even in deep sleep
Where we have no sense of 'I'
We do not cease to be.
22.
eiv¢heiNÔyàa[xItm> ,
nahmeksľf< ýst! . 22 .
vigrah-endriya präëa-dhétamaù
nähameka-sat tajjaòam hyasat
Body, senses,
mind, breath, sleep ---
All insentient and unreal ---
Cannot be 'I',
'I' who am the Real.
23.
sÅvÉaiska icTKvvetra
,
sÄya ih ici½Äyaýhm! . 23 .
sattva-bhäsika citkva vetarä
sattyä hi cit cittayä hyaham
For knowing That
which is
There is no other knower.
Hence Being is Awareness;
And we all are Awareness.
24.
$zjIvyaeveR;xIiÉda ,
sTSvÉavtae vStu kevlm! . 24 .
éç a-jévayor veña-dhi-bhida
sat-svabhävato vastu kevalam
In the nature
of their being
Creature and creator are in substance one.
They differ only
In adjuncts and awareness.
25.
ve;hant> SvaTmdz›nm! ,
$zdz›n< Sva Tmêpt> . 25 .
veña-hänataù svätma-darçanam
éç a-darçanaà svätma-rüpataù
Seeing oneself
free of all attributes
Is to see the Lord,
For He shines ever as the pure Self.
26.
AaTms<iSwit> SvaTmdz›nm! ,
AaTminÖ›yadaTminóta . 26 .
ätma-saàsthitiù svätma-darçanam
ätma-nirdvayäd ätma-niñöhatä
To know the Self
is but to be the Self,
For it is non-dual.
In such knowledge
One abides as that.
27.
}anvij›ta=}anhInict! ,
}anmiSt ik< }atumNtrm! . 27 .
jïana-varjit-ajïanhina cit
jïänam-asti kià jïätum-antaram
That
is true knowledge which transcends
Both knowledge and ignorance,
For in pure knowledge
Is no object to be known.
28.
ik<SvêpimTyaTmdz›ne
,
AVyyaÉvapU[›icTsuom! . 28 .
kià svarüpam-ityätma darçane
avyayäbhavä” pürëa-cit sukham
Having known
one's nature one abides
As being with no beginning and no end
In unbroken consciousness and bliss.
29.
bNxmuKTytIt< pr< suom! ,
ivNdtIh jIvStu dEivk> . 29 .
bandha muktyatétaà paraà sukham
vindatéha jévastu daivikaù
Abiding in this
state of bliss
Beyond bondage and release,
Is steadfastness
In service of the Lord.
30.
Ahmpetk< injivÉankm!
,
mhidd< tpae rm[vaigym! . 30 .
aham-apetakaà nija-vibhänakam
mahadidaà tapo ramaëa vägiyam
All ego gone,
Living as that alone
Is penance good for growth,
Sings Ramana, the Self.
Recited by Y. N. Sharma and H. A. Sastry