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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 15 — Denunciation of Ego

1. श्रीराम उवाच ।
मुधैवाभ्युत्थितो मोहान्मुधैव परिवर्धते ।
मिथ्यामयेन भीतोऽस्मि दुरहंकारशत्रुणा ॥ १ ॥
Rama continued:—
Egoism springs from false conceit, and it is vanity (or vain glory) which fosters it; I am much afraid of this baneful egotism which is an enemy (to human kind).
2. अहंकारवशादेव दोषकोशकदर्थताम् ।
ददाति दीनदीनानां संसारो विविधाकृतिः ॥ २ ॥
It is under the influence of egotism that all men in this diversified world, and even the very poorest of them, fall into the dungeon of evils, and misdeeds.
3. अहंकारवशादापदहंकाराहुराधयः ।
अहंकारवशादीहा त्वहंकारो ममामयः ॥ ३ ॥
All accidents, anxieties, troubles and wicked exertions proceed from egoism or self-confidence; hence I deem egoism as a disease.
4. तमहंकारमाश्रित्य परमं चिरवैरिणम् ।
न भुजे न पिबाम्यम्भः किमु भोगान्भुजे मुने ॥ ४ ॥
Being subject to that everlasting arch-enemy—the cynic egoism, I have refrained from my food and drink. What other enjoyment is there for me to partake of?
5. संसाररजनी दीर्घा माया मनसि मोहिनी ।
ततोऽहंकारदोषेण किरातेनेव वागुरा ॥ ५ ॥
This world resembles a long continuous night, in which our egoism like a hunter, spreads the snare of affections (to entrap us in it).
6. यानि दुःखानि दीर्घाणि विषमाणि महान्ति च ।
अहंकारात्प्रसूतानि तान्यगात्खदिरा इव ॥ ६ ॥
All our great and intolerable miseries, growing as rank as the thorny plants of the catechu, are but results of our egoism.
7. शमेन्दुसैंहिकेयास्यं गुणपद्महिमाशनिम् ।
साम्यमेघशरत्कालमहंकारं त्यजाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
It overcasts the equanimity of mind as an eclipse overshadows the moon; it destroys our virtues as a frost destroys the lotus flowers; it dispels the peace of men as the autumn drives away the clouds. I must therefore get rid of this egoistic feeling.
8. नाहं रामो न मे वाञ्छा भावेषु न च मे मनः ।
शान्त आसितुमिच्छामि स्वात्मनीव जिनो यथा ॥ ८ ॥
I am not Rama the prince, I have no desire nor should I wish for affluence; but I wish to have the peace of my mind and remain as the self-satisfied old sage Jina.
9. अहंकारवशाद्यद्यन्मया भुक्तं हुतं कृतम् ।
सर्वं तत्तदवस्त्वेव वस्त्वहंकाररिक्तता ॥ ९ ॥
All that I have eaten, done or offered in sacrifice under the influence of egoism, have gone for nothing; it is the absence of egoism which (I call) to be real good.
10. अहमित्यस्ति चेद्ब्रह्मन्नहमापदि दुःखितः ।
नास्ति चेत्सुखितस्तस्मादनहंकारिता वरम् ॥ १० ॥
So long, O Brahman! as there is (the feeling of) egoism in one, he is subject to sorrow at his difficulties; but being devoid of it, he becomes happy; hence it is better to be without it.
11. अहंकारं परित्यज्य मुने शान्तमनस्तया ।
अवतिष्ठे गतोद्वेगो भोगौघो भङ्गुरास्पदः ॥ ११ ॥
I am free from anxiety, O sage! ever since I have got the tranquility of my mind after giving up my (sense of) egoism; and known the transitoriness of all enjoyments.
12. ब्रह्मन्यावदहंकारवारिदः परिजृम्भते ।
तावद्विकासमायाति तृष्णाकुटजमञ्जरी ॥ १२ ॥
As long, O Brahman! as the cloud of egoism overspreads (the region of our minds), so long our desires expand themselves like the buds of kurchi plants (in the rains).
13. अहंकारघने शान्ते तृष्णा नवतडिल्लता ।
शान्तदीपशिखावृत्त्या क्वापि यात्यतिसत्वरम् ॥ १३ ॥
But when the cloud of egoism is dispersed, the lightning of avarice vanishes away, just as the lamp being extinguished, its light immediately disappears.
14. अहंकारमहाविन्ध्ये मनोमत्तमहागजः ।
विस्फूर्जति घनास्फोटैः स्तनितैरिव वारिदः ॥ १४ ॥
The mind vaunts with egoism, like a furious elephant in the Vindhyan hills, when it hears the thunder-claps in the clouds.
15. इह देहमहारण्ये घनाहंकारकेसरी ।
योऽयमुल्लसति स्फारस्तेनेदं जगदाततम् ॥ १५ ॥
Again egoism residing like a lion in the vast forest of all human bodies, ranges about at large throughout the whole extent of this earth.
16. तृष्णातन्तुलवप्रोता बहुजन्मपरम्परा ।
अहंकारोग्रखिङ्गेन कण्ठे मुक्तावली कृता ॥ १६ ॥
The self-conceited are decorated with a string of pearls about their necks, of which avarice forms the thread, and repeated births—the pearls.
17. पुत्रमित्रकलत्रादितन्त्रमन्त्रविवर्जितम् ।
प्रसारितमनेनेह मुनेऽहंकारवैरिणा ॥ १७ ॥
Our inveterate enemy of egoism, has (like a magician) spread about us the enchantments of our wives, friends and children, whose spells it is hard to break.
18. प्रमार्जितेऽहमित्यस्मिन्पदे स्वयमपि द्रुतम् ।
प्रमार्जिता भवन्त्येते सर्व एव दुराधयः ॥ १८ ॥
As soon as the (impression of the) word (ego) is effaced from the mind, all our anxieties and troubles are wiped out of it.
19. अहमित्यम्बुदे शान्ते शनैश्च शमशातिनी ।
मनोगगनसंमोहमिहिका क्वापि गच्छति ॥ १९ ॥
The cloud of egoism being dispelled from the sky of our minds, the mist of error which it spreads to destroy our peace, will be dispersed also.
20. अहमित्यम्बुदे शान्ते शनैश्च शमशातिनी ।
मनोगगनसंमोहमिहिका क्वापि गच्छति ॥ १९ ॥
I have given up my (sense of) egoism, yet is my mind stupified with sorrow by my ignorance. Tell me, O Brahman! what thou thinkest right for me under these circumstances.
21. सर्वापदां निलयमध्रुवमन्तरस्थमुन्मुक्तमुत्तमगुणेन न संश्रयामि ।
यत्नादहंकृतिपदं परितोऽतिदुःखं शेषेण मां समनुशाधि महानुभाव ॥ २१ ॥
I have with much ado given up this egoism, and like no more to resort to this source of all evils and perturbation. It retains its seat in the breast for our annoyance only, and without benefiting us by any good quality of its own. Direct me now, you men of great understandings! (to what is right).
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