கர்துராஜ்ஞயா ப்ராப்யதே பலம் ।
கர்ம கிம் பரம் கர்ம தஜ்ஜடம் ॥ 1 ॥
The fruit of action is attained by the command of the Creator (or the law of karma). How can action be the Supreme? Action is insentient.
க்ரு'திமஹோததௌ பதநகாரணம் ।
பலமஶாஶ்வதம் கதிநிரோதகம் ॥ 2 ॥
Action results in impermanent fruits and binds the individual to the ocean of karma, thereby hindering the path to liberation.
ஈஶ்வரார்பிதம் நேச்சயா க்ரு'தம் ।
சித்தஶோதகம் முக்திஸாதகம் ॥ 3 ॥
Actions performed as an offering to God, without desire for their fruits, purify the mind and lead to liberation.
காயவாங்மநஃ கார்யமுத்தமம் ।
பூஜநம் ஜபஶ்சிந்தநம் க்ரமாத் ॥ 4 ॥
Worship through the body, speech, and mind—performed in that order—consisting respectively of ritual service, repetition of sacred names (Japa), and meditation, is the highest form of practice.
ஜகத ஈஶதீ யுக்தஸேவநம் ।
அஷ்டமூர்திப்ரு'த்தேவபூஜநம் ॥ 5 ॥
Seeing the world as the manifestation of God and serving it with that attitude is true worship of the Divine, who bears the eight forms.
உத்தமஸ்தவாதுச்சமந்ததஃ ।
சித்தஜம் ஜபத்யாநமுத்தமம் ॥ 6 ॥
Better than praising God loudly is whispering; better still is silent repetition of His name; but the best is meditation originating from the heart.
ஆஜ்யதாரயா ஸ்ரோதஸா ஸமம் ।
ஸரலசிந்தநம் விரலதஃ பரம் ॥ 7 ॥
Like a steady stream of oil or a flowing river, the constant, unbroken flow of meditation on the Divine is superior to interrupted, intermittent thought.
பேதபாவநாத் ஸோऽஹமித்யஸௌ ।
பாவநாऽபிதா பாவநீ மதா ॥ 8 ॥
Instead of maintaining the duality of "I am separate from Him," the attitude of "I am He" (So-ham) is considered the most purifying of all meditations.
பாவஶூந்யஸத்பாவஸுஸ்திதிஃ ।
பாவநாபலாத்பக்திருத்தமா ॥ 9 ॥
Abiding in the natural state of Being, free from all thought-constructs, is the highest form of devotion (Bhakti), powered by the strength of this meditation.
ஹ்ரு'த்ஸ்தலே மநஃ ஸ்வஸ்ததா க்ரியா ।
பக்தியோகபோதாஶ்ச நிஶ்சிதம் ॥ 10 ॥
The mind, having subsided into its source, the Heart, is the true state of action, devotion, yoga, and knowledge; this is the definitive truth.
வாயுரோதநால்லீயதே மநஃ ।
ஜாலபக்ஷிவத்ரோதஸாதநம் ॥ 11 ॥
By the restraint of the breath, the mind is dissolved; this is a means of control, just as a net captures a bird.
சித்தவாயவஶ்சித்க்ரியாயுதாஃ ।
ஶாகயோர்த்வயீ ஶக்திமூலகா ॥ 12 ॥
The mind and the vital breath are both composed of thought and action; they are like two branches, both rooted in the same source.
லயவிநாஶநே உபயரோதநே ।
லயகதம் புநர்பவதி நோ ம்ரு'தம் ॥ 13 ॥
Dissolution and destruction are the two states of restraint; when the mind is merely dissolved, it rises again, but when it is destroyed, it does not.
ப்ராணபந்தநால்லீநமாநஸம் ।
ஏகசிந்தநாந்நாஶமேத்யதஃ ॥ 14 ॥
When the mind is dissolved through the restraint of the vital breath, it ceases to be by focusing on the One.
நஷ்டமாநஸோத்க்ரு'ஷ்டயோகிநஃ ।
க்ரு'த்யமஸ்தி கிம் ஸ்வஸ்திதிம் யதஃ ॥ 15 ॥
For the supreme yogi whose mind has been destroyed, there is no further action to perform, for he has attained his own true state.
த்ரு'ஶ்யவாரிதம் சித்தமாத்மநஃ ।
சித்த்வதர்ஶநம் தத்த்வதர்ஶநம் ॥ 16 ॥
When the mind is withdrawn from the objects of the world and fixed on its own nature as Consciousness, that is the vision of the Truth.
மாநஸம் து கிம் மார்கணே க்ரு'தே ।
நைவ மாநஸம் மார்க ஆர்ஜவாத் ॥ 17 ॥
When one searches for what the mind truly is, it is discovered that there is no such entity as the mind; this is the direct path.
வ்ரு'த்தயஸ்த்வஹம் வ்ரு'த்திமாஶ்ரிதாஃ ।
வ்ரு'த்தயோ மநோ வித்த்யஹம் மநஃ ॥ 18 ॥
The various mental impressions depend upon the "I" thought; the impressions themselves constitute the mind, and the "I" is the mind.
அஹமயம் குதோ பவதி சிந்வதஃ ।
அயி பதத்யஹம் நிஜவிசாரணம் ॥ 19 ॥
When one inquires deeply into the source from which the "I" arises, the ego vanishes; this is the inquiry into the Self.
அஹமி நாஶபாஜ்யஹமஹந்தயா ।
ஸ்புரதி ஹ்ரு'த்ஸ்வயம் பரமபூர்ணஸத் ॥ 20 ॥
When the ego is destroyed, the true Self shines forth in the heart of its own accord as the supreme, all-encompassing Existence.
இதமஹம் பதாऽபிக்யமந்வஹம் ।
அஹமிலீநகேऽப்யலயஸத்தயா ॥ 21 ॥
When the mind merges into the Source and the sense of "I" vanishes, the Reality persists of its own accord, manifesting eternally as the true "I."
விக்ரஹேந்த்ரியப்ராணதீதமஃ ।
நாஹமேகஸத்தஜ்ஜடம் ஹ்யஸத் ॥ 22 ॥
The body, senses, vital breath, mind, and ignorance are all inert and unreal; I am none of these, for I am the one true Existence.
ஸத்த்வபாஸிகா சித்க்வவேதரா ।
ஸத்தயா ஹி சிச்சித்தயா ஹ்யஹம் ॥ 23 ॥
Since there is no other consciousness to illuminate existence, the Self is Consciousness itself. This Consciousness is our very being; thus, the Self is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
ஈஶஜீவயோர்வேஷதீபிதா ।
ஸத்ஸ்வபாவதோ வஸ்து கேவலம் ॥ 24 ॥
Although God and the individual soul appear different due to their respective forms and attributes, in their fundamental nature, they are the one absolute Reality.
வேஷஹாநதஃ ஸ்வாத்மதர்ஶநம் ।
ஈஶதர்ஶநம் ஸ்வாத்மரூபதஃ ॥ 25 ॥
When the individual sheds all adventitious forms and attributes, the vision of the Self occurs, which is truly the vision of God, for God is the very nature of the Self.
ஆத்மஸம்ஸ்திதிஃ ஸ்வாத்மதர்ஶநம் ।
ஆத்மநிர்த்வயாதாத்மநிஷ்டதா ॥ 26 ॥
To abide as the Self is to realize the Self, because the Self is devoid of duality; this state of being established in the Self is the true path.
ஜ்ஞாநவர்ஜிதாऽஜ்ஞாநஹீநசித் ।
ஜ்ஞாநமஸ்தி கிம் ஜ்ஞாதுமந்தரம் ॥ 27 ॥
True Knowledge is that Consciousness which is beyond both knowledge and ignorance. In the Self, there is no object to be known, so how could there be knowledge of another?
கிம் ஸ்வரூபமித்யாத்மதர்ஶநே ।
அவ்யயாऽபவாऽऽபூர்ணசித்ஸுகம் ॥ 28 ॥
When one turns inward to realize the nature of the Self, one discovers it to be infinite, changeless, unborn, and the fullness of Consciousness and Bliss.
பந்தமுக்த்யதீதம் பரம் ஸுகம் ।
விந்ததீஹ ஜீவஸ்து தைவிகஃ ॥ 29 ॥
Having transcended both bondage and liberation, one attains that supreme, divine happiness while still in this very life.
அஹமபேதகம் நிஜவிபாநகம் ।
மஹதிதந்தபோ ரமநவாகியம் ॥ 30 ॥
That state in which the ego has perished and the Self shines forth as the sole Reality—this is the supreme austerity taught by Ramana.
