व्यास उवाच हृदि कामद्रुमश्चित्रो मोहसंचयसम्भवः। क्रोधमानमहास्कन्धो विधित्सापरिषेचनः॥
Vyasa said There is a wonderful tree in the heart of man, called Desire. It is born of the seed called Error. Anger and Pride from its large trunk. The desire for work is the hollow ground around its foot.
तस्य चाज्ञानमाधारः प्रमादः परिषेचनम्। सोऽभ्यसूयापलाशो हि पुरा दुष्कृतसारवान्॥
Ignorance is the root of that tree, and carelessness is the water which nourishes it. Envy forms its leaves. The evil acts of pristine lives supply it with vigour.
सम्मोहचिन्ताविटपः शोकशाखो भयाङ्कुर। मोहनीभिः पिपासाभिलताभिरनुवेष्टितः॥
Loss of judgement and anxiety are its twigs; grief forms its huge branches; and fear it is sprout. Thirst which seems agreeable, forms the creepers which twine round it on all sides.
उपासते महावृक्षं सुलुब्धास्तत्फलेप्सवः। आयसैः संयुताः पाशैः फलदं परिवेष्ट्य तम्॥
Avaricious men, fettered in chains of iron, sitting around that fruit-producing tree, worship it, in expectation of its fruit.
यस्तान् पाशान् वशे कृत्वा तं वक्षमपकर्षति। गतः स दुःखयोरन्तं जरामरणयोर्द्वयोः।
He who, subduing those chains, cuts down that tree and seeks to renounce both sorrow and joy, succeeds in attaining to the end of both.
संरोहत्यकृतप्रज्ञः सदा येन हि पादपम्। स तमेव ततो हन्ति विषग्रन्थिरिवातुरम्॥
That foolish wight who nourishes this tree by enjoying the objects of the senses is destroyed by those very objects like a poisonous pill destroying the patient to whom it is given.
तस्यानुगतमूलस्य मूलमुध्रियते बलात्। योगप्रसादात् कृतिना साम्येन परमासिना॥
However, by the help of Yoga, a clever man forcibly cuts off with the sword of concentration, the far-reaching root of this tree.
एवं यो वेद कामस्य केवलस्य निवर्तनम्। बन्धं वै कामशास्त्रस्य स दुःखान्यतिवर्तते॥
One who understands that the end of all acts performed from the desire of fruit is rebirth or chains that bind, succeeds in getting over all sorrow.
शरीरं पुरमित्याहुः स्वामिनी बुद्धिरिष्यते। तत्त्वबुद्धेः शरीरस्थं मनो नामाथचिन्तकम्॥
The body is compared to a city. The understanding is its mistress. The mind living within the body is the minister of that mistress whose chief duty is to decide.
इन्द्रियाणि मन:पौरास्तदर्थं तु पराकृतिः। तत्र द्वौ दारुणौ दोषौ तमो नाम रजस्तथा।
The senses are the citizens who are employed by the mind. For maintaining those citizens the mind shows a strong inclination for various sorts of acts. Two great faults are seen in those acts, namely, Darkness and ignorance.
तदर्थमुपजीवन्ति पौराः सह पुरेश्वरैः॥ अद्वारेण तमेवार्थं द्वौ दोषावुपजीवतः।
Upon the fruits of those acts depend those citizens along with the chiefs of the city. The two faults live upon the fruits of those acts which are done by forbidden means.
तत्र बुद्धिर्हि दुर्धर्षा मनः सामान्यमश्नुते॥ पौराश्चापि मनस्त्रस्तास्तेषामपि चला स्थितिः।
Such being the case, the understanding, which of itself is unconquerable, goes down to a state of equality with the mind. Then again the senses, moved by the stained mind, lose their own firmness.
तदर्थं बुद्धिरध्यास्ते सोऽनर्थः परिषीदति॥ यदर्थं पृथगध्यास्ते मनस्तत्परिषीदति।
Those objects again to acquire which the understanding tries, tries, produce grief and ultimately meet with destruction. Those objects, after destruction, are remembered by the mind, and accordingly they afflict the mind even after they are lost.
पृथग्भूतं मनो बुद्धया मनो भवति केवलम्॥ तत्रैनं विधृतं शून्यं रजः पर्यवतिष्ठते।
The understanding is also afflicted, for the mind is said to be different from the understanding only when the mind is viewed regarding its chief function of getting impressions about whose certainty it is no judge. In sooth, however, the mind is identical with the understanding. The quality of Darkness which is in the understanding then overwhelms the Soul itself that lies over that understanding sullied by Darkness like an image upon a mirror.
तन्मनः कुरुते सख्यं रजसा सह सङ्गतम्। चादाय जनं पौरं रजसे सम्प्रयच्छति॥
It is the mind that first becomes united with darkness. Having united itself, it attacks the soul, the understanding, and the senses, and surrenders them to Rajas."