The Art of
Turning Within

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः

ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ

May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥

sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet

Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.

Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥

asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

For one who is balanced in food and rest, in effort at work, and in sleep and waking, practice becomes a remover of sorrow.

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा॥

yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu · yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā

Truth is one. The wise speak of it in many ways.

एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः

ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ

Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.

Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥

uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥

mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata

Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.

असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥

asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya

Man! Thou art thy own friend; why wishest thou for a friend beyond thyself?

So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.

For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.

Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi

The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥

mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.

If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.

There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi

Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥

asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.

ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ

mani jītai jagu jītu

If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.

There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

The touch of the senses brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and they go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥

mātrāsparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ · āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata

The way to correct those who wrong you: do them good, so that they feel ashamed, and let the matter go.

இன்னாசெய் தாரை ஒறுத்தல் அவர்நாண நன்னயஞ் செய்து விடல்

iṉṉācey tārai oṟuttal avarnāṇa naṉṉayañ ceytu viṭal

When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.

இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்

iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til

For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule.

If one man conquer in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.

Though a man should conquer thousands and thousands of valiant (foes), greater will be his victory if he conquers nobody but himself.

Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.

ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ

mani jītai jagu jītu

If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now.

Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥

uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Your right is to the action alone, never to its fruits. Do not act for the reward, and do not cling to inaction.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana · mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi

All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥

īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.

இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்

iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til

So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.

Without doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. Yet through steady practice and letting go, it can be held.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥

asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam · abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.

असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥

asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya

Learn thoroughly what is worth learning, and then live by what you have learnt.

கற்க கசடறக் கற்பவை கற்றபின் நிற்க அதற்குத் தக

kaṟka kasaṭaṟak kaṟpavai kaṟṟapin niṟka adaṟkut taka

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.

Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the world.

ਮਨਿ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ

mani jītai jagu jītu

All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥

īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥

sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet

Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.

Lead me from the unreal to the real. From darkness to light. From death to the deathless.

असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय॥

asato mā sad gamaya · tamaso mā jyotir gamaya · mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः

ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ

May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥

sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ · sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet

Arise. Awake. Seek out the wise, and learn.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata

When trouble comes, smile. Nothing meets and overcomes trouble as well as that.

இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்

iṭukkaṇ varuṅkāl nakuka ataṉai aṭuttūrvatu aḵtoppa til

So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.

For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.

Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is your friend, and the self alone your foe.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥

uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet · ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

For one who is balanced in food and rest, in effort at work, and in sleep and waking, practice becomes a remover of sorrow.

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा॥

yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu · yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā

For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

All this, whatever moves in this moving world, is dwelt in by the divine. Enjoy it by letting go. Do not covet what belongs to another.

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥

īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat · tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

Truth is one. The wise speak of it in many ways.

एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti

Arise. Awake. Seek out the wise, and learn.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata

Learn thoroughly what is worth learning, and then live by what you have learnt.

கற்க கசடறக் கற்பவை கற்றபின் நிற்க அதற்குத் தக

kaṟka kasaṭaṟak kaṟpavai kaṟṟapin niṟka adaṟkut taka

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.

If one man conquer in battle a thousand times thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.

Man! Thou art thy own friend; why wishest thou for a friend beyond thyself?

Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.