Adhi Shankara's Kasi Panchakam

Kasi Panchakam
(The pentad on Benares)
By
Adhi Shankara Bhagwat Pada
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

Mano nivruthi paramopa santhi,
Sa theerthavarya mani karnika cha,
Gnana pravaha vimaladhi ganga,
Saa kasikaham nija bodha roopa. 1

I am that kasika, which is the form of,
The real knowledge of the soul,
Which is pacifier of the mind,
Which is the greatest consolation,
Which is mani karnika among the holy waters,
And which is the clear flow of knowledge, the Ganga

Yasyamidham kalpithamindra jalam,
Characharam bathi mano vilasam,
Sachid sukhaika parmathma roopa,
Saa kasikaham nija bodha roopa. 2

I am that kasika, which is the form of,
The real knowledge of the soul,
Which is the place in which shines.
In this surreal world with it’s moving
And stable things , considered as real,
Which is the form of eternal joy,
Which is the form of ultimate soul,
And which is the form of ultimate knowledge.

Kasyam hi kasathe kasi kasee srava prakasika,
Sa kasi viditha yena thena praptha hi kasika. 3

Kasi exists in kasi and it makes everything shine,
He who knows this , reaches Kasi.

Koseshu pancha swadhi raja mana,
Budhir bhavani prathi deha geham,
Sakshi shiva sarva ganontharathma,
Saa kasikaham nija bodha roopa. 4

I am that kasika which is knowledge of realization,
Which shines in the home called body as bhavani
The wisdom of the five chakras of the body,
And which is Shiva , the king of the inner soul who is witness to this.

Kasi kshethram sareram tribhuvana janani vyapini jnana ganga,
Bhakthi sradha gayeyam nija gurucharana dhyana yoga prayoga,
Vishwesoyam thureeya sakala jana mana sakshi bhoothontharathma,
Dehe sarvam madheeye yadhi vasathi punastheertha anyath kimasthi. 5

What is the need for other sacred waters for me,
When my body is the temple at Kasi,
When my devotion is ganga who is,
The universal mother who is spread everywhere,
And is the personification of knowledge,
When my devoted attention is the Gaya,
When the realization that I get through,
The devotion to the feet of my teacher is Prayaga,
And my inner soul is the god of the universe,
Who is the witness in the mind of all beings.