पालेमाळा सुमनमाळा । फळमाळा बीजमाळा । पाषाणमाळा कवडेमाळा । सुत्रें चालती ॥ १ ॥

Garlands of leaves, garlands of flowers, garlands of fruits, garlands of seeds, garlands of stone beads, garlands of cowries — all of these are held together by a single thread.

स्फटिकमाळा मोहरेमाळा । काष्ठमाळा गंधमाळा । धातुमाळा रत्नेमाळा । जाळ्या वोलि चांदोवे ॥ २ ॥

Garlands of crystal, of coins, of wood, of fragrant substances, of metal, of jewels, and nets and canopies too — all are strung together in just the same way.

परी हें तंतूनें चालतें। तंतू नस्तां विष्कळीत होतें। तैसें म्हणों आत्मयातें। तरी साहित्य न पडे ॥ ३ ॥

But these garlands hold together only because of the thread; without the thread they would scatter apart; if we compare the Atman to this thread, the analogy does not quite fit.

तंतूस मणी वोविला। तंतूमध्येंचि राहिला । आत्मा सर्वांगीं व्यापला । पाहाना कां॥ ४ ॥

A bead is strung on the thread and stays fixed at one point on it; but the Atman pervades the entire body everywhere — do you not see this?

आत्मा चपळ सहजगुणें । दोरी काये चळों जाणे । म्हणोन दृष्टांत देणें । साहित्य न घडे ॥ ५ ॥

By its very nature the Atman is extremely swift and restless — can a mere thread ever move like that? So this comparison too does not truly fit.

नाना वल्लींत जळांश । उसांमध्यें दाटला रस । परी तो रस आणी बाकस । येक नव्हे ॥ ६ ॥

Sap is present in various creepers, and juice lies packed densely within sugarcane, but that juice and the crushed pulp are not one and the same thing.

देही आत्मा देह अनात्मा । त्याहून पर तो परमात्मा । निरंजनास उपमा । असेचिना ॥ ७ ॥

Within the embodied being is the Atman, and the body is the not-Self; beyond even that lies the Supreme Self — for that pure, boundless one, truly no comparison fits at all.

रायापासून रंकवरी । अवघ्या मनुष्यांचियां हारी । सगट समान सरी । कैसी करावी ॥ ८ ॥

From the king down to the pauper, in the whole line of humankind, how can all of them simply be treated as equal?

देव दानव मानव । नीच योनी हीन जीव । पापी सुकृति अभिप्राव । उदंड आहे ॥ ९ ॥

Gods, demons, humans, lowly species, base creatures, the sinful and the virtuous — the range of dispositions among them is truly immense.

येकांशें जग चाले । परी सामर्थ्य वेगळालें । येकासंगे मुक्त केलें । येकासंगें रवरव ॥ १० ॥

The world moves along together, yet each one's capability differs; union with one leads to liberation, union with another leads to terrible torment.

साकर माती पृथ्वी होये । परी ते माती खातां न ये । गरळ आप नव्हे काये । परी तें खोटें ॥ ११ ॥

Sugar and mud both come from the earth, but that mud cannot be eaten; poison too is a form of water, but it is harmful.

पुण्यात्मा आणी पापात्मा । दोहिंकडे अंतरात्मा । साधु भोंदु सीमा । सांडूंच नये ॥ १२ ॥

In both the virtuous soul and the sinful soul the inner Self is exactly the same; yet the boundary between a true saint and a fraud must never be given up.

अंतर येक तों खरें । परी सांगातें घेऊं न येती माहारे । पंडित आणि चाटें पोरें । येक कैसीं ॥ १३ ॥

It is true that the inner core is one and the same, but even so one cannot keep a base person as an equal companion; how can a scholar and an ignorant child be treated the same?

मनुष्य आणि गधडे । राजहंस आणि कोंबडें । राजे आणि माकडें । एक कैसीं ॥ १४ ॥

A man and a donkey, a royal swan and a common cock, a king and a monkey — how can these be considered the same?

भागीरथीचें जळ आप । मोरी संवदणी तेंहि आप । कुश्चिळ उदक अल्प । सेववेना ॥ १५ ॥

The water of the Ganga is water, and the water in a gutter is also water — but that foul, meager water cannot be consumed.

याकारणें आचारशुद्ध । त्याउपरी विचारशुद्ध । वीतरागी आणि सुबुद्ध । ऐसा पाहिजे ॥ १६ ॥

For this reason, purity of conduct must come first, followed by purity of thought; one should be free of worldly craving and possessed of good sense.

शूरांहून मानिलें लंडी । तरी युद्धप्रसंगीं नरकाडी । श्रीमंत सांडून बराडी । सेविता कैसें ॥ १७ ॥

If a coward is honored above a hero, disaster follows at the time of battle; forsaking the wealthy, how can one choose to serve a beggar?

येका उदकें सकळ जालें । परी पाहोन पाहिजे सेविलें । सगट अवघेंच घेतलें । तरी तें मूर्खपण ॥ १८॥

Although everything is made from the one element water, one must still look carefully before consuming it; taking in everything indiscriminately is sheer foolishness.

जीवनाचेंच जालें अन्न । अन्नाचें जालें वमन । परी वमनाचें भोजन । करितां न ये ॥ १९॥

From water alone food was made, and from food came vomit — yet that vomit cannot then be eaten as food.

तैसें निंद्य सोडूनद्यावें । वंद्य तें हृदईं धरावें । सत्कीर्तीनें भरावें। भूमंडळ ॥ २० ॥

In the same way, one should discard what is despicable and cherish what is worthy of honor in the heart; let one's good name fill the whole earth.

उत्तमांसि उत्तम माने। कनिष्ठांस तें न माने । म्हणौन करंटे देवानें । करून ठेवले ॥ २१ ॥

The good find the good agreeable, but the base do not accept it that way; that is why God has made some people wretched by their very nature.

सांडा अवघें करंटपण । धरावें उत्तम लक्षण । हरिकथा पुराण श्रवण । नीति न्याये ॥२२ ॥

Give up all wretchedness entirely and cultivate noble qualities; listen to sacred stories and scripture, and hold fast to justice and right conduct.

वर्तयाचाविवेक । राजी राखणें सकळ लोक । हळुहळु पुण्यलोक। करीत जावे॥ २३ ॥

Keep discernment in one's conduct, and keep all people well-disposed; gradually one should build a virtuous, good society.

मुलाचे चालीनें चालावें । मुलाच्या मनोगतें बोलावें । तैसें जनास सिकवावें । हळुहळु ॥ २४ ॥

One should walk in step with a child's own pace, speak according to the child's own understanding; in the same way people too should be taught gradually.

मुख्य मनोगत राखणें । हेंचि चातुर्याचीं लक्षणें । चतुर तो चतुरांग जाणें । इतर तीं वेडीं ॥ २५ ॥

To keep others' sentiments in mind above all — this itself is the true mark of skillfulness; only the truly clever grasp every facet of it, while the rest remain foolish.

वेड्यास वेडें म्हणों नये । वर्म कदापि बोलों नये। तरीच घडे दिग्विजये । निस्पृहासी ॥ २६॥

One should never call a fool a fool, and should never bluntly expose another's weak point; only then can a person free of worldly craving achieve true victory everywhere.

उदंड स्थळीं उदंड प्रसंग । जाणोनि करणें येथासांग । प्राणिमात्राचा अंतरंग । होऊन जावें ॥ २७ ॥

Countless situations arise in countless places; one must recognize each and act accordingly, becoming one at heart with every living being.

मनोगत राखोन जातां । परस्परें होये अवस्ता । मनोगत तोडितां वेवस्तां । बरी नाहीं ॥ २८ ॥

If one proceeds while preserving others' sentiments, dealings on both sides go smoothly; but breaking others' feelings and cutting off relations is never good.

याकारणें मनोगत । राखेल तो मोठा महंत । मनोगत राखतां समस्त । वोढोन येती ॥ २९ ॥

Therefore whoever preserves others' sentiments is truly a great and noble soul; by preserving their feelings, everyone is naturally drawn toward such a person.