Karika 1

दुःखत्रयाभिघातात् जिज्ञासा तदभिघातकेAlternatives: तदवघातके, तदपघातके हेतौ।
दृष्टे साऽपार्थाAlternative: सापार्था चेन्नैकान्तात्यन्ततोऽभावात्॥ १॥

Translation by Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1837): The inquiry is into the means of precluding the three sorts of pain; for pain is embarrassment; nor is the inquiry superfluous because obvious means of alleviation exist, for absolute and final relief is not thereby accomplished.

Translation by John Davies (1881): From the injurious effects of the threefold kinds of pain (arises) a desire to know the means of removing it (pain). If, from the visible (means of removing it), this (desire) should seem to be superfluous, it is not so, for these are neither absolutely complete nor abiding.

Translation by Ganganath Jha (1896): There being (in this world) an impediment caused by the three kinds of pain, (there arises) a desire for enquiry into the means of alleviating them. And if (it be urged that) the enquiry is superfluous on account of (the existence of) obvious means, - (we reply that it is) not so: because these (latter) are neither absolute nor final.

Translation by Nandalal Sinha (1915): From the disagreeable occurrence of the threefold pain, (proceeds) the enquiry into the means which can prevent it; nor is the enquiry superfluous because ordinary (means) exist, for they fail to accomplish certain and permanent prevention of pain.

Translation by Har Dutt Sharma (1933): On account of affliction from threefold misery, inquiry (should be instituted) into the means for its removal. If (it be said that) it is useless because of the (existence of) evident means, (then we reply -) no, because of the absence of certainty and finality.

Translation by Radhanath Phukan (1960): Being afflicted by three-fold affliction, man desires to enquire about a means to end it; if you say that there are well-known ways to end affliction and so further enquiry is unnecessary, my reply is: "No, these ways are not certain and they cannot remove affliction finally and once for all."

Translation by Swami Virupakshananda (1995): From the torment caused by the three kinds of pain, proceeds a desire for inquiry into the means of terminating them; if it be said that (the inquiry) is superfluous since visible means exist, (we reply), not so; because (in the visible means) there is the absence of certainty (in the case of the means) and permanency (of pain).

Translation by G. Srinivasan (recent): Investigating the triad of interactive stresses shows that such interactive modes of stresses exist but it would not have been detectable, had it not been for the existence of the synchronised - perpetual - dynamic - unmanifest state of existence (of the substratum).