एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु जरत्कारुर्महातपाः। चचार पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां यत्रसायंगृहो मुनिः
At that very time, the great ascetic Jaratkaru, who had no home but wandered, roamed the whole earth.
चरन्दीक्षां महातेजा दुश्चरामकृतात्मभिः। तीर्थेष्वाप्लवनं कुर्वन्पुण्येषु विचचार ह
Practicing severe vows, which are hard for the undisciplined to perform, the radiant sage wandered among holy places, bathing in sacred waters.
वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुष्यन्नहरहर्मुनिः। सं ददर्श पितॄन्गर्ते लम्बमानानधोमुखान्
Living only on air, without food, drying up day by day, the sage saw his ancestors hanging head-down in a pit.
एकतन्त्ववशिष्टं वै वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रितान्। तं तन्तुं च शनैराखुमाददानं बिलेशयम्
They were clinging to a single remaining fiber of a reed stalk, and a rat dwelling in a hole was slowly gnawing at that fiber.
निराहारान्कृशान्दीनान्गर्ते स्वत्राणमिच्छतः। उपसृत्य स तान्दीनान्दीनरूपोऽभ्यभाषत
Emaciated, miserable, and without food, they longed for their own protection; approaching them, he, appearing as miserable as they, addressed them.
के भवन्तोऽवलम्बन्ते वीरमस्तम्बमाश्रिताः। दुर्बलं खादितैर्मूलैराखुना बिलवासिना
Who are you, clinging to the reed stalk, depending on this weak root that is being gnawed by a rat living in a hole?
वीरणस्तम्बके मूलं यदप्येकमिह स्थितम्। तद्भप्ययं शनैराखुरादत्ते दशनैः शितैः
Even the one root that remains in this reed stalk is slowly being eaten by the rat with its sharp teeth.
छेत्स्यतेऽल्पावशिष्टत्वादेतदप्यचिरादिव। ततस्तु पतितारोऽत्र गर्ते व्यक्तमधोमुखाः
Soon, because so little is left, this too will be cut; then, clearly, you will all fall headlong into this pit.
अत्र मे दुःखमुत्पन्नं दृष्ट्वा युष्मानधोमुखान्। कृच्छ्रामापदमापन्नान्प्रियं किं करवाणि वः
Seeing you hanging head-down and fallen into such distress, sorrow has arisen in me—what dear thing can I do for you?
तपसोऽस्य चतुर्थेन तृतीयेनाथ वा पुनः। अर्धेन वापि निस्तर्तुमापदं ब्रूत मा चिरम्
Tell me quickly if you wish to escape this calamity by a fourth, a third, or even half of my ascetic merit.
अथवापि समग्रेण तरन्तु तपसा मम। भवन्तः सर्व एवेह काममेवं विधीयताम्
Or, if you wish, let all of you be saved by the entirety of my ascetic merit—let it be done as you desire.
कुतो भवान्ब्रह्मचारी यो नस्त्रातुमिहेच्छसि। न तु विप्राग्र्य तपसा शक्यमेतद्व्यपोहितुम्
How is it that you, a celibate, wish to save us? This cannot be remedied even by the highest asceticism of a foremost Brahmin.
अस्ति नस्तात तपसः फलं प्रवदतां वर। संतानप्रक्षयाद्ब्रह्मन्पतामो निरयेऽशुचौ
O best of those who speak, is there or is there not any fruit of austerity? Because of the destruction of our lineage, O Brahman, we are falling into an impure hell.
सन्तानं हि परो धर्मं एवमाह पितामहः। लम्बतामिह नस्तात न ज्ञानं प्रतिभाति वै
For indeed, our grandsire has declared that progeny is the highest duty; but here, O father, we are suspended, and no knowledge appears to us.
येन त्वां नाभिजानीमो लोके विख्यातपौरुषम्। वृद्धो भवान्महाभागोयोनः शोच्यान्सुदुःखितान
By whom you, renowned in the world for your manliness, are not recognized— you, venerable and greatly fortunate— we, your ancestors, are to be pitied and deeply afflicted.
शोचते चैव कारुण्याच्छृणु ये वै वयं द्विज। यायावरा नाम वयमृषयः संशितव्रताः
And out of compassion, I grieve, O twice-born, listen: we are called the Yāyāvaras, sages devoted to strict vows.
लोकात्पुम्यादिह भ्रष्टाः सन्तानप्रक्षयान्मुने। प्रणष्टं नस्तपस्तीव्रं न हि नस्तन्तुरस्ति वै
O sage, cast down from the world due to the destruction of our lineage, our severe austerity is lost; indeed, we have no descendant.
अस्तित्वेकोऽद्य नस्तन्तुः सोऽपि नास्ति यथा तथा। मन्दभाग्योऽल्पभाग्यानां तप एकं समास्थितः
Today, we have only one descendant left, and even he is as good as lost; of little fortune among the unfortunate, he alone has taken up austerity.
जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः। नियतात्मा महात्मा च सुव्रतः सुमहातपाः
He is known as Jaratkāru, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, self-controlled, great-souled, of firm vows, and of immense austerity.
तेन स्म तपसो लोभात्कृच्छ्रमापादिता वयम्। न तस्य भार्या पुत्रो वा बान्धवो वाऽस्ति कश्चन
Because of his greed for austerity, we have come to this distress; he has neither wife nor son nor any relative.
तस्माल्लम्बामहे गर्ते नष्टसंज्ञा ह्यनाथवत्। स वक्तव्यस्त्वया दृष्टो ह्यस्माकं नाथवत्तया
Therefore, we hang over the pit, our consciousness lost, like those without support; he must be told, for you have seen us in our helpless state.
पितरस्तेऽवलम्बन्ते गर्ते दीना अधोमुखाः। साधु दारान्कुरुष्वेति प्रजायस्वेति चाभि भोः
Your ancestors depend on you, hanging over the pit, dejected and downcast; O noble one, take a wife and beget children, we entreat you.
कुलतन्तुर्हि नः शिष्टः स एकैकस्तपोधन। यं तु पश्यसि नो ब्रह्मन्वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रयम्
For only one thread of our lineage remains, a single ascetic, O Brahman, whom you see taking refuge at the grass-stalk.
एषोऽस्माकं कुलस्तम्ब आस्ते स्वकुलवर्धनः। यानि पश्यसि वै ब्रह्मन्मूलानीहास्य वीरुधः
This is our family’s pillar, sitting here, the increaser of our line; these roots you see here, O Brahman, are his shoots.
एते नस्तन्तवस्तात कालेन परिभक्षिताः। यत्त्वेतत्पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्मूलमस्यार्धभक्षितम्
These, O father, are our lineages, consumed by time; and what you see, O Brahman, is the root half-eaten.
यत्र लम्बामहे गर्ते सोऽप्येकस्तप आस्थितः। यमाखुं पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्काल एष महाबलः
Where we hang over the pit, even that one is engaged in austerity; the mouse you see, O Brahman, is mighty Time itself.
स तं तपोरतं मन्दं शनैः क्षपयते तुदन्। जरत्कारुं तपोलुब्धं मन्दात्मानमचेतसम्
He slowly gnaws at that weak ascetic devoted to austerity—Jaratkāru, greedy for penance, dull-minded and senseless.
न हि नस्तत्तपस्तस्य तारयिष्यति सत्तम। छिन्नमूलान्परिभ्रष्टान्कालोपहतचेतसः
For, O best of beings, his austerity will not save us—uprooted, fallen, and with minds afflicted by Time.
अधः प्रविष्टान्पश्यास्मान्यथा दुष्कृतिनस्तथा। अस्मासु पतितेष्वत्र सह सर्वैः सबान्धवैः
See us, who have entered below, as wrongdoers; when we have fallen here, all our kin will fall with us.
छिन्नः कालेन सोऽप्यत्र गन्ता वै नरकं ततः। तपो वाऽप्यथ चा यज्ञो यच्चान्यत्पावनं महत्
When that one, too, is cut off by Time, he will go to hell from here; whether it be austerity, sacrifice, or any other great purification.