दुर्ज्ञेयः शाश्वतो धर्मः शूद्रयोनौ हि वर्तता। न त्वां शूद्रमहं मन्ये भवितव्यं हि कारणम्
The eternal law is difficult to know, especially for one born in a Śūdra womb. Yet I do not consider you a Śūdra; destiny is indeed the cause.
येन कर्मविशेषेण प्राप्तेयं शूद्रता त्वया। एतामिच्छामि विज्ञातुं तत्त्वेन तव शूद्रताम्। कामयानस् मे शंस सर्वं त्वं प्रयतात्मवान्
By what specific action did you come to be born as a Śūdra? I wish to know the truth of your Śūdra birth. Please, desiring to know, tell me everything, for you are one of disciplined self.
अनतिक्रमणीया वै ब्राह्मणा मे द्विजोत्तम। शृणु सर्वमिदं वृत्तं पूर्वदेहे ममानघ
O best of twice-born, Brahmanas are indeed not to be transgressed by me; listen to all that happened in my previous birth, O sinless one.
अहं हि ब्राह्मणः पूर्वमासं द्विजवरात्मजः। वेदाध्यायी सुकुशलो वेदाङ्गानां च पारगः। आत्मदोषकृतैर्ब्रह्मन्नवस्थामाप्तवानिमाम्
For formerly I was a Brahmana, the son of a foremost twice-born; I was a student of the Vedas, highly skilled, and accomplished in the limbs of the Veda; but, O Brahman, through faults of my own, I attained this present condition.
कश्चिद्राजा मम सखा धनुर्वेदपरायणः। संसर्गाद्धनुषि श्रेष्ठस्ततोऽहमभवं द्विज
There was a certain king, my friend, devoted to the science of archery; through association with him, O twice-born, I became excellent in archery.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगयां निर्गतो नृपः। सहितो योधमुख्यैश् मन्त्रिभिश्च सुसंवृतः। ततोऽभ्यहन्मृगांस्तत्र सुबहूनाश्रमं प्रति
At that very time, the king went out to hunt, accompanied by chief warriors and well-guarded by ministers; then, approaching the hermitage, he killed many animals there.
अथ क्षिप्तः शरो घोरो मयापि द्विजसत्तम। ताडितश्च ऋषिस्तन शरेणानतपर्वणा
Then, O best of Brahmanas, a terrible arrow was shot by me, and a sage was struck there by that arrow with unblunted tip.
भूमौ निपतितो ब्रह्मन्नुवाच प्रतिनादयन्। नापराध्याम्यहं किंचित्केन पापमिदं कृतम्
Falling to the ground, O Brahman, the sage cried out, resounding, 'I have committed no offense at all; by whom has this sin been done?'
मन्वानस्तं मृगं चाहं संप्राप्तः सहसा मुनिम्। अपश्यं तमृषिं विद्धं शरेणानतपर्वणा। तमुग्रतपसं विप्रं निष्टनन्तं महीतले
Thinking that it was an animal, I suddenly approached the sage; I saw that sage, wounded by the arrow with unblunted tip, that Brahman of fierce austerity, writhing on the ground.
अकार्यकरणाच्चापि भृशं मे व्यथितं मनः। अजानता कृतमिदं मयेत्यहमथाब्रुवम्
Because of this wrongful act, my mind was greatly troubled; I said, 'This was done by me unknowingly.'
क्षन्तुमर्हसि मे सर्वमिति चोक्तो मया मुनिः
I said to the sage, 'You ought to forgive me for everything.'
ततः प्रत्यब्रवीद्वाक्यमृषिर्मां क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। व्याधस्त्वं भविता क्रूर शूद्रयोनाविति द्विज
Then the sage, filled with wrath, spoke to me: 'You will become a cruel hunter, born in the Shudra caste, O twice-born.'
एवं शप्तोऽहमृषिणा तदा द्विजबरोत्तम। अहं प्रासादयमृषिं गिरा वाक्यविशारदम्
Thus cursed by the sage at that time, O best of twice-born, I tried to appease the sage, who was skilled in speech.
अजानता मयाऽकार्यमिदमद्य कृतं मुने। क्षन्तुमर्हसि तत्सर्वं प्रसीद भगवन्निति
'This wrongful act was done by me unknowingly today, O sage; you ought to forgive all of it, be gracious, O blessed one,' I said.
नान्यथा भविता शाप एवमेतदसंशयम्। आनृशंस्यात्त्वंहकिंचित्कर्ताऽनुग्रहमद्य ते
'The curse will not be otherwise; so it will certainly be. Yet, out of compassion, I shall grant you some favor today.'
शूद्रयोन्यां वर्तमानो धर्मज्ञो हि भविष्यसि। मातापित्रोश् शुश्रूषां करिष्यसि न संशयः
'Though born in the Shudra caste, you will be knowledgeable in righteousness; you will serve your mother and father, without doubt.'
तयोः शुश्रूषया सिद्धिं महतीं समवाप्स्यसि। जातिस्मरश् भविता स्वर्गं चैव गमिष्यसि
'By serving them, you will attain great success; you will be one who remembers past births and you will go to heaven as well.'
भूत्वाच धार्मिको व्याधः पित्रोः शुश्रूषणे रतः। शापक्षये तु निर्वृत्ते भविताऽसि पुनर्द्विजः
'Having become a righteous hunter, devoted to serving your parents, when the curse is exhausted, you will become a twice-born again.'
एवं शप्तः पुरा तेन ऋषिणाऽस्म्युग्रतेजसा। प्रसादश्च कृतस्तेन ममैव द्विपदांवर
Thus, I was formerly cursed by that sage of fierce energy, and he also showed me favor, O best of bipeds.
शरं चोद्धृतवानस्मि तस्य वै द्विजसत्तम। आश्रमं च मया नीतो न च प्राणैर्व्ययुज्यत
I also drew out the arrow from him, O best of Brahmanas, and I brought him to the hermitage; yet he did not part with his life.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा मम पुराऽभवत्। अभितश्चापि गन्तव्यो मया स्वर्गो द्विजोत्तम
All this I have told you, as it once happened to me; and now, O best of twice-born, I too must go to heaven from here.
एवमेतानि पुरुषा दुःखानि च सुखानि च। आप्नुवन्ति महाबुद्धे नोत्कण्ठां कर्तुमर्हसि
In this way, O great-minded one, people experience both sorrow and happiness; you should not give in to despair.
दुष्करं हि कृतंकर्म जानता जातिमात्मनः। [लोकवृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञ नित्यं धर्मपरायण ।।]
Indeed, you have performed a difficult deed, knowing your own birth, always devoted to righteousness, and understanding the true nature of worldly events.
कर्मदोषाच्च वै विद्वन्नात्मजातिकृतेन वै। कंचित्कालं मृष्यतां वै ततोसि भविता द्विजः
O learned one, because of the fault in your actions, not by your birth, you must endure for a certain time; after that, you will become a Brahmin.
सांप्रतं च मतो मेऽसि ब्राह्मणो नात्र संशयः
And now, in my view, you are a Brahmin—there is no doubt about this.
ब्राह्मणः पतनीयेषु वर्तमानो विकर्मसु। दाम्भिक्वो दुष्कृतप्रायः शूद्रेण सदृशो भवेत्
A Brahmin who engages in sinful acts and wrongful deeds, full of hypocrisy and evil conduct, becomes like a Shudra.
यस्तु शूद्रो दमे सत्ये धर्मे च सततोत्थितः। तं ब्राह्मणमहं मन्ये वृत्तेन हि भवेद्द्विजः
But a Shudra who is always engaged in self-control, truth, and righteousness—I consider him a Brahmin, for by conduct one becomes a twice-born.
कर्मदोषेण विषमां गतिमाप्तोसि दारुणाम्। क्षीणदोषमहं मन्ये चाभितस्त्वां नरोत्तम
Because of the fault in your actions, you have reached a harsh and difficult state; but I think you are now free from faults, O best of men.
कर्तुमर्हसि नोत्कण्ठां त्वद्विधा ह्यविषादिनः। लोकवृत्तान्ततत्वज्ञा नित्यं धर्मपरायणाः
You should not give in to despair; for those like you, who know the truth of worldly affairs and are always devoted to righteousness, do not lose heart.
प्रज्ञया मानसं दुःखं हन्याच्छारीरमौषधैः। एतद्विज्ञानसामर्थ्यं न बालै समतामियात्
By wisdom, one should dispel mental suffering, and by medicine, bodily pain; such is the power of knowledge, which cannot be equaled by the ignorant.