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.
अनिष्टसंप्रयोगाच्च विप्रयोगात्प्रयिस्य च। मनुष्या मानसैर्दुःखैर्युज्यन्ते चाल्पबुद्धयः
Because of union with what is undesirable, and separation from what is desired, people of little understanding are afflicted by mental sorrows.
गुणैर्भूतानि युज्यन्ते वियुज्यन्ते तथैव च। सर्वाणि नैतदेकस्य शोकस्थानं हि विद्यते
Beings are joined and separated by their qualities; all of this does not provide a cause for sorrow for any one person.
अनिष्टनान्वितं पश्यंस्तथा क्षिप्रं विरज्यते। ततश्च प्रतिकुर्वन्ति यदि पश्यन्त्युपक्रमम्
Seeing what is joined with misfortune, one quickly becomes detached; and then, if they see a means, they act to remedy it.
शोचतो न भवेत्किंचित्केवलं परितप्यते। परित्यजन्ति ये दुःखं सुखं वाऽप्युभयं नराः
Nothing is gained by grieving; one only suffers more; those who abandon both sorrow and happiness, or even both, are truly wise.
त एव सुखमेधन्ते ज्ञानतृप्ता मनीषिणः। असंतोषपरा मूढाः संतोषं यानति पण्डिताः
Those wise ones, satisfied in knowledge, alone attain happiness; the deluded pursue dissatisfaction, but the learned seek contentment.
असंतोषस्य नास्त्यन्तस्तुष्टिस्तु परमं सुखम्। न शोचन्ति गताध्वानः पश्यन्तः परमां गतिं
There is no end to dissatisfaction, but contentment is the highest happiness; those who have reached their journey's end do not grieve, seeing the supreme goal.
न विषादे मनः कार्यं विषादो विषमुत्तमम्। मारयत्यकृतप्रज्ञं बालं क्रुद्ध इवोरगः
The mind should not be given over to despair, for despair is the worst poison; it destroys the unwise, just as a furious serpent kills a child.
यंविषादोऽभिभवति विषमे समुपस्थिते। तेजसा तस् हीनस्य पुरुषार्थो न विद्यते
When despair overcomes someone in a crisis, that person, deprived of energy, has no purpose or achievement.
अवश्यं क्रियमाणस् कर्मणो दृश्यते फलम्। न हि निर्वेदमागम्य किंचित्प्राप्नोति शोभनम्
The result of action is certainly seen; for, upon falling into despair, one attains nothing good.
अथाप्युपायं पश्येत दुःखस् परिमोक्षणे। अशोचन्नारभेतैव युक्तश्चाव्यसनी भवेत्
However, if one perceives a means for release from suffering, one should act without sorrow and remain steadfast, free from misfortune.