निर्बन्धतस्तु बहुशो गालवस्य तपस्विनः। किंचिदागतसंरम्भो विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीदिदम्
Because of the persistent insistence of the ascetic Gālava, Viśvāmitra, becoming somewhat agitated, spoke these words.
एकतःश्यामकर्णानां हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम्। अष्टौ शतानि मे देहि गच्छ गालव मा चिरम्
Give me eight hundred horses, dark-eared and radiant as the moon, all at once; go, Gālava, without delay.
एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन विश्वामित्रेण धीमता। नास्ते न शेते नाहारं कुरुते गालवस्तदा
Thus addressed by the wise Viśvāmitra, Gālava neither rested nor slept nor took food at that time.
त्वगस्थिभूतो हरिणाश्चिन्ताशोकपरायणः। शोचमानोऽतिमात्रं स दह्यमानश्च मन्युना । गालवो दुःखितो दुःखाद्विललाप सुयोधन
Reduced to skin and bone, absorbed in anxiety and sorrow, grieving excessively and burning with anger, Gālava, distressed, lamented bitterly, O mighty-armed one.
कुतः पुष्टानि मित्राणि कुतोऽर्थाः सञ्चयः कृतः । हयानां चन्द्रशुभ्राणां शतान्यष्टौ कुतो मम
Where are well-nourished friends for me, where is accumulated wealth? Where can I obtain eight hundred moon-white horses?
कुतो मे भोजने श्रद्धा सुखश्रद्धा कुतश्च मे। श्रद्धा मे जीवितस्यापि छिन्ना किं जीवितेन मे
Where is my faith in food, where is my contentment? Even my faith in life itself is cut off—what use is life to me?
अहं पारे समुद्रस्य पृथिव्या वा परं परात्। गत्वाऽऽत्मानं विमुञ्चामि किं फलं जीवितेन मे
Crossing to the far side of the ocean or to the ends of the earth, I will abandon my life—what is the use of living for me?
अदनस्याकृतार्थस्य त्यक्तस्य विविधैः फलैः । ऋणं धारयमाणस्य कुतः सुखमनीहया
For one who is unfed, unsuccessful, abandoned by all pleasures, and burdened with debt, how can there be happiness in this aimless life?
सुहृदां हि धनं भुक्त्वा कृत्वा प्रणयमीप्सितम् । प्रतिकर्तुमशक्तस्य जीवितान्मरणं वरम्
Having enjoyed the wealth of friends and received their affection, if one is unable to repay, death is better than life.
प्रतिश्रुत्य करिष्येति कर्तव्यं तदकुर्वतः । मिथ्यावचनदग्धस्य इष्टापूर्तं प्रणश्यति
Having promised, 'I will do this,' but failing to act, one who is burned by false speech loses all merit from sacrifices and good deeds.
न रूपमनृतस्यास्ति नानृतस्यास्ति सन्ततिः । नानृतस्याधिपत्यं च कुत एव गतिः शुभा
There is no beauty in falsehood, nor is there offspring from falsehood; nor does falsehood bring sovereignty—how then can it lead to a good end?
कुतः कृतघ्नस्य यशः कुतः स्थानं कुतः सुखम्। अश्रद्धेयः कृतघ्नो हि कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः
How can there be fame for the ungrateful, how can there be status or happiness? The ungrateful is not to be trusted, and for the ungrateful there is no atonement.
न जीवत्यधनः पापः कुतः पापस्य तन्त्रणम्। पापो ध्रुवमवाप्नोति विनाशं नाशयन्कृतम्
The wicked man without wealth does not live; how then can the wicked have any means? The wicked surely attain destruction, destroying what has been done.
सोऽहं पापः कृतघ्नस्य कृपणश्चानृतोऽपि च । गुरोर्यः कृतकार्यः संस्तत्करोमि न भाषितम्
Thus I am wicked, ungrateful, wretched, and untruthful; though I have served my teacher, I do not speak of it.
सोऽहं प्राणान्विमोक्ष्यामि कृत्वा यत्नमनुत्तमम् । अर्थिता न मया काचित्कृतपूर्वा दिवौकसाम्
Thus I will relinquish my life, having made the utmost effort; I have never before requested anything from the dwellers in heaven.
मानयन्ति च मां सर्वे त्रिदशा यज्ञसंस्तरे। अहं तु विबुधश्रेष्ठं देवं त्रिभुवनेश्वरम् । विष्णुं गच्छाम्यहं कृष्णं गतिं गतिमतां वरम्
All the gods honor me at the sacrificial assembly; but I, for my part, go to Vishnu, the highest among the wise, the lord of the three worlds, Krishna, the best refuge among those who seek refuge.
भोगा यस्मात्प्रतिष्ठन्ते व्याप्य सर्वान्सुरासुरान्। प्रणतो द्रष्टुमिच्छामि कृष्णं योगिनमव्ययम्
Because pleasures are established, pervading all gods and demons, I wish to approach Krishna, the yogi, the imperishable one, with reverence.
एवमुक्ते सखा तस्य गरुडो विनतात्मजः । दर्शयामास तं प्राह संहृष्टः प्रियकाम्यया
When this was spoken, his friend Garuda, son of Vinata, revealed himself and, delighted by affection, addressed him.
सहृद्भवान्मम मतः सुहृदां च मतः सुहृत्। ईप्सितेनाभिलाषेण योक्तव्यो विभवे सति
A friend is born from the heart, and is regarded as a friend by friends; with the desired longing, one should be joined, when there is prosperity.
विभवश्चास्ति मे विप्र वासवावरजो द्विज । पूर्वमुक्तस्त्वदर्थं च कृतः कामश्च तेन मे
I have prosperity, O Brahmin, younger brother of Indra, O twice-born; as previously said, for your sake, my desire has been fulfilled.
स भवानेतु गच्छाव नयिष्ये त्वां यथासुखम् । देशं पारं पृथिव्या वा गच्छ गालव मा चिरम्
Let us go, I will take you wherever you wish, comfortably; go to the farthest land or across the earth, Gālava, without delay.
अनुशिष्टोऽस्मि देवेन गालव ज्ञानयोनिना। ब्रूहि कामं तु कां यामि द्रष्टुं प्रथममो दिशम्
I have been instructed by the god, Gālava, the source of wisdom; tell me, which direction shall I go first to see?
पूर्वां वा दक्षिणां वाहमथवा पश्चिमां दिशम्। उत्तरां वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ कुतो गच्छामि गालव
Shall I go east, south, or west? Or north, O best of the twice-born? Where shall I go, Gālava?
यस्यामुदयते पूर्वं सर्वलोकप्रभावनः । सविता यत्र सन्ध्यायां साध्यानां वर्तते तपः
In that direction where the sun first rises, the illuminator of all worlds, where at twilight the Sādhyas practice austerity.
यस्यां पूर्वं मतिर्जाता यया व्याप्तमिदं जगत्। चक्षुषी यत्र धर्मस्य यत्र चैष प्रतिष्ठितः
In that direction where thought first arose, by which this world is pervaded, where the eyes of Dharma are, and where he is established.
कृतं यतो हुतं हव्यं सर्पते सर्वतोदिशम् ।। एतद्द्वारं द्विजश्रेष्ठ दिवसस्य तथाऽध्वनः
From where the offering is made, the oblation flows in all directions; this is the gateway, O best of Brahmins, of the day and the path.
अत्र पूर्वं प्रसूता वै दाक्षायण्यः प्रजाः स्त्रियः । यस्यां दिशि प्रवृद्धाश्च कश्यपस्यात्मसंभवाः
Here, the daughters of Daksha were first born, the women; in this direction, the offspring of Kaśyapa have grown.
अदोमूला सुराणां श्रीर्यत्र शक्रोऽभ्यषिच्यत। सुरराज्येन विप्रर्षे देवैश्चात्र तपश्चितम्
Here is the root of prosperity for the gods, where Śakra was anointed; with the kingdom of the gods, O sage, and where the gods performed austerities.
एतस्मात्कारणाद्ब्रह्मन्पूर्वेत्येषा दिगुच्यते। यस्मात्पूर्वतरे काले पूर्वमेवावृतासुरैः
For this reason, O Brahmin, this direction is called 'east'; because in earlier times, it was first occupied by the gods.
अत एव च सर्वेषां पूर्वामाशां प्रचक्षते । पूर्वं सर्वाणि कार्याणि दैवानि सुखमीप्सता
Therefore, all call the east the foremost direction; all actions, divine and those seeking happiness, are begun in the east.