इह जाता विवृद्धाऽस्मि पिता माता ममेति वै। उक्तवत्यसि दुर्मेधे याच्यमाना मयाऽसकृत्
You have said, 'Here I was born and raised; these are my father and mother,' O foolish one, though I have often begged you.
स्वर्गतोऽपि पिता वृद्धस्तथा माता चिरं तव। बन्धवा भूतपूर्वाश्च तत्र वासे तु का रतिः
Even if your father and mother, now aged, have gone to heaven, and your former relatives as well, what pleasure is there in dwelling there?
न भोजनं विरुद्धं स्यान्न स्त्रीदेशो निबन्धनः। सुदूरमपि तं देशं व्रजेद्गरुडहंसवत्
There is no conflict in food, nor is a woman's place a binding tie; one should go even to a distant land, like Garuda or a swan.
सोऽयं ते बन्धुकामाया अशृण्वन्त्या वचो मम। बन्धुप्रणाशः संप्राप्तो भृशं दुःखकरो मम
Now, because you, desiring kin, did not listen to my words, the destruction of our relatives has come, causing me great pain.
अथवा मद्विनाशो यं न हि शक्ष्यामि कंचन। परित्यक्तुमहं बन्धुं स्वयं जीवन्नृशंसवत्
Or, if I cannot bear my own destruction, I would be cruel to abandon a relative while I myself still live.
सहधर्मचरीं दान्तां नित्यं मातृसमां मम। सखायं विहितां देवैर्नित्यं परमिकां गतिम्
My wife, ever devoted to duty, self-controlled, always like a mother to me, appointed by the gods as my companion and supreme goal—
पित्रा मात्रा च विहितां सदा गार्हस्थ्यभागिनीम्। वरयित्वा यथान्यायं मन्त्रवत्परिणीय च
Assigned by my father and mother to always share in household life, properly chosen and married with sacred rites—
कुलीनां शीलसंपन्नामपत्यजननीमपि। त्वामहं जीवितस्यार्थे साध्वीमनपकारिणीम्
You, noble and blameless, of good family and character, fit to bear children, I have taken as my wife for the sake of life itself.
परित्यक्तुं न शक्ष्यामि भार्यां नित्यमनुव्रताम्। कुत एव परित्यक्तुं सुतां शक्ष्याम्यहं स्वयम्
I could never abandon my wife, ever faithful; how then could I, of my own will, abandon my daughter?
बालामप्राप्तवयसमजातव्यञ्जनाकृतिम्। भर्तुरर्थाय निक्षिप्तां न्यासं धात्रा महात्मना
A child, not yet come of age, her features not yet developed, entrusted to me by the great-souled Creator for the sake of her husband—
यया दौहित्रजाँल्लोकानाशंसे पितृभिः सह। स्वयमुत्पाद्य तां बालां कथमुत्स्रष्टुमुत्सहे
Through her, I hope for worlds to be gained by grandsons together with the ancestors; having begotten that child myself, how could I bear to abandon her?
मन्यन्ते केचिदधिकं स्नेहं पुत्रे पितुर्नराः। कन्यायां केचिदपरे मम तुल्यावुभौ स्मृतौ
Some men think a father's affection for a son is greater, others for a daughter; but for me, both are held equal in my heart.
यस्यां लोकाः प्रसूतिश्च स्थिता नित्यमथो सुखम्। अपापां तामहं बालां कथमुत्स्रष्टुमुत्सहे
In whom the worlds, offspring, and constant happiness are established, how could I bear to abandon that innocent child?
कुत एव परित्यक्तुं सुतं शक्ष्याम्यहं स्वयम्। प्रार्थयेयं परां प्रीतिं यस्मिन्स्वर्गफलानि च
How could I, of my own will, abandon my son, for whom I would wish the highest joy and the rewards of heaven?
यस्य जातस्य पितरो मुखं दृष्ट्वा दिवं गताः। अहं मुक्तः पितृऋणाद्यस्य जातस्य तेजसा
His parents, upon seeing his face at birth, departed for heaven; I am freed from the debt to ancestors by the brilliance of the one who is born.
दयितं मे कथं बालमहं त्यक्तुमिहोत्सहे। तमहं ज्येष्ठपुत्रं मे कुलनिर्हारकं विभुम्
How could I bear to abandon this beloved child here? He is my eldest son, the mighty one who will carry forward our lineage.
मम पिण्डोदकनिधिं कथं त्यक्ष्यामि पुत्रकम्। त्यागोऽयं मम संप्राप्तो ममन्वा मे सुतस्य वा
How could I forsake my son, the repository of my offerings of food and water? This renunciation has come upon me—whether mine or my son's.
तव वा तव पुत्र्या वा अत्र वासस्य तत्फलम्। न शृणोषि वचो मह्यं तत्फलं भुङ्क्ष्व भामिनि
Whether for you or your daughter, the fruit of dwelling here belongs; you do not heed my words—enjoy that fruit, O beautiful one.
अथवाहं न शक्ष्यामि स्वयं मर्तुं सुतं मम। एकं त्यक्तुं न शक्नोति भवतीं च सुतामपि
Or else, I am unable to die myself, leaving my son; I cannot abandon either him or you, my daughter.
अथ मद्रक्षणार्थं वा न हि शक्ष्यामि कंचन। परित्यक्तुमहं बन्धुं स्वयं जीवन्नृशंसवत्
Or, for the sake of protecting Madra, I am unable to forsake anyone; I cannot abandon a relative while living, acting cruelly.
आत्मानमपि चोत्सृज्य गते प्रेतवशं मयि।' त्यक्ता ह्येते मया व्यक्तं नेह शक्ष्यन्ति जीवितुम्
Even if I relinquish myself and fall under the sway of death, those whom I have clearly abandoned will not be able to live here.
एषां चान्यतमत्यागो नृशंसो गर्हितो बुधैः। आत्मत्यागे कृते चेमे मरिष्यन्ति मया विना
The abandonment of any one of them is cruel and censured by the wise; if I give up myself, these will die without me.
स कृच्छ्रामहमापन्नो न शक्तस्तर्तुमापदम्। अहो धिक्कां गतिं त्वद्य गमिष्यामि सबान्धवः। सर्वैः सह मृतं श्रेयो न च मे जीवितुं क्षमम्
I have fallen into great distress and am unable to escape calamity; alas, shame upon the path I must take today with my kinsmen. It is better to die with all than for me to live.
न सन्तापस्त्वया कार्यः प्राकृतेनेव कर्हिचित्। न हि सन्तापकालोऽयं वैद्यस्य तव विद्यते
You should never grieve like an ordinary person; for this is not a time for sorrow for you, O healer.
अवश्यं निधनं सर्वैर्गन्तव्यमिह मानवैः। अवश्यभाविन्यर्थे वै संतापो नेह विद्यते
Death must inevitably be reached by all humans here; for what is destined to happen, grief has no place.
भार्या पुत्रोऽथ दुहिता सर्वमात्मार्थमिष्यते। व्यथां जहि सुबुद्ध्या त्वं स्वयं यास्यामि तत्र च
Wife, son, and daughter—all are desired for one's own sake; dispel your pain with wisdom, for I myself will go there.
एतद्धि परमं नार्याः कार्यं लोके सनातनम्। प्राणानपि परित्यज्य यद्भर्तुर्हितमाचरेत्
This is the highest and eternal duty for a woman in the world: to act for her husband's welfare, even at the cost of her own life.
तच्च तत्र कृतं कर्म तवापीदं सुखावहम्। भवत्यमुत्र चाक्षय्यं लोकेऽस्मिंश्च यशस्करम्
And the deed you have done there brings happiness to you; it becomes inexhaustible in the next world and brings fame in this one.
एष चैव गुरुर्धर्मो यं प्रवक्ष्याम्यहं तव। अर्थश्च तव धर्मश्च भूयानत्र प्रदृश्यते
This is indeed the supreme law which I will declare to you; both wealth and righteousness are seen to be abundant here for you.
यदर्थमिष्यते भार्या प्राप्तः सोऽर्थस्त्वया मयि। कन्या चैका कुमारश्च कृताहमनृणा त्वया
That for which a wife is desired has been attained by you through me; a daughter and a son have been obtained, and I am freed from debt by you.