अग्नित्यागिषु यत् पापम् अग्निदायिषु यद् वने गृहेष्ट्या पातके यच् च यद् गोघ्ने यद् द्विजाधमे
The sin of abandoning fire, the sin of giving fire in the forest, the sin of neglecting household rites, the sin of killing a cow, and the sin of a fallen twice-born,
यत् पापं परिवित्ते च यत् पापं परिवेदिनः तयोर् दातृग्रहीत्रोश् च यत् पापं भ्रूणघातिनः
The sin of taking what is entrusted, the sin of betraying a trust, the sin of giver and receiver in such acts, and the sin of destroying a fetus,
किं चात्र बहुभिः प्रोक्तैः शपथैस् तव राक्षस श्रूयतां शपथं भीमं दुर्वाच्यम् अपि कथ्यते
Why speak at length with many oaths, O rākṣasa? Hear this terrible oath, though it is hard to utter.
स्वकन्याजीविनः पापं गूढसत्येन साक्षिणः अयाज्ययाजके षण्ढे यत् पापं श्रवणे ऽधमे
The sin of one who lives off his own daughter, the sin of a witness who conceals the truth, the sin of one who performs forbidden sacrifices, of a eunuch, and of one who is base even in hearing.
प्रव्रज्यावसिते यच् च ब्रह्मचारिणि कामुके एतैस् तु पापैर् लिप्ये ऽहं यदि नैष्यामि ते ऽन्तिकम्
If, after renouncing, I become entangled in the sins of lust while still a celibate, I will be stained by these evils if I do not go to you.
मातङ्गवचनं श्रुत्वा विस्मितो ब्रह्मराक्षसः प्राह गच्छस्व सत्येन समयं चैव पालय
Hearing the words of Mātaṅga, the Brahma-rākṣasa was astonished and said, 'Go, keep your promise faithfully and uphold your vow.'
इत्य् उक्तः कुणपाशेन श्वपाकः कुसुमानि तु समादायागमच् चैव विष्णोः स निलयं गतः
Thus addressed, the outcaste, bound with the corpse-rope, took the flowers and went to the abode of Viṣṇu.
तानि प्रादाद् ब्राह्मणाय सो ऽपि प्रक्षाल्य चाम्भसा विष्णुम् अभ्यर्च्य निलयं जगाम स तपोधनाः
He gave them to the Brāhmaṇa, who washed them with water, worshipped Viṣṇu, and then departed for his own dwelling, that ascetic.
सो ऽपि मातङ्गदायादः सोपवासस् तु तां निशाम् गायन् हि बाह्यभूमिष्ठः प्रजागरम् उपाकरोत्
That Mātaṅga's descendant, observing a fast, spent the night singing and keeping vigil outside, on the ground.
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां स्नात्वा देवं नमस्य च सत्यं स समयं कर्तुं प्रतस्थे यत्र राक्षसः
When the night had dawned, he bathed, bowed to the deity, and set out to fulfill his promise, going to where the rākṣasa was.
तं व्रजन्तं पथि नरः प्राह भद्र क्व गच्छसि स तथाकथयत् सर्वं सो ऽप्य् एनं पुनर् अब्रवीत्
As he walked along the path, a man addressed him, 'Good sir, where are you going?' He told him everything, and the man again spoke to him.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां शरीरं साधनं यतः महता तु प्रयत्नेन शरीरं पालयेद् बुधः
Since the body is the means for dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation, the wise should protect the body with great effort.
जीवधर्मार्थसुखं नरस् तथाप्नोति मोक्षगतिम् अग्र्याम् जीवन् कीर्तिम् उपैति च भवति मृतस्य का कथा लोके
A person attains life, dharma, wealth, and happiness, and also the highest path to liberation; living, one gains fame, but what is spoken of the dead in the world?
मातङ्गस् तद् वचः श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाचाथ हेतुमत्
Mātaṅga, hearing those words, replied with reasoning.
भद्र सत्यं पुरस्कृत्य गच्छामि शपथाः कृताः
Good sir, having placed truth foremost, I go; oaths have been made.
तं भूयः प्रत्युवाचाथ किम् एवं मूढधीर् भवान् किं न श्रुतं त्वया साधो मनुना यद् उदीरितम्
He again replied to him, 'Why are you so foolish? Have you not heard, O virtuous one, what Manu has declared?'
गोस्त्रीद्विजानां परिरक्षणार्थं विवाहकाले सुरतप्रसङ्गे प्राणात्यये सर्वधनापहारे पञ्चानृतान्य् आहुर् अपातकानि
For the protection of cows, women, and twice-born, at the time of marriage, in sexual union, in mortal danger, in loss of all wealth, five lies are said to be without sin.
धर्मवाक्यं न च स्त्रीषु न विवाहे तथा रिपौ वञ्चने चार्थहानौ च स्वनाशे ऽनृतके तथा एवं तद् वाक्यम् आकर्ण्य मातङ्गः प्रत्युवाच ह
Words of dharma do not apply to women, nor in marriage, nor in deceiving an enemy, nor in loss of wealth, nor in one's own destruction, nor in falsehood; hearing these words, Mātaṅga replied.
मैवं वदस्व भद्रं ते सत्यं लोकेषु पूज्यते सत्येनावाप्यते सौख्यं यत् किंचिज् जगतीगतम्
Do not speak thus; truth is honored among people. By truth, happiness is attained, whatever exists in the world.
सत्येनार्कः प्रतपति सत्येनापो रसात्मिकाः ज्वलत्य् अग्निश् च सत्येन वाति सत्येन मारुतः
By truth the sun shines, by truth the waters are full of essence, by truth the fire blazes, and by truth the wind blows.
धर्मार्थकामसंप्राप्तिर् मोक्षप्राप्तिश् च दुर्लभा सत्येन जायते पुंसां तस्मात् सत्यं न संत्यजेत्
The attainment of dharma, wealth, and pleasure, and the attainment of liberation, which is difficult, arises from truth in people; therefore, one should not abandon truth.
सत्यं ब्रह्म परं लोके सत्यं यज्ञेषु चोत्तमम् सत्यं स्वर्गसमायातं तस्मात् सत्यं न संत्यजेत्
Truth is the supreme Brahman in the world, truth is highest in sacrifices, truth leads to heaven; therefore, one should not abandon truth.
इत्य् उक्त्वा सो ऽथ मातङ्गस् तं प्रक्षिप्य नरोत्तमम् जगाम तत्र यत्रास्ते प्राणिहा ब्रह्मराक्षसः
Having said this, Mātaṅga then cast that best of men there and went to the place where the life-destroying Brahmarākṣasa was.
तम् आगतं समीक्ष्यासौ चाण्डालं ब्रह्मराक्षसः विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनः शिरःकम्पं तम् अब्रवीत्
Seeing that outcaste approaching, the Brahmarākṣasa, his eyes wide with astonishment, nodded his head and spoke to him.
साधु साधु महाभाग सत्यवाक्यानुपालक न मातङ्गम् अहं मन्ये भवन्तं सत्यलक्षणम्
"Well done, well done, O highly fortunate one, upholder of truthful speech! I do not consider you a Mātaṅga; you bear the marks of truth."
कर्मणानेन मन्ये त्वां ब्राह्मणं शुचिम् अव्ययम् यत् किंचित् त्वां भद्रमुखं प्रवक्ष्ये धर्मसंश्रयम् किं तत्र भवता रात्रौ कृतं विष्णुगृहे वद
By this deed, I consider you a pure and imperishable brāhmaṇa. I will ask you, O auspicious-faced one, something rooted in dharma: what did you do at Viṣṇu’s temple during the night? Tell me.
तम् अभ्युवाच मातङ्गः शृणु विष्णुगृहे मया यत् कृतं रजनीभागे यथातथ्यं वदामि ते
Mātaṅga replied to him: "Listen, I will tell you exactly what I did at Viṣṇu’s temple during the night."
विष्णोर् देवकुलस्याधः स्थितेनानम्रमूर्तिना प्रजागरः कृतो रात्रौ गायता विष्णुगीतिकाम्
"I kept vigil through the night, standing humbly beneath Viṣṇu’s temple, singing hymns to Viṣṇu."
तं ब्रह्मराक्षसः प्राह कियन्तं कालम् उच्यताम् प्रजागरो विष्णुगृहे कृतं भक्तिमता वद
The Brahmarākṣasa said to him: "Tell me, for how long did you keep vigil with devotion at Viṣṇu’s temple?"
तम् अभ्युवाच प्रहसन् विंशत्य् अब्दानि राक्षस एकादश्यां मासि मासि कृतस् तत्र प्रजागरः मातङ्गवचनं श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच ब्रह्मराक्षसः
He replied, smiling: "For twenty years, on every Ekādaśī, I kept vigil there." Hearing Mātaṅga’s words, the Brahmarākṣasa spoke.