याज्ञवल्क्यश् च विप्रेन्द्रस् तस्य राज्ञः पुरोहितः तम् अपृच्छन् नृपश्रेष्ठो याज्ञवल्क्यं पुरोहितम्
Yājñavalkya, foremost among Brahmins, was the priest of that king. The best of kings questioned Yājñavalkya, his priest.
भुक्तिमुक्ती उभे श्रेष्ठे निर्णीते मुनिसत्तमैः दासीदासेभतुरगरथाद्यैर् भुक्तिर् उत्तमा
Enjoyment and liberation—both are considered supreme by the best of sages; enjoyment is superior when accompanied by servants, maidservants, elephants, horses, and chariots.
किंत्व् अन्तविरसा भुक्तिर् मुक्तिर् एका निरत्यया भुक्तेर् मुक्तिः श्रेष्ठतमा भुक्त्या मुक्तिं कथं व्रजेत्
However, enjoyment is fleeting and ends in dissatisfaction, while liberation alone is unsurpassed; liberation is the highest, surpassing enjoyment. How does one attain liberation through enjoyment?
सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागान् मुक्तिप्राप्तिः सुदुःखतः तद् ब्रूहि द्विजशार्दूल सुखान् मुक्तिः कथं भवेत्
By complete renunciation of all attachments, liberation is attained, though with great difficulty. Tell me, O best of Brahmins, how can liberation be attained with ease?
अपांपतिस् तव गुरुः श्वशुरः प्रियकृत् तथा तं गत्वा पृच्छ नृपते उपदेक्ष्यति ते हितम्
The lord of waters is your teacher and father-in-law, and well-disposed towards you. Go to him, O king; he will instruct you for your benefit.
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च जनको राजानं वरुणं तदा गत्वा चोचतुर् अव्यग्रौ मुक्तिमार्गं यथाक्रमम्
Then Yājñavalkya and King Janaka went to Varuṇa and, without agitation, asked him in due order about the path to liberation.
द्विधा तु संस्थिता मुक्तिः कर्मद्वारे ऽप्य् अकर्मणि वेदे च निश्चितो मार्गः कर्म ज्यायो ह्य् अकर्मणः
Liberation is established in two ways: through action and through non-action; the path is determined in the Veda, and action is indeed superior to non-action.
सर्वं च कर्मणा बद्धं पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् अकर्मणैवाप्यत इति मुक्तिमार्गो मृषोच्यते
All the four aims of human life are bound by action; thus, the path of liberation is said to arise even from non-action.
कर्मणा सर्वधान्यानि सेत्स्यन्ति नृपसत्तम तस्मात् सर्वात्मना कर्म कर्तव्यं वैदिकं नृभिः
By action, all attainments are accomplished, O best of kings; therefore, Vedic action must be performed by men with all their being.
तेन भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्राप्नुवन्तीह मानवाः अकर्मणः कर्म पुण्यं कर्म चाप्य् आश्रमेषु च
Through that, people obtain both enjoyment and liberation here; the merit of action and even non-action is found in the stages of life.
जात्याश्रितं च राजेन्द्र तत्रापि शृणु धर्मवित् आश्रमाणि च चत्वारि कर्मद्वाराणि मानद
O king, listen also to what pertains to birth; O knower of dharma, there are four stages of life, and action is their gateway, O bestower of honor.
चतुर्णाम् आश्रमाणां च गार्हस्थ्यं पुण्यदं स्मृतम् तस्माद् भुक्तिश् च मुक्तिश् च भवतीति मतिर् मम
Of the four stages of life, the householder stage is considered the most meritorious; therefore, both enjoyment and liberation arise from it—this is my view.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा तु जनको याज्ञवल्क्यश् च बुद्धिमान् वरुणं पूजयित्वा तु पुनर् वचनम् ऊचतुः
Hearing this, Janaka and the wise Yājñavalkya, after worshipping Varuṇa, again spoke these words.
को देशः किं च तीर्थं स्याद् भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् तद् वदस्व सुरश्रेष्ठ सर्वज्ञो ऽसि नमो ऽस्तु ते
What is the place, and what is the sacred site that grants enjoyment and liberation? Tell us that, O best of gods; you are all-knowing—our salutations to you.
पृथिव्यां भारतं वर्षं दण्डकं तत्र पुण्यदम् तस्मिन् क्षेत्रे कृतं कर्म भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणाम्
On earth, Bhārata is the land, and Daṇḍaka therein is holy; in that field, actions performed grant enjoyment and liberation to people.
तीर्थानां गौतमी गङ्गा श्रेष्ठा मुक्तिप्रदा नृणाम् तत्र यज्ञेन दानेन भोगान् मुक्तिम् अवाप्स्यति
Among sacred waters, the Gautamī Gaṅgā is supreme, granting liberation to people; there, by sacrifice and charity, one attains both enjoyment and liberation.
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च जनको वाचं श्रुत्वा ह्य् अपांपतेः वरुणेन ह्य् अनुज्ञातौ स्वपुरीं जग्मतुस् तदा
Yājñavalkya and Janaka, having heard the words of Varuṇa, were permitted by him and then returned to their own city.
अश्वमेधादिकं कर्म चकार जनको नृपः याजयाम् आस विप्रेन्द्रो याज्ञवल्क्यश् च तं नृपम्
King Janaka performed sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha; the illustrious brāhmaṇa Yājñavalkya officiated for that king.
गङ्गातीरं समाश्रित्य यज्ञान् मुक्तिम् अवाप राट् तथा जनकराजानो बहवस् तत्र कर्मणा
Dwelling on the bank of the Gaṅgā, the king attained liberation through sacrifices; likewise, many kings named Janaka attained it there through action.
मुक्तिं प्रापुर् महाभागा गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं जनस्थानेति विश्रुतम्
The greatly fortunate attained liberation by the grace of the Gautamī; from then on, that sacred place became known as Janasthāna.
जनकानां यज्ञसदो जनस्थानं प्रकीर्तितम् चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं स्मरणात् सर्वपापनुत्
The sacrificial hall of the Janakas is called Janasthāna, extending four yojanas; by merely remembering it, all sins are destroyed.
तत्र स्नानेन दानेन पितॄणां तर्पणेन तु तीर्थस्य स्मरणाद् वापि गमनाद् भक्तिसेवनात्
There, by bathing, giving gifts, offering oblations to ancestors, by remembering the sacred place, by going there, or by devoted service,
सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नोति मुक्तिं च समवाप्नुयात्
One attains all desires and also obtains liberation.
अरुणा वरुणा चैव नद्यौ पुण्यतरे शुभे तयोश् च संगमः पुण्यो गङ्गायां मुनिसत्तम
The rivers Aruṇā and Varuṇā are most holy and auspicious; their confluence in the Gaṅgā, O best of sages, is supremely sacred.
तदुत्पत्तिं शृणुष्वेह सर्वपापविनाशिनीम् कश्यपस्य सुतो ज्येष्ठ आदित्यो लोकविश्रुतः
Now listen here to the origin of that which destroys all sins: the eldest son of Kashyapa, the Sun, renowned throughout the worlds.
त्रैलोक्यचक्षुस् तीक्ष्णांशुः सप्ताश्वो लोकपूजितः तस्य पत्नी उषा ख्याता त्वाष्ट्री त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी
He is the eye of the three worlds, sharp-rayed, drawn by seven horses, honored by all; his wife is famed as Ushā, daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, the most beautiful in the three worlds.
भर्तुः प्रतापतीव्रत्वम् असहन्ती सुमध्यमा चिन्तयाम् आस किं कृत्यं मम स्याद् इति भामिनी
Unable to endure the intense heat of her husband, that slender-waisted, radiant lady pondered, 'What should I do?'
तस्याः पुत्रौ महाराज्ञौ मनुर् वैवस्वतो यमः यमुना च नदी पुण्या शृणु विस्मयकारणम्
Her sons are the great kings Manu Vaivasvata and Yama; and the holy river Yamunā—now hear the cause for wonder.
साकरोद् आत्मनश् छायाम् आत्मरूपेण यत्नतः ताम् अब्रवीत् ततश् चोषा त्वं च मत्सदृशी भव
She carefully created her own shadow, in her own form; then Ushā said to her, 'Become like me.'
भर्तारं त्वम् अपत्यानि पालयस्व ममाज्ञया यावद् आगमनं मे स्यात् पत्युस् तावत् प्रिया भव
'By my command, care for my husband and children; until I return, be a beloved wife to my husband.'