एवं चिन्तयमानो ऽसौ गौतमः प्रहसन्न् इव मणिकुण्डलम् आहेदम् अधर्माद् एव जन्तवः
Thus reflecting, Gautama, as if laughing, with jeweled earrings, spoke these words: 'Indeed, by unrighteousness, creatures thrive.'
वृद्धिं सुखम् अभीष्टानि प्राप्नुवन्ति न संशयः धर्मिष्ठाः प्राणिनो लोके दृश्यन्ते दुःखभागिनः
They attain growth, happiness, and desired things—there is no doubt; yet, in this world, the righteous are seen to partake of suffering.
तस्माद् धर्मेण किं तेन दुःखैकफलहेतुना
Therefore, what use is righteousness, whose only result is suffering?
नेत्य् उवाच ततो वैश्यः सुखं धर्मे प्रतिष्ठितम् पापे दुःखं भयं शोको दारिद्र्यं क्लेश एव च यतो धर्मस् ततो मुक्तिः स्वधर्मः किं विनश्यति
Then the merchant replied, 'No, happiness is established in righteousness; in sin there is suffering, fear, grief, poverty, and distress. Where there is righteousness, there is liberation; how can one's own duty perish?'
एवं विवदतोस् तत्र संपरायस् तयोर् अभूत् यस्य पक्षो भवेज् ज्यायान् स परार्थम् अवाप्नुयात्
Thus, as they argued there, a dispute arose between the two; whoever's side would prove stronger would gain the other's wealth.
पृच्छावः कस्य प्राबल्यं धर्मिणो वाप्य् अधर्मिणः वेदात् तु लौकिकं ज्येष्ठं लोके धर्मात् सुखं भवेत्
Let us ask whose strength is greater, the righteous or the unrighteous; in the world, the Veda is supreme, and from righteousness comes happiness.
एवं विवदमानौ ताव् ऊचतुः सकलाञ् जनान् धर्मस्य वाप्य् अधर्मस्य प्राबल्यम् अनयोर् भुवि
Thus disputing, the two addressed all the people: 'On earth, whose power is greater, that of righteousness or unrighteousness?'
तद् वदन्तु यथावृत्तम् एवम् ऊचतुर् ओजसा एवं तत्रोचिरे केचिद् ये धर्मेणानुवर्तिनः
Let them speak as it truly happened—so they said with force; then, those who followed righteousness replied there.
तैर् दुःखम् अनुभूयते पापिष्ठाः सुखिनो जनाः संपराये धनं सर्वं जितं विप्रे न्यवेदयत्
By them, suffering is experienced; the most sinful people are happy. In the dispute, all the wealth was declared won by the brahmin.
मणिमान् धर्मविच्छ्रेष्ठः पुनर् धर्मं प्रशंसति मणिमन्तं द्विजः प्राह किं धर्मम् अनुशंससि तथेति चेत्य् आह वैश्यो ब्राह्मणः पुनर् अब्रवीत्
Maṇimān, foremost in knowledge of righteousness, again praised dharma; the brahmin addressed Maṇimān, 'Why do you praise righteousness?' The merchant said, 'So be it,' and the brahmin spoke again.
जितं मया धनं वैश्य निर्लज्जः किं नु भाषसे मयैव विजितो धर्मो यथेष्टचरणात्मना
'I have won the wealth, O merchant; why do you shamelessly speak? By me alone, righteousness has been conquered, as I have acted as I wished.'
तद् ब्राह्मणवचः श्रुत्वा वैश्यः सस्मित ऊचिवान्
Hearing the words of the brahmin, the merchant, smiling, replied.
पुलाका इव धान्येषु पुत्तिका इव पक्षिषु तथैव तान् सखे मन्ये येषां धर्मो न विद्यते
Just as husks are found among grains, and mites among birds, so too, my friend, do I regard those who are without righteousness.
चतुर्णां पुरुषार्थानां धर्मः प्रथम उच्यते पश्चाद् अर्थश् च कामश् च स धर्मो मयि तिष्ठति कथं ब्रूषे द्विजश्रेष्ठ मया विजितम् इत्य् अदः
Of the four aims of human life, righteousness is said to be the first; only afterwards come wealth and desire. How can you say, O best of twice-born, that I have conquered, when righteousness abides with me?
द्विजो वैश्यं पुनः प्राह हस्ताभ्यां जायतां पणः तथेति मन्यते वैश्यस् तौ गत्वा पुनर् ऊचतुः
The Brahmin then said to the merchant, 'Let the wager be settled by our hands.' The merchant agreed, and both went forth and spoke again.
पूर्ववल् लौकिकान् गत्वा जितम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् द्विजः करौ छित्त्वा ततः प्राह कथं धर्मं तु मन्यसे आक्षिप्तो ब्राह्मणेनैवं वैश्यो वचनम् अब्रवीत्
Having gone as before to the worldly people, the Brahmin declared, 'I have won,' and, cutting off his hands, he then asked, 'How do you regard righteousness?' Thus challenged by the Brahmin, the merchant spoke these words.
धर्मम् एव परं मन्ये प्राणैः कण्ठगतैर् अपि माता पिता सुहृद् बन्धुर् धर्म एव शरीरिणाम्
I consider righteousness to be supreme, even when life itself is at the throat. For mother, father, friend, and kin—righteousness alone is the true companion of embodied beings.
एवं विवदमानौ ताव् अर्थवान् ब्राह्मणो ऽभवत् विमुक्तो वैश्यकस् तत्र बाहुभ्यां च धनेन च
Thus, as they disputed, the Brahmin became wealthy, while the merchant was left destitute, having lost both his arms and his wealth.
एवं भ्रमन्तौ संप्राप्तौ गङ्गां योगेश्वरं हरिम् यदृच्छया मुनिश्रेष्ठ मिथस् ताव् ऊचतुः पुनः
Wandering thus, they came to the Ganges, to the Lord of Yoga, Hari. By chance, O best of sages, the two again spoke to each other.
वैश्यो गङ्गां तु योगेशं धर्मम् एव प्रशंसति अतिकोपाद् द्विजो वैश्यम् आक्षिपन् पुनर् अब्रवीत्
The merchant praised only righteousness before the Ganges and the Lord of Yoga, while the Brahmin, in great anger, reproached the merchant and spoke again.
गतं धनं करौ छिन्नाव् अवशिष्टो शुभिर् भवान् त्वम् अन्यथा यदि ब्रूष आहरिष्ये ऽसिना शिरः
Your wealth is gone, your hands are severed, and you remain only with your virtues. If you say otherwise, I will cut off your head with my sword.
विहस्य पुनर् आहेदं वैश्यो गौतमम् अञ्जसा
The merchant laughed and then spoke plainly to Gautama.
धर्मम् एव परं मन्ये यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ब्राह्मणांश् च गुरून् देवान् वेदान् धर्मं जनार्दनम्
I consider righteousness to be supreme; do as you wish. The Brahmins, teachers, gods, Vedas, righteousness, and Janardana—all these I revere.
यस् तु निन्दयते पापो नासौ स्पृश्यो ऽथ पापकृत् उपेक्षणीयो दुर्वृत्तः पापात्मा धर्मदूषकः
But he who reviles them is sinful; such a wrongdoer should not be touched. The wicked, the evil-minded, the corrupter of righteousness—he is to be shunned.
ततः प्राह स कोपेन धर्मं यद्य् अनुशंससि आवयोः प्राणयोर् अत्र पणः स्याद् इति वै मुने
Then, in anger, he said, 'If you praise righteousness, let the wager between us be for our very lives, O sage.'
एवम् उक्ते गौतमेन तथेत्य् आह वणिक् तदा पुनर् अप्य् ऊचतुर् उभौ लोकांल् लोकास् तथोचिरे
When Gautama said this, the merchant replied, 'So be it.' Again, both spoke to the people, and the people responded accordingly.
योगेश्वरस्य पुरतो गौतम्या दक्षिणे तटे तं निपात्य विशं विप्रश् चक्षुर् उत्पाट्य चाब्रवीत्
Before the Lord of Yoga, on the southern bank of the Ganges, Gautama struck him down; the Brahmin gouged out his eye and spoke.
गतो ऽसीमां दशां वैश्य नित्यं धर्मप्रशंसया गतं धनं गतं चक्षुश् छेदितौ करपल्लवौ पृष्टो ऽसि मित्र गच्छामि मैवं ब्रूयाः कथान्तरे
O merchant, by your constant praise of righteousness you have reached this state: your wealth is gone, your eye is lost, your tender hands are severed. You have been questioned, friend; I am leaving. Do not speak thus in another tale.
तस्मिन् प्रयाते वैश्यो ऽसौ चिन्तयाम् आस चेतसि हा कष्टं मे किम् अभवद् धर्मैकमनसो हरे
When he had departed, the merchant pondered in his mind, 'Alas, what misery has befallen me, O Hari, who am devoted solely to righteousness?'
स कुण्डलो वणिक्श्रेष्ठो निर्धनो गतबाहुकः गतनेत्रः शुचं प्राप्तो धर्मम् एवानुसंस्मरन्
That merchant chief, now poor, armless, and blind, was overcome with grief, yet continued to remember only righteousness.