तस्मात्त्वमपि कल्याण कुरु मे वचनं हितम् । कुलजां कन्यकां वृत्वा वेदमार्गं समाश्रय
Therefore, you too, O auspicious one, follow my beneficial advice: take a maiden of good family as your wife and adhere to the path of the Vedas.
शुकवैराग्यवर्णनम् नाहं गृहं करिष्यामि दुःखदं सर्वदा पितः । वागुरासदृशं नित्यं बन्धनं सर्वदेहिनाम्
I will not establish a household, Father, for it always brings sorrow; it is like a snare, perpetually binding all embodied beings.
धनचिन्तातुराणां हि क्व सुखं तात दृश्यते । स्वजनैः खलु पीड्यन्ते निर्धना लोलुपा जनाः
Where, Father, is happiness to be found among those troubled by anxiety for wealth? The greedy torment the poor, and even one's own people cause suffering.
इन्द्रोऽपि न सुखी तादृग्यादृशो भिक्षुनिःस्पृहः । कोऽन्यः स्यादिह संसारे त्रिलोकीविभवे सति
Even Indra is not happy, nor is such a one as the detached mendicant; who else in this world, possessing the riches of the three realms, could be so?
तपन्तं तापसं दृष्ट्वा मघवा दुःखितोऽभवत् । विघ्नान्बहुविधानस्य करोति च दिवस्पतिः
Seeing the ascetic suffering, Maghavan became distressed; the lord of heaven creates many obstacles for him.
ब्रह्मापि न सुखी विष्णुर्लक्ष्मीं प्राप्य मनोरमाम् । खेदं प्राप्नोति सततं संग्रामैरसुरैः सह
Even Brahma is not happy, nor is Vishnu, though he has obtained delightful Lakshmi; he constantly experiences distress in battles with the demons.
करोति विपुलान्यत्नांस्तपश्चरति दुश्चरम् । रमापतिरपि श्रीमान्कस्यास्ति विपुलं सुखम्
Even the prosperous Lord of Lakshmi undertakes great efforts and performs arduous austerities; for whom, then, is abundant happiness found?
शङ्करोऽपि सदा दुःखी भवत्येव च वेद्म्यहम् । तपश्चर्यां प्रकुर्वाणो दैत्ययुद्धकरः सदा
Even Shankara is always unhappy, this I know; he continually practices austerity and wages war against the demons.
कदाचिन्न सुखी शेते धनवानपि लोलुपः । निर्धनस्तु कथं तात सुखं प्राप्नोति मानवः
The wealthy, though greedy, never sleep happily; how then, Father, can the poor man ever attain happiness?
जानन्नपि महाभाग पुत्रं वा वीर्यसम्भवम् । नियोक्ष्यसि महाघोरे संसारे दुःखदे सदा
Even knowing, O fortunate one, that a son is born of one's own strength, you will consign him to this dreadful world, which always brings sorrow.
जन्मदुःखं जरादुःखं दुःखं च मरणे तथा । गर्भवासे पुनर्दुःखं विष्ठामूत्रमये पितः
Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, and death too is suffering; dwelling in the womb, Father, is again suffering, surrounded by filth and urine.
तस्मादतिशयं दुःखं तृष्णालोभसमुद्भवम् । याञ्चायां परमं दुःखं मरणादपि मानद
Therefore, the suffering arising from craving and greed is exceedingly great; in begging, the highest suffering is found, worse even than death, O Father.
प्रतिग्रहधना विप्रा न बुद्धिबलजीवनाः । पराशा परमं दुःखं मरणं च दिने दिने
Brahmins who live by accepting gifts do not live by the strength of wisdom; dependence is the greatest suffering, and death comes day by day.
पठित्वा सकलान् वेदाञ्छास्त्राणि च समन्ततः । गत्वा च धनिनां कार्या स्तुतिः सर्वात्मना बुधैः
Having studied all the Vedas and scriptures thoroughly, the wise must go to the wealthy and praise them wholeheartedly for their needs.
एकोदरस्य का चिन्ता पत्रमूलफलादिभिः । येनकेनाप्युपायेन सन्तुष्ट्या च प्रपूर्यते
What worry is there for one stomach, which can be satisfied by leaves, roots, fruits, or whatever means, with contentment?
भार्या पुत्रास्तथा पौत्राः कुटुम्बे विपुले सति । पूरणार्थं महद्दुःखं क्व सुखं पितरद्भुतम्
When there is a large family with wife, sons, and grandsons, great suffering arises for their provision; where, O Father, is the wonderful happiness?
योगशास्त्रं वद मम ज्ञानशास्त्रं सुखाकरम् । कर्मकाण्डेऽखिले तात न रमेऽहं कदाचन
Teach me the science of yoga and the knowledge that brings happiness; Father, I never delight in the entirety of ritualistic action.
वद कर्मक्षयोपायं प्रारब्धं सञ्चितं तथा । वर्तमानं यथा नश्येत् त्रिविधं कर्ममूलजम्
Tell me the method for the destruction of karma—prarabdha, accumulated, and present—so that the threefold root of karma may be dissolved.
जलूकेव सदा नारी रुधिरं पिबतीति वै । मूर्खस्तु न विजानाति मोहितो भावचेष्टितैः
Just as a leech always drinks blood, so too does a woman; but the fool, deluded by emotional attachments, does not understand this.
भोगैर्वीर्यं धनं पूर्णं मनः कुटिलभाषणैः । कान्ता हरति सर्वस्वं कः स्तेनस्तादृशोऽपरः
Through pleasures, strength, wealth, a mind full of crooked words—one’s beloved takes away everything; what other thief is like this?
निद्रासुखविनाशार्थं मूर्खस्तु दारसंग्रहम् । करोति वञ्चितो धात्रा दुःखाय न सुखाय च
For the sake of destroying the happiness of sleep, the fool gathers wives; deceived by fate, he acts for sorrow, not for happiness.
सूत उवाच एवंविधानि वाक्यानि श्रुत्वा व्यासः शुकस्य च । सम्प्राप महतीं चिन्तां किं करोमीत्यसंशयम्
Sūta said: Hearing such words from both Vyāsa and Śuka, Vyāsa was seized by deep anxiety, uncertain about what he should do.
तस्य सुस्रुवुरश्रूणि लोचनादुःखजानि च । वेपथुश्च शरीरेऽभूद्ग्लानिं प्राप मनस्तथा
Tears born of sorrow flowed from his eyes, his body trembled, and his mind became weary.
शोचन्तं पितरं दृष्ट्वा दीनं शोकपरिप्लुतम् । उवाच पितरं व्यासं विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः
Seeing his father distressed, overwhelmed by grief and dejection, Śuka, his eyes wide with wonder, spoke to Vyāsa.
अहो मायाबलं चोग्रं यन्मोहयति पण्डितम् । वेदान्तस्य च कर्तारं सर्वज्ञं वेदसम्मितम्
Ah, how fierce is the power of Māyā, which bewilders even the wise, the author of Vedānta, the all-knowing, the knower of the Vedas!
न जाने का च सा माया किंस्वित्सातीव दुष्करा । या मोहयति विद्वांसं व्यासं सत्यवतीसुतम्
I do not know what this Māyā is, nor how exceedingly difficult she is, that she bewilders even the learned Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī.
पुराणानां च वक्ता च निर्माता भारतस्य च । विभागकर्ता वेदानां सोऽपि मोहमुपागतः
He who is the speaker of the Purāṇas, the composer of the Bhārata, the arranger of the Vedas—even he has fallen into delusion.
तां यामि शरणं देवीं या मोहयति वै जगत् । ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादींश्च कथान्येषां च कीदृशी
I seek refuge in that Goddess who bewilders the world, and even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others—what then of ordinary beings?
कोऽप्यस्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु यो न मुह्यति मायया । यन्मोहं गमिताः पूर्वे ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः
Is there anyone in the three worlds who is not deluded by Māyā, by whose power even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others were once bewildered?
अहो बलमहो वीर्यं देव्या खलु विनिर्मितम् । माययैव वशं नीतः सर्वज्ञ ईश्वरः प्रभुः
Ah, what strength, what power has been created by the Goddess! Even the all-knowing, the Lord, has been subdued by Māyā alone.