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.
विष्ण्वंशसम्भवो व्यास इति पौराणिका जगुः । सोऽपि मोहार्णवे मग्नो भग्नपोतो वणिग्यथा
The Purāṇikas say Vyāsa was born from the line of Viṣṇu; yet even he, like a merchant whose boat is broken, is sunk in the ocean of delusion.
अश्रुपातं करोत्यद्य विवशः प्राकृतो यथा । अहो मायाबलं चैतद्दुस्त्यजं पण्डितैरपि
Today, helpless like an ordinary man, he sheds tears; ah, this power of Māyā is hard to abandon, even for the learned.
कोऽयं कोऽहं कथं चेह कीदृशोऽयं भ्रमः किल । पञ्चभूतात्मके देहे पितापुत्रेति वासना
Who is this? Who am I? How is this, and what is this confusion? In this body made of five elements, the notion of 'father' and 'son' arises.
बलिष्ठा खलु मायेयं मायिनामपि मोहिनी । ययाभिभूतः कृष्णोऽपि करोति रोदनं द्विजः
Truly, this Māyā is powerful, the deluder even of magicians; overpowered by her, even Kṛṣṇa, the twice-born, weeps.
सूत उवाच तां नत्वा मनसा देवीं सर्वकारणकारणाम् । जननीं सर्वदेवानां ब्रह्मादीनां तथेश्वरीम्
Sūta said: Bowing in mind to the Goddess, the cause of all causes, the mother of all the gods, including Brahmā and others, and their sovereign—
पितरं प्राह दीनं तं शोकार्णवपरिप्लुतम् । अरणीसम्भवो व्यासं हेतुमद्वचनं शुभम्
He spoke to his father Vyāsa, who was born from the fire-sticks, who was miserable and submerged in the ocean of grief, words full of reason and auspiciousness.
पाराशर्य महाभाग सर्वेषां बोधदः स्वयम् । किं शोकं कुरुषे स्वामिन्यथाज्ञः प्राकृतो नरः
O highly fortunate son of Parāśara, you are yourself the giver of understanding to all; why do you grieve, master, like an ordinary man ignorant of the truth?
अद्याहं तव पुत्रोऽस्मि न जाने पूर्वजन्मनि । कोऽहं कस्त्वं महाभाग विभ्रमोऽयं महात्मनि
Today I am your son, but I do not know who I was in a previous birth; who am I, and who are you, O blessed one? This is a confusion, O great soul.
कुरु धैर्यं प्रबुध्यस्व मा विषादे मनः कृथाः । मोहजालमिमं मत्वा मुञ्च शोकं महामते
Be steadfast, awaken, and do not let your mind fall into despair; recognizing this as a net of delusion, abandon sorrow, O wise one.
क्षुधानिवृत्तिर्भक्ष्येण न पुत्रदर्शनेन च । पिपासा जलपानेन याति नैवात्मजेक्षणात्
Hunger is appeased by food, not by seeing one's son; thirst is quenched by drinking water, not by beholding one's own child.