अपराधो मम ब्रह्मन्यन्निवारितवानहम् । तत्क्षन्तव्यं महाभाग विमुक्तानां क्षमा बलम्
'It is my fault, O Brahmin, that I stopped you. Forgive me, O fortunate one; forgiveness is the strength of those who are free.'
शुक उवाच किं तेऽत्र दूषणं क्षत्तः परतन्त्रोऽसि सर्वदा । प्रभुकार्यं प्रकर्तव्यं सेवकेन यथोचितम्
Śuka said: 'What fault is yours here, O gatekeeper? You are always under another's authority. A servant must properly carry out the master's command.'
न भूपदूषणं चात्र यदहं रक्षितस्त्वया । चोरशत्रुपरिज्ञानं कर्तव्यं सर्वथा बुधैः
There is no fault of the king here, for I was protected by you; the wise must always be vigilant regarding thieves and enemies.
ममैव सर्वथा दोषो यदहं समुपागतः । गमनं परगेहे यल्लघुतायाश्च कारणम्
The fault is entirely mine for having come here; it is my own doing that I entered another's house, and this is the cause of my disgrace.
प्रतीहार उवाच किं सुखं द्विज किं दुःखं किं कार्यं शुभमिच्छता । कः शत्रुर्हितकर्ता को ब्रूहि सर्वं ममाद्य वै
The doorkeeper said: O twice-born, what is happiness, what is sorrow, what should one do who desires good? Who is an enemy, who is a benefactor? Tell me all of this today.
शुक उवाच द्वैविध्यं सर्वलोकेषु सर्वत्र द्विविधो जनः । रागी चैव विरागी च तयोश्चित्तं द्विधा पुनः
Śuka said: In all the worlds there is duality; everywhere people are of two kinds: those with attachment and those without; and their minds are likewise divided in two.
विरागी त्रिविधः कामं ज्ञातोऽज्ञातश्च मध्यमः । रागी च द्विविधः प्रोक्तो मूर्खश्च चतुरस्तथा
The detached are of three kinds: those who know, those who do not know, and those who are intermediate; the attached are said to be of two kinds: the foolish and the clever.
चातुर्यं द्विविधं प्रोक्तं शास्त्रजं मतिजं तथा । मतिस्तु द्विविधा लोके युक्तायुक्तेति सर्वथा
Cleverness is said to be of two kinds: that which comes from scripture and that which arises from intellect; and intellect, in all the world, is of two kinds: proper and improper.
प्रतीहार उवाच यदुक्तं भवता विद्वन्नार्थज्ञोऽहं द्विजोत्तम । तत्सर्वं विस्तरेणाद्य यथार्थं वद सत्तम
The doorkeeper said: O learned one, as you have spoken, I do not understand the meaning; O best of the twice-born, explain all this to me in detail, as it truly is.
शुक उवाच रागो यस्यास्ति संसारे स रागीत्युच्यते ध्रुवम् । दुःखं बहुविधं तस्य सुखं च विविधं पुनः
Śuka said: He who has attachment in this world is certainly called 'attached'; for him there is manifold suffering and, again, various kinds of happiness.
धनं प्राप्य सुतान्दारान्मानं च विजयं तथा । तदप्राप्य महद्दुःखं भवत्येव क्षणे क्षणे
On obtaining wealth, sons, wives, honor, and victory, and on failing to obtain them, great sorrow arises for him at every moment.
कार्यस्तस्य सुखोपायः कर्तव्यं सुखसाधनम् । तस्यारातिः स विज्ञेयः सुखविघ्नं करोति यः
His duty is to seek the means of happiness and to perform actions that bring happiness; his enemy is to be known as the one who causes obstacles to his happiness.
सुखोत्पादयिता मित्रं रागयुक्तस्य सर्वदा । चतुरो नैव मुह्येत मूर्खः सर्वत्र मुह्यति
For one filled with attachment, a friend is always the one who brings happiness; the clever never become deluded, but the foolish are deluded everywhere.
विरक्तस्यात्मरक्तस्य सुखमेकान्तसेवनम् । आत्मानुचिन्तनं चैव वेदान्तस्य च चिन्तनम्
For one who is detached and devoted to the Self, happiness lies in solitary practice, in contemplation of the Self, and in reflection on the Vedānta.
दुःखं तदेतत्सर्वं हि संसारकथनादिकम् । शत्रवो बहवस्तस्य विज्ञस्य शुभमिच्छतः
All this—worldly talk and the like—is suffering for him; many are the enemies of the wise one who desires good.
कामः क्रोधः प्रमादश्च शत्रवो विविधाः स्मृताः । बन्धुः सन्तोष एवास्य नान्योऽस्ति भुवनत्रये
Desire, anger, and heedlessness are considered his various enemies; his only friend in the three worlds is contentment—there is no other.
सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य मत्वा तं ज्ञानिनं द्विजम् । क्षत्ता प्रवेशयामास कक्षां चातिमनोरमाम्
The Sūta said: Hearing these words and recognizing that twice-born as a knower, the doorkeeper allowed him to enter a most delightful inner chamber.
नगरं वीक्षमाणः संस्त्रैविध्यजनसङ्कुलम् । नानाविपणिद्रव्याढ्यं क्रयविक्रयकारकम्
Observing the city, crowded with people of three kinds, filled with various market goods, and bustling with buying and selling,
रागद्वेषयुतं कामलोभमोहाकुलं तथा । विवदत्सुजनाकीर्णं वसुपूर्णं महत्तरम्
Full of attachment and aversion, overwhelmed by desire, greed, and delusion, noisy with disputes yet filled with good people, and abundant in wealth, it was truly great.
पश्यन्स त्रिविधाँल्लोकान्प्रासरद्राजमन्दिरम् । प्राप्तः परमतेजस्वी द्वितीय इव भास्करः
Beholding the threefold kinds of people, he proceeded to the royal palace; possessed of supreme brilliance, he appeared like a second sun.
निवारितश्च तत्रैव प्रतीहारेण काष्ठवत् । तत्रैव च स्थितो द्वारि मोक्षमेवानुचिन्तयन्
He was stopped there by the doorkeeper, remaining motionless like a log, standing at the door contemplating liberation.
छायायामातपे चैव समदर्शी महातपाः । ध्यानं कृत्वा तथैकान्ते स्थितः स्थाणुरिवाचलः
In shade and sunlight alike, the great ascetic, seeing both as equal, stood alone in meditation, unmoving like a pillar.
तं मुहूर्तादुपागत्य राज्ञोऽमात्यः कृताञ्जलिः । प्रावेशयत्ततः कक्षां द्वितीयां राजवेश्मनः
After a moment, the king’s minister approached him, palms joined in reverence, and led him into the second chamber of the royal palace.
तत्र दिव्यं मनोरम्यं पुष्पितं दिव्यपादपम् । तद्वनं दर्शयित्वा तु कृत्वा चातिथिसत्क्रियाम्
There, showing him a divine, delightful garden with blossoming celestial trees, he performed the proper hospitality for a guest.
वारमुख्याः स्त्रियस्तत्र राजसेवापरायणाः । गीतवादित्रकुशलाः कामशास्त्रविशारदाः
There, the chief women, devoted to royal service, skilled in singing and playing instruments, and experts in the arts of love, were present.
ता आदिश्य च सेवार्थं शुकस्य मन्त्रिसत्तमः । निर्गतः सदनात्तस्माद्व्यासपुत्रः स्थितस्तदा
The foremost minister instructed those women to serve Śuka, then departed from the chamber, leaving Vyāsa’s son standing there.
पूजितः परया भक्त्या ताभिः स्त्रीभिर्यथाविधि । देशकालोपपन्नेन नानान्नेनातितोषितः
He was worshipped by those women with utmost devotion, according to proper custom, and delighted with various foods suited to the place and time.
ततोऽन्तःपुरवासिन्यस्तस्यान्तःपुरकाननम् । रम्यं संदर्शयामासुरङ्गनाः काममोहिताः
Then, the palace women, enchanted by desire, showed him the beautiful inner garden of the palace.
स युवा रूपवान्कान्तो मृदुभाषी मनोरमः । दृष्ट्वा ता मुमुहुः सर्वास्तं च काममिवापरम्
He, young, handsome, charming, gentle in speech and delightful, upon being seen by them, caused all to faint, as if he were another god of love.
जितेन्द्रियं मुनिं मत्त्वा सर्वाः पर्यचरंस्तदा । आरणेयस्तु शुद्धात्मा मातृभावमकल्पयत्
Recognizing him as a sage who had conquered his senses, all served him; but the pure-hearted forest-dweller regarded them with the feeling of a mother.