दुर्गया तौ हतौ संख्ये नापराधो ममात्र वै । अवश्यम्भाविभावेषु प्रतीकारो न विद्यते
Both were slain in battle by Durga; I have no fault in this matter. In what must inevitably happen, there is no remedy.
न शोकोऽत्र त्वया कार्यो मृतपुत्रस्य मानिनि । स्वकर्मवशगो जीवो भुङ्क्ते भोगान्सुखासुखान्
No sorrow should be felt by you for your dead son, O proud lady; the soul, bound by its own actions, experiences pleasures and pains.
दासोऽस्मि तव भो मातर्यथा मम मनोरमा । तथा त्वमपि धर्मज्ञे न भेदोऽस्ति मनागपि
O mother, I am your servant, just as my mind delights in you; so too, O knower of dharma, there is not the slightest difference between us.
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम् । तस्मान्न शोचितव्यं ते सुखे दुःखे कदाचन
One must inevitably experience the results of one's actions, whether good or bad; therefore, you should never grieve in happiness or sorrow.
दुःखे दुःखाधिकान्पश्येत्सुखे पश्येत्सुखाधिकम् । आत्मानं शोकहर्षाभ्यां शत्रुभ्यामिव नार्पयेत्
In sorrow, one should see those who suffer more; in happiness, those who are happier. One should not surrender oneself to grief or joy, as one would not to enemies.
दैवाधीनमिदं सर्वं नात्माधीनं कदाचन । न शोकेन तदाऽऽत्मानं शोषयेन्मतिमान्नरः
All this is subject to fate, never to oneself; a wise person should not waste himself away with grief.
यथा दारुमयी योषा नटादीनां प्रचेष्टते । तथा स्वकर्मवशगो देही सर्वत्र वर्तते
Just as a wooden puppet moves at the will of actors, so the embodied soul acts everywhere according to its own karma.
अहं वनगतो मातर्नाभवं दुःखमानसः । चिन्तयन्स्वकृतं कर्म भोक्तव्यमिति वेद्मि च
Mother, when I went to the forest, I was not troubled by sorrow; reflecting on my own actions, I knew I must experience their results.
मृतो मातामहोऽत्रैव विधुरा जननी मम । भयातुरा गृहीत्वा मां निर्ययौ गहनं वनम्
My maternal grandfather died here, and my mother became widowed; fearful, she took me and departed into the dense forest.
लुण्ठिता तस्करैर्मार्गे वस्त्रहीना तथा कृता । पाथेयञ्च हृतं सर्वं बालपुत्रा निराश्रया
Robbers plundered us on the road, leaving us without clothing; all our provisions were taken, and my mother, with her young child, was left without shelter.
माता गृहीत्वा मां प्राप्ता भारद्वाजाश्रमं प्रति । विदल्लोऽयं समायातस्तथा धात्रेयिकाऽबला
My mother brought me to the hermitage of Bharadvaja; this weak nurse also arrived there.
मुनिभिर्मुनिपत्नीभिर्दयायुक्तैः समन्ततः । पोषिताः फलनीवारैर्वयं तत्र स्थितास्त्रयः
There, we three were cared for by compassionate sages and their wives, nourished with wild rice and fruits.
दुःखं नमे तदा ह्यासीत्सुखं नाद्य धनागमे । न वैरं न च मात्सर्यं मम चित्ते तु कर्हिचित्
At that time, I had sorrow, not happiness, nor do I have happiness now with the arrival of wealth; never has enmity or jealousy arisen in my mind.
नीवारभक्षणं श्रेष्ठं राजभोगात्परन्तपे । तदाशी नरकं याति न नीवाराशनः क्वचित्
Eating wild rice is better than royal fare, O Parantapa; one who desires such food goes to hell, but never one who eats wild rice.
धर्मस्याचरणं कार्यं पुरुषेण विजानता । सञ्जित्येन्द्रियवर्गं वै यथा न नरकं व्रजेत्
A wise person should practice righteousness, having subdued the senses, so that he does not go to hell.
मानुष्यं दुर्लभं मातः खण्डेऽस्मिन्भारते शुभे । आहारादि सुखं नूनं भवेत्सर्वासु योनिषु
Human birth is rare, mother, in this auspicious land of Bharata; surely, food and other pleasures are found in all other wombs.
प्राप्य तं मानुषं देहं कर्तव्यं धर्मसाधनम् । स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदं नॄणां दुर्लभं चान्ययोनिषु
Having attained this human body, one should pursue righteousness, which grants heaven and liberation to men, and is difficult to obtain in other births.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्ता सा तदा तेन लीलावत्यतिलज्जिता । पुत्रशोकं परित्यज्य तमाहाश्रुविलोचना
Vyasa said: Thus addressed by him, Lilavati, deeply ashamed, abandoned her grief for her son and, with tearful eyes, spoke to him.
सापराधाऽस्मि पुत्राहं कृता पित्रा युधाजिता । हत्या मातामहं तेऽत्र हृतं राज्यं तु येन वै
Son, I am at fault, for your father Yudhajit killed your maternal grandfather here, and took the kingdom.
न तं वारयितुं शक्ता तदाऽहं न सुतं मम । यत्कृतं कर्म तेनैव नापराधोऽस्ति मे सुत
At that time, I was unable to stop him, nor was he my son; whatever was done was by him alone, so I am not at fault, son.
तौ मृतौ स्वकृतेनैव कारणं त्वं तयोर्न च । नाहं शोचामि तं पुत्रं सदा शोचामि तत्कृतम्
Those two died by their own actions; you were not the cause of their deaths. I do not grieve for that son, but always grieve for what was done.
पुत्र त्वमसि कल्याण भगिनी मे मनोरमा । न क्रोधो न च शोको मे त्वयि पुत्र मनागपि
Son, you are auspicious, and my sister is Manorama; I have neither anger nor sorrow toward you, not even the slightest.
कुरु राज्यं महाभाग प्रजाः पालय सुव्रत । भगवत्याः प्रसादेन प्राप्तमेतदकण्टकम्
Rule the kingdom, O greatly fortunate one, protect the subjects, O virtuous one; by the grace of the Goddess, you have obtained this realm free from affliction.
तदाकर्ण्य वचो मातुर्नत्वा तां नृपनन्दनः । जगाम भवनं रम्यं यत्र पूर्वं मनोरमा
Hearing his mother's words, the prince bowed to her and went to his delightful palace, where he had previously resided.
न्यवसत्तत्र गत्वा तु सर्वानाहूय मन्त्रिणः । दैवज्ञानथ पप्रच्छ मुहूर्तं दिवसं शुभम्
Arriving there, he summoned all his ministers, then asked the astrologers about an auspicious moment and day.
सिंहासनं तथा हैमं कारयित्वा मनोहरम् । सिंहासने स्थितां देवीं पूजयिष्ये सदाऽप्यहम्
Having a splendid golden throne made, I will always worship the Goddess seated upon the throne.
स्थापयित्वाऽऽसने देवीं धर्मार्थकाममोक्षदाम् । राज्यं पश्चात्करिष्यामि यथा रामादिभिः कृतम्
Placing the Goddess upon the seat, who grants righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and liberation, I will then rule the kingdom as was done by Rama and others.
पूजनीया सदा देवी सर्वैर्नागरिकैर्जनैः । माननीया शिवा शक्तिः सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदा
The Goddess should always be worshipped by all the citizens; the auspicious Shakti is to be honored, as she grants fulfillment of all desires and aims.
इत्युक्ता मन्त्रिणस्ते तु चक्रुर्वै राजशासनम् । प्रासादं कारयामासुः शिल्पिभिः सुमनोरमम्
Thus instructed, the ministers enacted the royal decree and had a beautiful palace constructed by artisans.
प्रतिमां कारयित्वाऽथ मुहूर्तेऽथ शुभे दिने । द्विजानाहूय वेदज्ञान्स्थापयामास भूपतिः
Having a statue made, then on an auspicious day and moment, the king summoned the Brahmins learned in the Vedas and installed it.