सत्ययुक्ता भवन्त्यत्र वीतरागा गतस्पृहाः । दृष्टान्तदर्शनार्थाय निर्मितास्ते च तादृशाः
They are endowed with truth, free from passion and desire; they were created for the purpose of providing examples.
अन्यत्सर्वं शबलितं गुणैरेभिस्त्रिभिनृप । नैकं वाक्यं पुराणेषु वेदेषु नृपसत्तम
All else, O King, is colored by these three qualities; there is not a single statement in the Purāṇas or Vedas, O best of kings.
धर्मशास्त्रेषु चाङ्गेषु सगुणै रचितेष्विह । सगुणः सगुणं कुर्यान्निर्गुणो न करोति वै
In the texts of righteousness and its branches, composed with qualities, the one with qualities acts upon another with qualities, but the one without qualities does not act.
गुणास्ते मिश्रिताः सर्वे न पृथग्भावसङ्गताः । निर्व्यलीके स्थिरे धर्मे मतिः कस्यापि न स्थिरा
All these qualities are mixed together, not united in distinct forms; in unwavering, pure righteousness, no one's mind remains firm.
भवोद्भवे महाराज मायया मोहितस्य वै । इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि तदासक्तं मनस्तथा
O King, at the arising of existence, when one is deluded by Māyā, the senses become turbulent, and the mind becomes attached to them.
करोति विविधान्भावान्गुणैस्तैः प्रेरितो भृशम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्ताः प्राणिनः स्थिरजङ्गमाः
Driven intensely by those qualities, it produces various states; all beings, from Brahmā down to a blade of grass, both moving and unmoving.
सर्वे मायावशा राजन् सानुक्रीडति तैरिह । सर्वान्वै मोहयत्येषा विकुर्वत्यनिशं जगत्
All, O King, are under the sway of Māyā and play with those qualities here; she indeed deludes all and constantly transforms the world.
असत्यो जायते राजन्कार्यवान्प्रथमं नरः । इन्द्रियार्थांश्चिन्तयानो न प्राप्नोति यदा नरः
A man, O King, becomes untruthful at first, intent on action, when he contemplates the objects of the senses but does not obtain them.
तदर्थं छलमादत्ते छलात्पापे प्रवर्तते । कामः क्रोधश्च लोभश्च वैरिणो बलवत्तराः
For that purpose, he resorts to deceit, and from deceit he engages in sin; desire, anger, and greed—these powerful enemies arise.
कृताकृतं न जानन्ति प्राणिनस्तद्वशं गताः । विभवे सत्यहङ्कारः प्रबलः प्रभवत्यपि
Beings under their control do not discern what is right or wrong; when prosperity comes, pride becomes strong and prevails.
अहङ्काराद्भवेन्मोहो मोहान्मरणमेव च । सङ्कल्पा बहवस्तत्र विकल्पाः प्रभवन्ति च
From pride arises delusion, and from delusion, indeed, comes death; there, many intentions and doubts arise.
ईर्ष्यासूया तथा द्वेषः प्रादुर्भवति चेतसि । आशा तृष्णा तथा दैन्यं दम्भोऽधर्ममतिस्तथा
Envy, jealousy, and hatred manifest in the mind; hope, thirst, dejection, hypocrisy, and unrighteous thinking as well.
प्राणिनां प्रभवन्त्येते भावा मोहसमुद्भवाः । यज्ञदानानि तीर्थानि व्रतानि नियमास्तथा
These states, born of delusion, arise in beings; sacrifices, gifts, pilgrimages, vows, and disciplines—
अहङ्काराभिभूतस्तु करोति पुरुषोऽन्वहम् । अहंभावकृतं सर्वं प्रभवेद्वै न शौचवत्
When a person is overpowered by pride, he performs actions daily; all done with a sense of 'I' does not yield pure results.
रागलोभात्कृतं कर्म सर्वाङ्गं शुद्धिवर्जितम् । प्रथमं द्रव्यशुद्धिश्च द्रष्टव्या विबुधैः किल
Actions performed out of passion and greed are entirely devoid of purity; first, the wise should ensure the purity of the means.
अद्रोहेणार्जितं द्रव्यं प्रशस्तं धर्मकर्मणि । द्रोहार्जितेन द्रव्येण यत्करोति शुभं नरः
Wealth acquired without harm is praiseworthy for righteous acts; whatever good a man does with wealth gained by harm—
विपरीतं भवेत्तत्तु फलकाले नृपोत्तम । मनोऽतिनिर्मलं यस्य स सम्यक्फलभाग्भवेत्
That becomes the opposite, O best of kings, at the time of fruition; one whose mind is exceedingly pure attains the proper result.
तस्मिन्विकारयुक्ते तु न यथार्थफलं लभेत् । कर्तारः कर्मणां सर्वे आचार्यऋत्विजादयः
If there is disturbance in that, the proper result is not obtained; all the performers of actions—teachers, priests, and others—
स्युस्ते विशुद्धमनसस्तदा पूर्णं भवेत्फलम् । देशकालक्रियाद्रव्यकर्तॄणां शुद्धता यदि
If they are pure in mind, then the result is complete; when the place, time, procedure, materials, and agents are pure—
मन्त्राणां च तदा पूर्णं कर्मणां फलमश्नुते । शत्रूणां नाशमुद्दिश्य स्ववृद्धिं परमां तथा
And the mantras as well, then the result of the act is attained; but if one acts for the destruction of enemies or for one's own great gain—
करोति सुकृतं तद्वद्विपरीतं भवेत्किल । स्वार्थासक्तः पुमान्नित्यं न जानाति शुभाशुभम्
If one does a good deed with such motives, the result is the opposite; a man always attached to his own interest does not discern good from evil.
दैवाधीनः सदा कुर्यात्पापमेव न सत्कृतम् । प्राजापत्याः सुराः सर्वे ह्यसुराश्च तदुद्भवाः
Always subject to fate, he acts only in sin, not in virtue; all the gods born of Prajāpati and the Asuras as well.
सर्वे ते स्वार्थनिरताः परस्परविरोधिनः । सत्त्वोद्भवाः सुराः सर्वेऽप्युक्ता वेदेषु मानुषाः
All of them are intent on their own interests, mutually opposed to one another; all the gods, born of sattva, are said in the Vedas to be human.
रजोद्भवास्तामसास्तु तिर्यंचः परिकीर्तिताः । सत्त्वोद्भवानां तैर्वैरं परस्परमनारतम्
Those born of rajas are declared to be animals, and those of tamas as well; there is constant enmity between those born of sattva and the others.
तिरश्चामत्र किं चित्रं जातिवैरसमुद्भवे । सदा द्रोहपरा देवास्तपोविघ्नकरास्तथा
What is surprising among animals in the arising of enmity based on species? The gods are always intent on hostility, and likewise are obstructers of ascetic practice.
असन्तुष्टा द्वेषपराः परस्परविरोधिनः । अहङ्कारसमुद्भूतः संसारोऽयं यतो नृप
Unsatisfied, intent on hatred, mutually opposed—this world arises from ego, O King.
रागद्वेषविहीनस्तु स कथं जायते नृप
How can one devoid of passion and hatred be born, O King?
नरनारायणकथावर्णनम् व्यास उवाच अथ किं बहुनोक्तेन संसारेऽस्मिन्नृपोत्तम । धर्मात्माद्रोहबुद्धिस्तु कश्चिद्भवति कर्हिचित्
Now, what is the use of much speech, O best of kings? In this world, one with a mind free from hostility and devoted to righteousness is rarely found.
रागद्वेषावृतं विश्वं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । आद्ये युगेऽपि राजेन्द्र किमद्य कलिदूषिते
The entire universe, both moving and unmoving, is enveloped by passion and hatred; even in the first age, O king of kings, what then in this Kali age, corrupted as it is?
देवाः सेर्ष्याश्च सद्रोहाश्छलकर्मरताः सदा । मानुषाणां तिरश्चां च का वार्ता नृप गण्यते
The gods are always envious, hostile, and intent on deceitful acts; what then can be said of humans and animals, O King?