वाराङ्गनागणं जुष्टं तेनासं दुःखभाजनम् । उत्पादितास्तथा नार्यो मया धर्मव्ययेन वै
Because of this, I have become a recipient of suffering, surrounded by groups of celestial women; likewise, women have been produced by me through the loss of dharma.
तास्तु मां बाधितुं वृत्ताः कामार्ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः । ऊर्णनाभिरिवाद्याहं जालेन स्वकृतेन वै
Those excellent women, overwhelmed by desire, have turned against me to torment me; like a spider, I am caught in a web of my own making.
बद्धोऽस्मि सुदृढेनात्र किं कर्तव्यमतः परम् । यदि चिन्तां समुत्सृज्य सन्त्यजाम्यबला इमाः
I am bound here by a strong bond; what should I do next? If I abandon worry and renounce these powerless women—
शप्त्वा भ्रष्टा व्रजिष्यन्ति सर्वा भग्नमनोरथाः । मुक्तोऽहं सञ्चरिष्यामि विजने परमं तपः
Having cursed them, they will depart, all with broken desires; freed, I will wander in solitude and perform supreme austerity.
तस्मात्क्रोधं समुत्पाद्य त्यक्ष्यामि सुन्दरीगणम् । व्यास उवाच इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा मुनिर्नारायणस्तदा
Therefore, arousing anger, I will abandon the group of beautiful women. Vyasa said: Thus, having considered in his mind, the sage Narayana—
विमर्शमकरोच्चित्ते सुखोत्पादनसाधने । द्वितीयोऽयं महाशत्रुः क्रोधः सन्तापकारकः
He reflected in his mind on the means of producing happiness: this second great enemy, anger, is the cause of distress.
कामादप्यधिको लोके लोभादपि च दारुणः । क्रोधाभिभूतः कुरुते हिंसां प्राणविघातिनीम्
In the world, it is greater than desire and more terrible than greed; one overcome by anger commits violence that destroys life.
दुःखदां सर्वभूतानां नरकारामदीर्घिकाम् । यथाग्निर्घर्षणाज्जातः पादपं प्रदहेत्तथा
It brings suffering to all beings and creates a deep pit of hell; just as fire produced by friction burns a tree.
देहोत्पन्नस्तथा क्रोधो देहं दहति दारुणः । व्यास उवाच इति सञ्चिन्त्यमानं तं भ्रातरं दीनमानसम्
Anger arising from the body burns the body fiercely. Vyāsa said: Thus, reflecting upon his brother, whose mind was distressed—
उवाच वचनं तथ्यं नरो धर्मसुतोऽनुजः । नर उवाच नारायण महाभाग कोपं यच्छ महामते
He spoke truthful words; the son of Dharma addressed his younger brother. Nara said: O Nārāyaṇa, greatly fortunate one, restrain your anger, O wise one.
शान्तं भावं समाश्रित्य नाशयाहङ्कृतिं पराम् । पुराहङ्कारदोषेण तपो नष्टं किलावयोः
Adopt a peaceful disposition and destroy the supreme ego. Previously, due to the fault of ego, both of us lost our austerity.
संग्रामश्चाभवत्ताभ्यां भावाभ्यामसुरेण ह । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु प्रह्लादेन महाद्भुतम्
A battle occurred between those two, with Prahlāda, the great asura, for a thousand divine years—an astonishing event.
दुःखं बहुतरं प्राप्तं तत्रावाभ्यां सुरोत्तम । तस्मात्क्रोधं परित्यज्य शान्तो भव मुनीश्वर
Much suffering was endured there by both of us, O best of gods. Therefore, abandoning anger, be peaceful, O lord of sages.
( शान्तत्वं तपसो मूलं मुनिभिः परिकीर्तितम् ।) ॥ व्यास उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शान्तोऽभूद्धर्मनन्दनः । जनमेजय उवाच संशयोऽयं मुनिश्रेष्ठ प्रह्लादेन महात्मना
(Peacefulness is proclaimed by sages as the root of austerity.) Vyāsa said: Hearing his words, the son of Dharma became peaceful. Janamejaya said: O foremost sage, there is a doubt regarding Prahlāda, the great soul—
विष्णुभक्तेन शान्तेन कथं युद्धं कृतं पुरा । कृतवन्तौ कथं युद्धं नरनारायणावृषी
How did the peaceful, devoted to Viṣṇu, Prahlāda fight in ancient times? How did Nara and Nārāyaṇa, the sages, engage in battle?
तापसौ धर्मपुत्रौ द्वौ सुशान्तमानसावुभौ । समागमः कथं जातस्तयोर्दैत्यसुतस्य च
Those two ascetics, sons of Dharma, both with tranquil minds—how did they meet with the son of the demon?
संग्रामस्तु कथं ताभ्यां कृतस्तेन महात्मना । प्रह्लादोऽप्यतिधर्मात्मा ज्ञानवान्विष्णुतत्परः
How did those two engage in battle with that great soul? Prahlāda, too, is supremely righteous, wise, and devoted to Viṣṇu.
नरनारायणौ तद्वत्तापसौ सत्त्वसंस्थितौ । तेन ताभ्यां समुद्भूतं वैरं यदि परस्परम्
Nara and Nārāyaṇa, likewise, are ascetics established in virtue. If enmity arose between them, then—
तदा तपसि धर्मे च श्रम एव हि केवलम् । क्व जपः क्व तपश्चर्या पुरा सत्ययुगेऽपि च
Then, in austerity and righteousness, there would be only exhaustion. Where is recitation, where is ascetic practice, even in the Satya Yuga?
तादृशैर्न जितं चित्तं क्रोधाहङ्कारसंवृतम् । न क्रोधो न च मात्सर्यमहङ्कारांकुरं विना
By such ones, the mind is not conquered when enveloped by anger and ego. Without anger, envy, or the sprout of ego—
अहङ्कारात्समुत्पन्नाः कामक्रोधादयः किल । वर्षकोटिसहस्रं तु तपः कृत्वातिदारुणम्
From ego arise desires, anger, and the like. Even after performing extremely severe austerity for a hundred million years—
अहङ्कारांकुरे जाते व्यर्थं भवति सर्वथा । यथा सूर्योदये जाते तमोरूपं न तिष्ठति
When the sprout of ego appears, everything becomes futile. Just as, when the sun rises, darkness does not remain—
अहङ्कारांकुरस्याग्रे तथा पुण्यं न तिष्ठति । प्रह्लादोऽपि महाभाग हरिणा समयुध्यत
So, before the sprout of ego, merit does not remain. Even Prahlāda, greatly fortunate, fought with Hari.
तदा व्यर्थं कृतं सर्वं सुकृतं किल भूतले । नरनारायणौ शान्तौ विहाय परमं तपः
Then, all virtuous deeds performed on earth became futile. Nara and Nārāyaṇa, peaceful, abandoned supreme austerity—
कृतवन्तौ यदा युद्धं क्व शमः सुकृतं पुनः । ईदृग्भ्यां सत्त्वयुक्ताभ्यामजेया यद्यहङ्कृतिः
When they engaged in battle, where was tranquility, where was virtue again? If even those endowed with virtue are overcome by ego—
मादृशानाञ्ज का वार्ता मुनेऽहङ्कारसंक्षये । अहङ्कारपरित्यक्तो न कोऽप्यस्ति जगत्त्रये
What can be said of people like me, O sage, regarding the destruction of ego? There is no one in the three worlds who has completely abandoned ego.
न भूतो भविता नैव यस्त्यक्तस्तेन सर्वथा । मुच्यते लोहनिगडैर्बद्धः काष्ठमयैस्तथा
Whoever has completely abandoned what neither existed before nor will exist in the future is freed, even if bound with iron chains or wooden fetters.
अहङ्कारनिबद्धस्तु न कदाचिद्विमुच्यते । अहङ्कारावृतं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
But one who is bound by ego is never released; the entire world, both moving and unmoving, is enveloped by ego.
भ्रमत्येव हि संसारे विष्ठामूत्रप्रदूषिते । ब्रह्मज्ञानं कुतस्तावत्संसारे मोहसंवृते
Indeed, it wanders in this world, polluted by filth and urine; how can there be knowledge of Brahman as long as the world is covered by delusion?
मतं मीमांसकानां वै सम्मतं भाति सुव्रत । महान्तोऽपि सदा युक्ताः कामक्रोधादिभिर्मुने
O virtuous one, the view of the Mimamsakas is indeed widely accepted; even great souls are always engaged in desires, anger, and the like, O sage.