अभिजग्मुर्गृहे तस्य मुदितास्ते दिदृक्षवः । नापश्यन् रममाणं ते जयन्त्या सह संयुतम्
They joyfully came to his house, eager to see him; but they did not see him, united with Jayantī, enjoying her company.
तदा विमनसः सर्वे जाता भग्नोद्यमाश्च ते । चिन्तापरातिदीनाश्च वीक्षमाणाः पुनः पुनः
Then all of them became disheartened, their efforts frustrated; overwhelmed by anxiety and distress, they kept searching again and again.
अदृष्ट्वा तं तु संवृत्तं प्रतिजग्मुर्यथागतम् । स्वगृहान्दैत्यवर्यास्ते चिन्ताविष्टा भयातुराः
Not seeing him, concealed, they returned as they had come; those foremost among demons, filled with worry and fear, went back to their own homes.
रममाणं तथा ज्ञात्वा शक्रः प्रोवाच तं गुरुम् । बृहस्पतिं महाभाग किं कर्तव्यमितः परम्
Knowing that he was enjoying himself thus, Śakra spoke to his guru, the illustrious Bṛhaspati: 'What should be done next?'
गच्छाद्य दानवान्ब्रह्मन्मायया त्वं प्रलोभय । अस्माकं कुरु कार्यं त्वं बुद्ध्या सञ्चिन्त्य मानद
Go now, O Brahmin, and with your illusion entice the demons; consider with your intelligence how to accomplish our task, O bestower of honor.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं काव्यं रममाणं सुसंवृतम् । ज्ञात्वा तद्रूपमास्थाय दैत्यान्मति ययौ गुरुः
Hearing these well-concealed, delightful words, the teacher, understanding the intent, assumed that form and went to the demons.
गत्वा तत्रातिभक्त्यासौ दानवान्समुपाह्वयत् । आगतास्तेऽसुराः सर्वे ददृशुः काव्यमग्रतः
Arriving there with great devotion, he summoned the demons; all those asuras came and saw Kāvya standing before them.
प्रणम्य संस्थिताः सर्वे काव्यं मत्वातिमोहिताः । न विदुस्ते गुरोर्मायां काव्यरूपविभाविनीम्
All of them, greatly deluded, stood after bowing to Kāvya, not recognizing the illusion of their teacher, manifest in the form of Kāvya.
तानुवाच गुरुः काव्यरूपः प्रच्छन्नमायया । स्वागतं मम याज्यानां प्राप्तोऽहं वो हिताय वै
The teacher, taking the form of Kāvya and concealed by illusion, addressed them: 'Welcome to you, my disciples; I have come for your welfare.'
अहं वो बोधयिष्यामि विद्यां प्राप्ताममायया । तपसा तोषितः शम्भुर्युष्मत्कल्याणहेतवे
I will instruct you in the knowledge I have obtained without deceit; Śambhu, pleased by my austerity, has granted it for your well-being.
तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रीतमनसो जातास्ते दानवोत्तमाः । कृतकार्यं गुरुं मत्वा जहृषुस्ते विमोहिताः
Hearing this, those foremost of demons became delighted in heart; thinking their purpose accomplished by the teacher, they rejoiced, though deluded.
प्रणेमुस्ते मुदा युक्ता निरातङ्का गतव्यथाः । देवेभ्यश्च भयं त्यक्त्वा तस्थुः सर्वे निरामयाः
Filled with joy, they bowed and stood free from anxiety and distress; abandoning fear of the gods, they all remained without affliction.
शुक्ररूपेण गुरुणा दैत्यवञ्चनावर्णनम् राजोवाच किं कृतं गुरुणा पश्चाद्भृगुरूपेण वर्तता । छलेनैव हि दैत्यानां पौरोहित्येन धीमता
Description of the deception of the demons by the teacher in the form of Śukra. The king said: What did the teacher do afterwards, acting in the form of Bhṛgu? For he, wise and acting as priest to the demons, used only deception.
गुरुः सुराणामनिशं सर्वविद्यानिधिस्तथा । सुतोऽङ्गिरस एवासौ स कथं छलकृन्मुनिः
The teacher of the gods, the repository of all knowledge, is the son of Aṅgiras; how did such a sage become a deceiver?
धर्मशास्त्रेषु सर्वेषु सत्यं धर्मस्य कारणम् । कथितं मुनिभिर्येन परमात्मापि लभ्यते
In all the scriptures of dharma, truth is said by the sages to be the foundation of righteousness, by which even the Supreme Self is attained.
वाचस्पतिस्तथा मिथ्यावक्ता चेद्दानवान्प्रति । कः सत्यवक्ता संसारे भविष्यति गृहाश्रमी
If Bṛhaspati himself, the lord of speech, speaks falsely to the demons, then who in this world, among householders, will be a speaker of truth?
आहारादधिकं भोज्यं ज्रह्माण्डविभवेऽपि न । तदर्थं मुनयो मिथ्या प्रवर्तन्ते कथं मुने
Even in the abundance of the universe, food is not more than what is to be eaten; so why do sages, for its sake, engage in falsehood, O sage?
शब्दप्रमाणमुच्छेदं शिष्टाभावे गतं न किम् । छलकर्मप्रवृत्ते वाविगीतत्वं गुरौ कथम्
If, in the absence of the noble, the authority of words is destroyed, then how can the teacher, engaged in deceitful acts, remain above reproach?
देवाः सत्त्वसमुद्भूता राजसा मानवाः स्मृताः । तिर्यञ्चस्तामसाः प्रोक्ता उत्पत्तौ मुनिभिः किल
The gods are said to be born of sattva, humans of rajas, and animals of tamas—so have the sages declared regarding their origin.
अमराणां गुरुः साक्षान्मिथ्यावादी स्वयं यदि । तदा कः सत्यवक्ता स्याद्राजसस्तामसः पुनः
If the very guru of the immortals himself speaks falsehood, then who among those of rajas or tamas will speak the truth?
क्व स्थितिस्तस्य धर्मस्य सन्देहोऽयं ममात्मनः । का गतिः सर्वजन्तूनां मिथ्याभूते जगत्त्रये
Where does righteousness stand in such a case? This is my doubt; what is the fate of all beings if falsehood prevails in the three worlds?
हरिर्ब्रह्मा शचीकान्तस्तथान्ये सुरसत्तमाः । सर्वे छलविधौ दक्षा मनुष्याणाञ्च का कथा
Hari, Brahmā, the beloved of Śacī, and other foremost gods—all are skilled in the ways of deception; what then can be said of humans?
कामक्रोधाभिसन्तप्ता लोभोपहतचेतसः । छले दक्षाः सुराः सर्वे मुनयश्च तपोधनाः
All the gods and ascetics, scorched by desire and anger, their minds overcome by greed, are skilled in deceit.
वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च विश्वामित्रो गुरुस्तथा । एते पापरताः कात्र गतिर्धर्मस्य मानद
Vasiṣṭha, Vāmadeva, Viśvāmitra, and the guru as well—these are devoted to wrongdoing here; O giver of honor, what path remains for righteousness?
इन्द्रोऽग्निश्चन्द्रमा वेधाः परदाराभिलम्पटाः । आर्यत्वं भुवनेष्वेषु स्थितं कुत्र मुने वद
Indra, Agni, the Moon, and the Creator are eager for others’ wives; O sage, tell me, where does nobility exist in these worlds?
वचनं कस्य मन्तव्यमुपदेशधियानघ । सर्वे लोभाभिभूतास्ते देवाश्च मुनयस्तदा
Whose words should be considered, O sinless one, by those seeking instruction? All those gods and sages are then overwhelmed by greed.
व्यास उवाच किं विष्णुः किं शिवो ब्रह्मा मघवा किं बृहस्पतिः । देहवान् प्रभवत्येव विकारैः संयुतस्तदा
Vyāsa said: What of Viṣṇu, what of Śiva, Brahmā, Maghavan, or Bṛhaspati? Having bodies, they are always subject to transformations.
रागी विष्णुः शिवो रागी ब्रह्मापि रागसंयुतः । (रागवान्किमकृत्यं वै न करोति नराधिप)
Viṣṇu is passionate, Śiva is passionate, and even Brahmā is joined with passion; (what is there that a passionate king does not do?)
सम्प्राप्ते संकटे सोऽपि गुणैः सम्बाध्यते किल । कारणाद्रहितं कार्यं कथं भवितुमर्हति
When adversity arises, even he is bound by qualities; how can an action occur without a cause?
ब्रह्मादीनां च सर्वेषां गुणा एव हि कारणम् । पञ्चविंशत्समुद्भूता देहास्तेषां न चान्यथा
For Brahmā and all the others, qualities are indeed the cause; their bodies arise from twenty-five elements, and not otherwise.