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.
काले मरणधर्मास्ते सन्देहः कोऽत्र ते नृप । परोपदेशे विस्पष्टं शिष्टाः सर्वे भवन्ति च
They are subject to death in time; what doubt is there in this, O king? All become clear when instructing others.
विप्लुतिर्ह्यविशेषेण स्वकार्ये समुपस्थिते । कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभद्रोहाहङ्कारमत्सराः
When one’s own task arises, confusion comes indiscriminately; desire, anger, greed, hostility, pride, and envy.
देहवान्कः परित्यक्तुमीशो भवति तान्पुनः । संसारोऽयं महाराज सदैवैवंविधः स्मृतः
Who, having a body, is able to abandon them again? This cycle of existence, O great king, is always remembered as such.
नान्यथा प्रभवत्येव शुभाशुभमयः किल । कदाचिद्भगवान्विष्णुस्तपश्चरति दारुणम्
It never operates otherwise, being indeed full of good and evil; sometimes Lord Viṣṇu performs severe austerities.
कदाचिद्विविधान्यज्ञान्वितनोति सुराधिपः । कदाचित्तु रमारङ्गरञ्जितः परमेश्वरः
Sometimes the lord of the gods conducts various sacrifices; sometimes the supreme lord, delighted by the play of Lakṣmī, enjoys.
रमते किल वैकुण्ठे तद्वशस्तरुणो विभुः । कदाचिद्दानवैः सार्धं युद्धं परमदारुणम्
He truly delights in Vaikuṇṭha, the youthful sovereign under her sway; sometimes he engages in fierce battle with the demons.
करोति करुणासिन्धुस्तद्बाणापीडितो भृशम् । कदाचिज्जयमाप्नोति दैवात्सोऽपि पराजयम्
The ocean of compassion acts, greatly afflicted by their arrows; sometimes he attains victory by fate, sometimes defeat.
सुखदुःखाभिभूतोऽसौ भवत्येव न संशयः । शेषे शेते कदाचिद्वै योगनिद्रासमावृतः
He is overcome by happiness and sorrow, there is no doubt; sometimes he lies in rest, enveloped in yogic sleep.
काले जागर्ति विश्वात्मा स्वभावप्रतिबोधितः । शर्वो ब्रह्मा हरिश्चेति इन्द्राद्या ये सुरास्तथा
At the proper time, the soul of the universe awakens, stirred by its own nature; Śarva, Brahmā, Hari, and likewise Indra and the other gods.
मुनयश्च विनिर्माणैः स्वायुषो विचरन्ति हि । निशावसाने सञ्जाते जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
And the sages, through their creations, move about for their allotted lifespans; when night ends, the world of moving and unmoving beings arises.