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.
म्रियते नात्र सन्देहो नृप किञ्चित्कदापि च । स्वायुषोऽन्ते पद्यजाद्याः क्षयमृच्छन्ति पार्थिव
There is no doubt at all, O King, that at the end of one's allotted lifespan, those born from the lotus and others meet their destruction.
प्रभवन्ति पुनर्विष्णुहरशक्रादयः सुराः । तस्मात्कामादिकान्भावान्देहवान्प्रतिपद्यते
Again, Viṣṇu, Hara, Śakra, and other gods arise; therefore, one possessing a body acquires states such as desire and the rest.
नात्र ते विस्मयः कार्यः कदाचिदपि पार्थिव । संसारोऽयं तु सन्दिग्धः कामक्रोधादिभिर्नृप
You should never be astonished at this, O King; this cycle of existence is indeed uncertain, beset by desire, anger, and the like.
दुर्लभस्तद्विनिर्मुक्तः पुरुषः परमार्थवित् । यो बिभेतीह संसारे स दारान्न करोत्यपि
Rare is the person freed from these who knows the highest truth; he who fears this cycle of existence does not even take a wife.
विमुक्तः सर्वसङ्गेभ्यो विचरत्यविशङ्कितः । तस्माद्बृहस्पतेर्भार्या शशिना लम्भिता पुनः
Freed from all attachments, he wanders without anxiety; thus, Bṛhaspati's wife was again seized by the moon.
गुरूणा लम्भिता भार्या तथा भ्रातुर्यवीयसः । एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् रागलोभादिभिर्वृतः
The wife of the guru was seized, as was the wife of the younger brother; thus, in this wheel of existence, one is enveloped by passion, greed, and the like.
गार्हस्थ्यञ्च समास्थाय कथं मुक्तो भवेन्नरः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन हित्वा संसारसारताम्
How can a man become liberated while embracing household life? Therefore, by every effort, one should abandon the essence of worldly existence.
आराधयेन्महेशानीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । तन्मायागुणतश्छन्नं जगदेतच्चराचरम्
He should worship Maheśānī, whose form is existence, consciousness, and bliss; this entire world, moving and unmoving, is concealed by her māyā and qualities.
भ्रमत्युन्मत्तवत्सर्वं मदिरामत्तवन्नृप । तस्या आराधनेनैव गुणान्सर्वान्विमृद्य च
All wander like madmen, O King, as if intoxicated by wine; by worshipping her alone, one overcomes all qualities.
मुक्तिं भजेत मतिमान्नान्यः पन्थास्त्वितः परः । आराधिता महेशानी न यावत्कुरुते कृपाम्
The wise attains liberation; there is no other path beyond this. Until Maheśānī is worshipped and grants her compassion,