तथैव देवताः सर्वाः कालपाशनियन्त्रिताः । हर्षशोकादयो भावा निद्रातन्द्रालसादयः
In the same way, all the deities are bound by the noose of time; feelings like joy and sorrow, sleep, drowsiness, and laziness—
सर्वेषां सर्वदा राजन्देहिनां देहसंश्रिताः । अमरा निर्जराः प्रोक्ता देवाश्च ग्रन्थकारकैः
O King, these are always present in all embodied beings; those called immortals, deathless ones, and gods by the authors of scriptures—
अभिधानतश्चार्थतो न ते नूनं तादृशाः क्वचित् । उत्पत्तिस्थितिनाशाख्या भावा येषां निरन्तरम्
By name and in meaning, they are certainly not truly such anywhere, for they constantly experience birth, existence, and destruction.
अमरास्ते कथं वाच्या निर्जराश्च कथं पुनः । कथं दुःखाभिभूता वा जायन्ते विबुधोत्तमाः
How can they be called immortals, or again, deathless ones? How do the best of the gods come to be afflicted by suffering?
कथं देवाश्च वक्तव्या व्यसने क्रीडनं कथम् । क्षणादुत्पत्तिनाशश्च दृश्यतेऽस्मिन्न संशयः
How can the gods be said to play in adversity? The appearance and disappearance of them is seen in a moment—there is no doubt.
जलजानां च कीटानां मशकानां तथा पुनः । उपमा न कथं चैषामायुषोऽन्ते मराः स्मृताः
And just as with aquatic creatures, insects, and mosquitoes, their lives are likewise compared; at the end of their lifespan, they are called mortals.
ततो वर्षायुषश्चापि शतवर्षायुषस्तथा । मनुष्या ह्यमरा देवास्तस्माद् ब्रह्मापरः स्मृतः
Thus, there are those with lifespans of a year, and those with lifespans of a hundred years; humans are called mortals, gods are called immortals, and beyond them is Brahmā.
रुद्रस्तथा तथा विष्णुः क्रमशश्च भवन्ति हि । नश्यन्ति क्रमशश्चैव वर्धन्ति चोत्तरोत्तरम्
So too are Rudra and Viṣṇu, each in their own order; they perish in succession and grow greater, one after another.
नूनं देहवतो नाशो मृतस्योत्पत्तिरेव च । चक्रवद् भ्रमणं राजन् सर्वेषां नात्र संशयः
Surely, for those who possess a body, destruction is certain, and for the dead, birth indeed follows; O King, for all beings, this cycle of wandering is like a wheel—there is no doubt about this.
मोहजालावृतो जन्तुर्मुच्यते न कदाचन । मायायां विद्यमानायां मोहजालं न नश्यति
A creature enveloped by the net of delusion is never released; as long as Māyā exists, the net of delusion does not perish.
उत्पित्सुकाल उत्पत्तिः सर्वेषां नृप जायते । तथैव नाशः कल्पान्ते ब्रह्मादीनां यथाक्रमम्
O King, at the time destined for creation, birth arises for all; likewise, at the end of the age, destruction occurs in due order even for Brahmā and the others.
निमित्तं यस्तु यन्नाशे स घातयति तं नृप । नान्यथा तद्भवेन्नूनं विधिना निर्मितं तु यत्
Whatever is the cause of someone's destruction, O King, that alone brings about their end; it cannot be otherwise—whatever is ordained by fate must surely come to pass.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखं वा सुखमेव वा । तत्तथैव भवेत्कामं नान्यथेह विनिर्णयः
Birth, death, old age, disease, suffering, or even happiness—these occur exactly as they must; there is no other determination here.
सर्वेषां सुखदौ देवौ प्रत्यक्षौ शशिभास्करौ । न नश्यति तयोः पीडा क्यचित्तद्वैरिसम्भवा
The two gods who give happiness to all—the visible moon and sun—do not escape suffering; sometimes, pain arises for them too, due to the presence of their adversaries.
भास्करस्य सुतो मन्दः क्षयी चन्द्रः कलङ्कवान् । पश्य राजन् विधेः सूत्रं दुर्वारं महतामपि
The son of the sun, Saturn, brings decline; the moon wanes and bears a blemish—see, O King, the thread of destiny is irresistible, even for the great.
वेदकर्ता जगत्स्रष्टा बुद्धिदस्तु चतुर्मुखः । सोऽपि विक्लवतां प्राप्तो दृष्ट्वा पुत्रीं सरस्वतीम्
The creator of the Vedas, the maker of the world, the wise four-faced one—even he became bewildered, seeing his daughter Sarasvatī.
शिवस्यापि मृता भार्या सती दग्ध्वा कलेवरम् । सोऽभवद्दुःखसन्तप्तः कामार्तश्च जनार्तिहा
Even Śiva, whose wife Satī died and whose body was burned, became tormented by sorrow and overcome by desire, though he is the remover of the world's suffering.
कामाग्निदग्धदेहस्तु कालिन्द्यां पतितः शिवः । सापि श्यामजला जाता तन्निदाघवशान्नृप
Śiva, whose body was burned by the fire of desire, fell into the river Kālindī; and she too became dark with water, O King, due to the force of that heat.
कामार्तो रममाणस्तु नग्नः सोऽपि भृगोर्वनम् । गतः प्राप्तोऽथ भृगुणा शप्तः कामातुरो भृशम्
Overcome by desire, Śiva, while enjoying himself, went naked into the forest of Bhṛgu; there, afflicted by passion, he was cursed by Bhṛgu.
पतत्वद्यैव ते लिङ्गं निर्लज्जेति भृशं किल । पपौ चामृतवापीञ्च दानवैर्निर्मितां मुदे
"Today your liṅga will fall, and you will be utterly shameless," he was told; yet he joyfully drank from the pool of nectar made by the Dānavas.
इन्द्रोऽपि च वृषो भूत्वा वाहनत्वं गतः क्षितौ । आद्यस्य सर्वलोकस्य विष्णोरेव विवेकिनः
Even Indra became a bull and took the role of a vehicle on earth; this happened to the wise Viṣṇu, the first of all the worlds.
सर्वज्ञत्वं गतं कुत्र प्रभुशक्तिः कुतो गता । यद्धेममृगविज्ञानं न ज्ञातं हरिणा किल
Where did omniscience go, and where did lordly power vanish, when even Hari did not know the truth about the golden deer?
राजन् मायाबलं पश्य रामो हि काममोहितः । रामो विरहसन्तप्तो रुरोद भृशमातुरः
O King, behold the power of Māyā: even Rāma was deluded by desire; tormented by separation, Rāma wept intensely in his anguish.
योऽपृच्छत्पादपान्मूढः क्व गता जनकात्मजा । भक्षिता वा हृता केन रुदन्नुच्चतरं ततः
He, bewildered, asked the trees, 'Where has the daughter of Janaka gone? Has she been eaten, or carried off by someone?' Crying out ever more loudly.
लक्ष्मणाहं मरिष्यामि कान्ताविरहदुःखितः । त्वं चापि मम दुःखेन मरिष्यसि वनेऽनुज
Lakṣmaṇa, I will die, afflicted by the sorrow of separation from my beloved; and you, my younger brother, will also die in the forest from grief over me.
आवयोर्मरणं ज्ञात्वा माता मम मरिष्यति । शत्रुघ्नोऽप्यतिदुःखार्तः कथं जीवितुमर्हति
Knowing that both of us will die, my mother too will perish; and even Śatrughna, overwhelmed by great sorrow, how could he possibly live?
सुमित्रा जीवितं जह्यात्पुत्रव्यसनकर्शिता । पूर्णकामाथ कैकेयी भवेत्पुत्रसमन्विता
Sumitrā, tormented by her son's misfortune, would give up her life; but Kaikeyī, her desires fulfilled, would remain, surrounded by her son.
हा सीते क्व गतासि त्वं मां विहाय स्मरातुरा । एह्येहि मृगशावाक्षि मां जीवय कृशोदरि
Alas, Sītā! Where have you gone, leaving me behind, tormented by longing? Come, come, O doe-eyed one, O slender-waisted, give me life.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि त्वदधीनञ्च जीवितम् । समाश्वासय दीनं मां प्रियं जनकनन्दिनि
What shall I do, where shall I go? My life depends on you. Console me, who am wretched, O beloved daughter of Janaka.
एवं विलपता तेन रामेणामिततेजसा । वने वने च भ्रमता नेक्षिता जनकात्मजा
Thus lamenting, that Rāma of immeasurable splendor wandered from forest to forest, but did not see Janaka's daughter.