प्राप्तोऽस्मि गतराज्योऽत्र मंत्रिभिः परिवंचितः । दिष्ट्या त्वमत्र मित्रं मे मिलितोऽसि विशोत्तम
Deprived of my kingdom, deceived by ministers, I have come here. By good fortune, O best of the wise, you have become my friend here.
सुखेन विहरिष्यावो वनेऽत्र शुभपादपे । शोकं त्यज महाबुद्धे स्वस्थो भव विशोत्तम
Let us live happily here in the forest, beneath these auspicious trees. Abandon sorrow, O great-minded one, and be at ease, O best of the wise.
"अत्रैव च यथाकामं सुखं तिष्ठ मया सह । " वैश्य उवाच। कुटुम्बं मे निरालंबं मया हीनं सुदुःखितम् । भविष्यति च चिन्तार्तं व्याधिशोकोपतापितम्
"Here, as you wish, stay happily with me." The Vaiśya said: My family, left without support and deprived of me, will be greatly distressed, afflicted by anxiety, disease, and sorrow.
भार्यादेहे सुखं नो वा पुत्रदेहे न वा सुखम् । इति चिन्तातुरं चेतो न मे शाम्यति भूमिप
There is no happiness for me in my wife’s body, nor in my son’s. Thus, my mind, tormented by worry, does not find peace, O king.
कदा द्रक्ष्ये सुतं भार्यां गृहं स्वजनमेव च । स्वस्थं न मन्मनो राजन्गृहचिन्ताकुलं भृशम्
When will I see my son, my wife, my home, and my own people? My mind is not at ease, O king, being greatly disturbed by thoughts of home.
राजोवाच। यैर्निरस्तोऽसि पुत्राद्यैरसद्वृत्तैः सुबालिशैः । तान्दृष्ट्वा किं सुखं तेऽद्य भविष्यति महामते
The king said: Those sons and others, who have cast you out with wicked conduct and foolishness—what happiness would you have today, O wise one, seeing them again?
हितकारी वरः शत्रुर्दुःखदाः सुहृदः कुतः । तस्मात्स्थिरं मनः कृत्वा विहरस्व मया सह
An enemy who does good is better; where are friends who bring sorrow? Therefore, steady your mind and dwell here with me.
वैश्य उवाच। मनो मे न स्थिरं राजन्भवत्यद्य सुदुःखितम् । चिन्तयाऽत्र कुटुम्बस्य दुस्त्यजस्य दुरात्मभिः
The Vaiśya said: My mind is not steady, O king, and is greatly troubled today, thinking of my family, so hard to abandon, though they are wicked.
राजोवाच। ममापि राज्यजं दुःखं दुनोति किल मानसम् । पृच्छावोऽद्य मुनिं शांतं शोकनाशनमौषधम्
The king said: Sorrow born of the loss of my kingdom also torments my mind. Today, let us ask the peaceful sage, the remedy for the destruction of sorrow.
व्यास उवाच। इति कृत्वा मतिं तौ तु राजा वैश्यश्च जग्मतुः । मुनिं तौ विनयोपेतौ प्रष्टुं शोकस्य कारणम्
Vyāsa said: Thus deciding, the king and the merchant went. Approaching the sage with humility, they sought to ask the cause of their sorrow.
गत्वा तं प्रणिपत्याह राजा ऋषिमनुत्तमम् । आसीनं सम्यगासीनः शांतं शांतिमुपागतः
Having gone there, bowing down, the king addressed the supreme sage, who was seated properly, tranquil, and established in peace.
अथ त्रयस्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः राजोवाच। मुने वैश्योऽयमधुना वने मे मित्रतां गतः । पुत्रदारैर्निरस्तोऽयं प्राप्तोऽत्र मम संगमम्
Chapter Thirty-Three. The king said: O sage, this merchant has now become my friend in the forest. Cast out by his sons and wife, he has come here and met with me.
निष्कारणं च मे चिंता हृदयान्न निवर्तते । हया मे दुर्बलाः स्युः किं गजाः शत्रुवशं गताः
And for no reason, worry does not depart from my heart. My horses may become weak, or my elephants may fall into the hands of enemies.
भृत्यवर्गस्तथा दुःखी जातः स्यात्तु मया विना । कोशक्षयं करिष्यंति रिपवोऽतिबलात्क्षणात्
Likewise, my group of servants may become distressed without me; and my powerful enemies may quickly bring about the loss of my treasury.
इत्येवं चिंतयानस्य च मे निद्रा तनौ सुखम् । जानामीदं जगन्मिथ्या स्वप्नवत्सर्वमेव हि
As I was thinking in this way, sleep came gently upon my body; I know that this entire world is false, truly like a dream.
जानतोऽपि मनो भ्रांतं न स्थिरं भवति प्रभो । कोऽहं केऽश्वा गजाः केऽमी न ते मे च सहोदराः ॥ न पुत्रा न च मित्राणि येषां दुःखं दुनोति माम् । भ्रमोऽयमिति जानामि तथापि मम मानसः
Even knowing this, my mind is confused and does not remain steady, O Lord; who am I, who are these horses and elephants, who are these others—they are not my brothers, nor sons, nor friends, those whose suffering pains me; I know this is delusion, yet still my mind is thus.
मोहो नैवापसरति किं तत्कारणमद्भुतम् । स्वामिंस्त्वमसि सर्वज्ञः सर्वसंशयनाशकृत्
Delusion does not depart—what is the wondrous cause of this? O Master, you are all-knowing, the destroyer of all doubts.
कारणं ब्रूहि मोहस्य ममास्य च दयानिधे । व्यास उवाच। इति पृष्टस्तदा राज्ञा सुमेधा मुनिसत्तमः
Tell me the cause of this delusion of mine, O ocean of compassion. Vyāsa said: Thus questioned by the king, the wise sage Sumedhas spoke.
तमुवाच परं ज्ञानं शोकमोहविनाशनम् । ऋषिरुवाच। शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः
He spoke supreme knowledge, which destroys grief and delusion. The sage said: Listen, O King, I will explain the cause of bondage and liberation.
महामायेति विख्याता सर्वेषां प्राणिनामिह । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथेशानस्तुराषाड्वरुणोऽनिलः
She is known as Mahāmāyā, who rules over all beings here—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Īśāna, the guardians of the directions, Varuṇa, and Vāyu.
सर्वे देवा मनुष्याश्च गन्धर्वोरगराक्षसाः । वृक्षाश्च विविधा वल्ल्यः पशवो मृगपक्षिणः
All the gods, humans, gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas, as well as the various trees, vines, cattle, wild animals, and birds—
मायाधीनाश्च ते सर्वे भाजनं बंधमोक्षयोः । तया सृष्टमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजंगमम्
All these are under the power of Māyā, the vessel of bondage and liberation; by her this entire world, both moving and unmoving, is created.
तद्वशे वर्तते नूनं मोहजालेन यंत्रितम् । त्वं कियान्मानुषेष्वेकः क्षत्रियो रजसाऽऽविलः
Indeed, all act under her control, bound in the net of delusion; you are but one among many humans, a kṣatriya clouded by passion.
ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि मोहयत्यनिशं हि सा । ब्रह्मेशवासुदेवाद्या ज्ञाने सत्यपि शेषतः
She deludes even the minds of the wise, constantly; even Brahmā, Īśa, and Vāsudeva, though established in knowledge, are not exempt.
तेऽपि रागवशाल्लोके भ्रमति परिमोहिताः । पुरा सत्ययुगे राजन्विष्णुर्नारायणः स्वयम्
Even they, overcome by passion, wander in the world, thoroughly deluded; formerly, in the Satya Yuga, Viṣṇu Nārāyaṇa himself—
श्वेतद्वीपं समासाद्य चकार विपुलं तपः । वर्षाणामयुतं यावद् ब्रह्मविद्याप्रसक्तये
Having reached Śvetadvīpa, performed great austerity for ten thousand years, intent on the knowledge of Brahman.
अनश्वरसुखायासी चिंतयानस्ततः परम् । एकस्मिन्निर्जने देशे ब्रह्माऽपि परमाद्भुते
Desiring imperishable happiness, he reflected deeply; in a certain wondrous solitary place, even Brahmā engaged in austerity.
स्थितस्तपसि राजेन्द्र मोहस्य विनिवृत्तये । कदाचिद्वासुदेवोऽसौ स्थलांतरमतिर्हरिः
He remained in austerity, O King, to be freed from delusion; once, that Hari, Vāsudeva, changed his place.
तस्माद्देशात्समुत्थाय जगामान्यद्दिदृक्षया । चतुर्मुखोऽपि राजेन्द्र तथैव निःसृतः स्थलात्
Rising from that place, he went elsewhere out of curiosity; O King, likewise, the four-faced one left his place.
मिलितौ मार्गमध्ये तु चतुर्मुखचतुर्भुजौ । अन्योन्यं पृष्टवंतौ तौ कस्त्वं कस्त्वमिति स्म ह
Meeting in the middle of the path, the four-faced and four-armed, they questioned each other: 'Who are you? Who are you?'