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?'
ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच तं देवं कर्ताऽहं जगतः किल । विष्णुस्तमाह भो मूर्ख जगत्कर्ताऽहमच्युतः
Brahmā said to that god, 'I am indeed the creator of the world.' Viṣṇu replied, 'O fool, I, Acyuta, am the creator of the world.'
त्वं कियान्बलहीनोऽसि रजोगुणसमाश्रितः । सत्त्वाश्रितं हि मां विद्धि वासुदेवं सनातनम्
'How insignificant and powerless you are, relying on the quality of passion! Know me, Vāsudeva, the eternal one, as established in purity.'
मया त्वं रक्षितोऽद्यैव कृत्वा युद्धं सुदारुणम् । शरणं मे समायातो दानवाभ्यां प्रपीडितः
Today you have been protected by me, after a fierce and terrible battle; you came to me for refuge, oppressed by the two demons.
मया तौ निहतौ कामं दानवौ मधुकैटभौ । कथं गर्वायसे मंद मोहोऽयं त्यज सांप्रतम्
By my will, those two demons, Madhu and Kaiṭabha, have indeed been slain; why are you so arrogant, dull one? Abandon this delusion at once.
न मत्तोऽप्यधिकः कश्चित्संसारेऽस्मिन्प्रसारिते । ऋषिरुवाच। एवं प्रवदमानौ तौ ब्रह्मविष्णू परस्परम्
In this vast world, there is no one greater than me.
स्फुरदोष्ठौ वेपमानौ लोहिताक्षौ बभूवतुः । प्रादुर्बभूव सहसा तयोर्विवदमानयोः
The sage said: As Brahmā and Viṣṇu spoke thus to each other, their lips quivering, their bodies trembling, and their eyes red, suddenly there appeared—
मध्ये लिंगं सुधाश्वेतं विपुलं दीर्घमद्भुतम् । आकाशे तरसा तत्र वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
Between them, a wondrous, immense, and dazzling white liṅga arose; in the sky, a bodiless voice spoke swiftly there.
तौ संबोध्य महाभागौ विवदन्तौ परस्परम् । ब्रह्मन्विष्णो विवादं मा कुरुतां वां परस्परम्
Addressing those two illustrious ones, who were disputing with each other, the voice said: 'Brahmā and Viṣṇu, do not quarrel with one another.'
लिंगस्यास्य परं पारमधस्तादुपरि ध्रुवम् । यो याति युवयोर्मध्ये स श्रेष्ठो वां सदैव हि
Of you two, whoever reaches the top or bottom of this liṅga, which is endless above and below, shall always be the greatest among you.
एक: प्रयातु पातालमाकाशमपरोऽधुना । प्रमाणं मे वचः कार्यं त्यक्त्वा वादं निरर्थकम्
Let one of you go downward to the netherworld, and the other upward to the sky; heed my words as the measure, and abandon this fruitless argument.