अरण्यां मथ्यमानायां पुत्रः प्रादुरभूत्तदा । सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्नः साक्षान्निमिरिवापरः
As the arani was being churned, a son appeared, endowed with all auspicious marks, another Nimi in every respect.
अरण्या मथनाज्जातस्तस्मान्मिथिरिति स्मृतः । येनायं जनकाज्जातस्तेनासौ जनकोऽभवत्
Born from the churning of the arani, he was called Mithi; since he was born from Janaka, he became known as Janaka.
विदेहस्तु निमिर्जातो यस्मात्तस्मात्तदन्वये । समुद्भूतास्तु राजानो विदेहा इति कीर्तिताः
Since Nimi was born without a body, the kings arising from his lineage are renowned as Videhas.
एवं निमिसुतो राजा प्रथितो जनकोऽभवत् । नगरी निर्मिता तेन गङ्गातीरे मनोहरा
Thus, the king born from Nimi became famous as Janaka; he built a beautiful city on the banks of the Ganges.
मिथिलेति सुविख्याता गोपुराट्टालसंयुता । धनधान्यसमायुक्ता हट्टशालाविराजिता
Widely known as Mithila, adorned with gates and towers, abundant in wealth and grain, resplendent with markets and halls.
वंशेऽस्मिन्येऽपि राजानस्ते सर्वे जनकास्तथा । विख्याता ज्ञानिनः सर्वे विदेहाः परिकीर्तिताः
In this lineage, all the kings are called Janakas; all are renowned as wise men, and celebrated as Videhas.
एतत्ते कथितं राजन्निमेराख्यानमुत्तमम् । शापाद्यस्य विदेहत्वं विस्तरादुदितं मया
O King, thus I have told you the excellent story of Nimi, whose Videha status, due to a curse, has been described in detail by me.
राजोवाच भगवन्भवता प्रोक्तं निमिशापस्य कारणम् । श्रुत्वा सन्देहमापन्नं मनो मेऽतीव चञ्चलम्
The king said: O revered one, you have explained the cause of Nimi's curse; hearing it, I have become doubtful, and my mind is greatly unsettled.
वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठो राज्ञश्चैव पुरोहितः । पुत्रः पङ्कजयोनेस्तु राज्ञा शप्तः कथं मुनिः
Vasiṣṭha, the foremost Brahmin and royal priest, son of the lotus-born, how was he cursed by the king, O sage?
गुरुं च ब्राह्मणं ज्ञात्वा निमिना न कृता क्षमा । यज्ञकर्म शुभं कृत्वा कथं क्रोधमुपागतः
Knowing him to be a Brahmin and guru, why did Nimi not forgive him? Having performed the auspicious sacrifice, how did he become angry?
ज्ञात्वा धर्मस्य विज्ञानं कथमिक्ष्वाकुसम्भवः । क्रोधस्य वशमापन्तः शप्तवान्ब्राह्मणं गुरुम्
Knowing the knowledge of dharma, how did the descendant of Ikṣvāku fall under the sway of anger and curse the Brahmin guru?
व्यास उवाच क्षमातिदुर्लभा राजन्प्राणिभिरजितात्मभिः । क्षमावान्दुर्लभो लोके सुसमर्थो विशेषतः
Vyāsa said: O King, forgiveness is exceedingly rare among creatures with uncontrolled minds; one who possesses forgiveness is especially rare and capable in this world.
सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागी मुनिर्भवतु तापसः । निद्राक्षुधोर्विजेता च योगाभ्यासे सुनिष्ठितः
A sage who renounces all attachments, becomes an ascetic, conquers sleep and hunger, and is firmly established in yoga practice.
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभो ह्यहङ्कारश्चतुर्थकः । दुर्ज्ञेया देहमध्यस्था रिपवस्तेन सर्वथा
Desire, anger, greed, and the fourth, pride—these enemies, dwelling within the body, are difficult to comprehend in every way.
न भूतपूर्वः संसारे न चैव वर्ततेऽधुना । भविता न पुमान्कश्चिद्यो जयेत रिपूनिमान्
There has never been, nor is there now, nor will there be anyone in existence who conquers these enemies.
न स्वर्गे न च भूलोके ब्रह्मलोके हरेः पदे । कैलासे नेदृशः कश्चिद्यो जयेत रिपूनिमान्
Neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in the world of Brahma, nor at the abode of Hari, nor in Kailāsa, is there anyone who conquers these enemies.
मुनयो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च तथान्ये तापसोत्तमाः । तेऽपि गुणत्रयाविद्धाः किं पुनर्मानवा भुवि
Even sages, sons of Brahma, and other foremost ascetics are pierced by the three qualities; what then of human beings on earth?
कपिलः सांख्यवेत्ता च योगाभ्यासरतः शुचिः । तेनापि दैवयोगाद्धि प्रदग्धाः सगरात्मजाः
Kapila, the knower of Sāṃkhya, pure and devoted to the practice of yoga—by his divine power, even the sons of Sagara were reduced to ashes.
तस्माद्राजन्नहङ्कारात्सञ्जातं भुवनत्रयम् । कार्यकारणभावात्तु तद्वियुक्तं कथं भवेत्
Therefore, O King, from ego arises the three worlds; due to the relationship of cause and effect, how could they exist apart from it?
ब्रह्मा गुणत्रयाविष्टो विष्णुश्चैवाथ शङ्करः । प्रभवन्ति शरीरेषु तेषां भावाः पृथक्पृथक्
Brahma, Vishnu, and also Shankara are possessed by the three qualities; in their bodies, these qualities manifest separately.
मानवानां च का वार्ता सत्त्वैकान्तव्यवस्थितौ । गुणानां सङ्करो राजन्सर्वत्र समवस्थितः
What then can be said of humans being established solely in sattva? The mixture of qualities, O King, is present everywhere.
कदाचित्सत्त्ववृद्धिः स्यात्कदाचिद्रजसः किल । कदाचित्तमसो वृद्धिः समभावः कदाचन
Sometimes sattva increases, sometimes indeed rajas, sometimes tamas grows, and sometimes they are balanced.
निर्गुणः परमात्मासौ निर्लेपः परमोऽव्ययः । अलक्ष्यः सर्वसत्त्वानामप्रमेयः सनातनः
That Supreme Self is without qualities, untouched, supreme, imperishable, invisible to all beings, immeasurable, and eternal.
तथैव परमा शक्तिर्निर्गुणा ब्रह्मसंस्थिता । दुर्ज्ञेया चाल्पमतिभिः सर्वभूतव्यवस्थितिः
Likewise, the Supreme Power is without qualities, established in Brahman, difficult to know for those of limited intellect, and is the foundation of all beings.
परात्मनस्तथा शक्तेस्तयोरैक्यं सदैव हि । अभिन्नं तद्वपुर्ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते सर्वदोषतः
The unity of the Supreme Self and that Power is ever the same; knowing their undivided nature, one is freed from all faults.
तज्ज्ञानादेव मोक्षः स्यादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । यो वेद स विमुक्तोऽस्मिन्संसारे त्रिगुणात्मके
Liberation comes only from that knowledge—so proclaims the drum of Vedanta; whoever knows this is freed from this world of three qualities.
ज्ञानं तु द्विविधं प्रोक्तं शाब्दिकं प्रथमं स्मृतम् । वेदशास्त्रार्थविज्ञानात्तद्भवेद्बुद्धियोगतः
Knowledge is said to be of two kinds: the first is verbal, arising from understanding the meaning of the Vedas and scriptures, attained through the intellect.
विकल्पास्तत्र बहवो भवन्ति मतिकल्पिताः । (कुतर्ककल्पिताः केचित्सतर्ककल्पिताः परे । वितर्कैर्विभ्रमोत्पत्तिर्विभ्रमाद्बुद्धिभ्रंशता । बुद्धिभ्रंशाज्ज्ञाननाशः प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितः । ) अनुभवाख्यं द्वितीयं तु ज्ञानं तद्दुर्लभं नृप
There, many alternatives arise, imagined by the mind—some based on false reasoning, others on sound reasoning; from such arguments comes confusion, from confusion the fall of intellect, and from that, the destruction of knowledge in beings. The second kind, called experiential knowledge, O King, is rare.
तत्तदा प्राप्यते तस्य वेत्तुः सङ्गो यदा भवेत् । शब्दज्ञानान्न कार्यस्य सिद्धिर्भवति भारत
That is attained only when the seeker is free from attachment; mere verbal knowledge does not bring about the accomplishment of the goal, O Bharata.
तस्मान्नानुभवज्ञानं सम्भवत्यतिमानुषम् । अन्तर्गतं तमश्छेत्तुं शाब्दबोधो हि न क्षमः
Therefore, experiential knowledge is exceedingly rare and beyond the ordinary; verbal understanding is not capable of cutting away the inner darkness.