कर्तव्यं सर्वथा तीर्थे स्नानं तु न गृहे क्वचित् । मृतानां किल बन्धूनां धर्मशास्त्रविनिर्णयः
"Bathing must always be performed at a sacred place, never at home—such is the decision of the scriptures regarding the rites for deceased relatives."
नारद उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तेन विप्रेण वृद्धेन प्रतिबोधिता । उत्थिताहं नृपेणाथ युक्ता बन्धुभिरावृता
Narada said: Thus addressed by that aged Brahmin, I was awakened; then, surrounded by relatives, I arose with the king.
अग्रतो द्विजरूपेण भगवान्भूतभावनः । चलिताहं ततस्तूर्णं तीर्थं परमपावनम्
With the Lord, the creator of beings, in the form of a Brahmin leading the way, I quickly proceeded to the supremely pure sacred place.
हरिर्मां कृपया तत्र पुंतीर्थे सरसि प्रभुः । नीत्वाह भगवान्विष्णुर्द्विजरूपी जनार्दनः
There, by his grace, the Lord Hari, Janardana, in the form of a Brahmin, led me to the sacred lake called Pum.
स्नानं कुरु तडागेऽस्मिन्पावने गजगामिनि । त्यज शोकं क्रियाकालः पुत्राणां च निरर्थकम्
"Bathe in this holy pond, O one with the gait of an elephant. Abandon your grief; the time for rites for your sons is now fruitless."
कोटिशस्ते मृताः पुत्रा जन्मजन्मसमुद्भवाः । पितरः पतयश्चैव भ्रातरो जामयस्तथा
Millions of sons, born through countless births, have died for you; so too fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons-in-law.
केषां दुःखं त्वया कार्यं भ्रमेऽस्मिन्मानसोद्भवे । वितथे स्वप्नसदृशे तापदे देहिनामिह
"For whom, in this confusion arising in the mind, in this vain, dream-like, and painful world of embodied beings, should you grieve?"
नारद उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तीर्थे पुरुषसंज्ञके । प्रविष्टा स्नातुकामाहं प्रेरिता तत्र विष्णुना
Narada said: Hearing his words, I entered the sacred place called Purusha, desiring to bathe there, prompted by Vishnu.
मज्जनादेव तीर्थेषु पुमाञ्जातः क्षणादपि । हरिर्वीणां करे कृत्वा स्थितस्तीरे स्वदेहवान्
By merely immersing in the sacred waters, one becomes purified instantly; Hari, holding the vina in his hand, stood on the bank in his own form.
उन्मज्ज्य च मया तीरे दृष्टः कमललोचनः । प्रत्यभिज्ञा तदा जाता मम चित्ते द्विजोत्तम
Emerging from the water, I saw on the bank the lotus-eyed one; then, O best of Brahmins, recognition arose in my mind.
सञ्चिन्तितं मया तत्र नारदोऽहमिहागतः । हरिणा सह स्त्रीभावं प्राप्तो मायाविमोहितः
There, as I pondered, I, Nārada, came here; together with Hari, I took on a woman's form, deluded by Māyā.
इति चिन्तापरश्चाहं यदा जातस्तदा हरिः । मामाह नारदागच्छ किं करोषि जले स्थितः
Immersed in such thoughts, when I was thus transformed, Hari said to me, 'Nārada, come! Why are you standing in the water?'
विस्मितोऽहं तदा स्मृत्वा स्त्रीभावं दारुणं भृशम् । पुनः पुरुषभावश्च सम्पन्नः केन हेतुना
Astonished, I then remembered that dreadful state of womanhood; again I became male—by what cause, I wondered.
; मायाप्राबल्यवर्णनम् नारद उवाच मां दृष्ट्वा नारदं विप्रं विस्मितोऽसौ महीपतिः । क्व गता मम भार्या सा कुतोऽयं मुनिसत्तमः
Nārada said: Seeing me, Nārada, the sage, the king was amazed: 'Where has my wife gone? Who is this eminent sage?'
विललाप नृपस्तत्र हा प्रियेति मुहुर्मुहुः । क्व गता मां परित्यज्य विलपन्तं वियोगिनम्
There the king lamented again and again, 'Alas, my beloved! Where has she gone, abandoning me as I grieve in separation?'
विना त्वां विपुलश्रोणि वृथा मे जीवितं गृहम् । राज्यं कमलपत्राक्षि किं करोमि शुचिस्मिते
Without you, broad-hipped one, my life and home are empty; O lotus-eyed, what use is the kingdom, O gentle-smiling one?
न प्राणा मे बहिर्यान्ति विरहेण तवाधुना । गतो वै प्रीतिधर्मस्तु त्वामृते प्राणधारणात्
Now, in your absence, my life-breath does not depart; the bond of love has left, yet I still hold on to life without you.
विलपामि विशालाक्षि देहि प्रत्युत्तरं प्रियम् । क्व गता सा मयि प्रीतिर्याभूत्प्रथमसङ्गमे
I lament, O wide-eyed one—give me a loving reply; where has that affection gone which was there at our first meeting?
निमग्ना किं जले सुभ्रूर्भक्षिता मत्स्यकच्छपैः । गृहीता वरुणेनाशु मम दौर्भाग्ययोगतः
Has she, with beautiful brows, sunk in the water, or been eaten by fish and turtles, or swiftly seized by Varuṇa, due to my misfortune?
धन्या सुचारुसर्वाङ्गि या त्वं पुत्रैः समागता । अकृत्रिमस्तु पुत्रेषु स्नेहस्तेऽमृतभाषिणि
Blessed are you, lovely in every limb, joined with your sons; your affection for your sons was genuine, O sweet-spoken one.
न युक्तमधुना यन्मां विहाय त्रिदिवं गता । विलपन्तं पतिं दीनं पुत्रस्नेहेन यन्त्रिता
It is not right that you, compelled by motherly love, have left me, your grieving husband, and gone to heaven.
उभयं मे गतं कान्ते पुत्रास्त्वं प्राणवल्लभा । तथापि मरणं नास्ति दुःखितस्य भृशं प्रिये
O beloved, both my sons and you, dearer than life, are gone; yet, though I am deeply sorrowful, death does not come.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि रामो नास्ति महीतले । रामाविरहजं दुःखं जानाति रघुनन्दनः
What shall I do, where shall I go? There is no Rāma on earth; only Rāghava knows the pain of separation from Rāmā.
विधिना निष्ठुरेणात्र विपरीतं कृतं भुवि । दम्पत्योर्मरणं भिन्नं सर्वथा समचित्तयोः
By the cruel decree of fate, things have turned contrary in this world; the death of husband and wife, though united in heart, is always separate.
उपकारस्तु नारीणां मुनिभिर्विहितः किल । यदुक्तं धर्मशास्त्रेषु ज्वलनं पतिना सह
It is said by sages that the duty of women, as stated in the scriptures, is to enter the fire with their husband.
एवं विलपमानं तं राजानं भगवान्हरिः । निवारयामास तदा वचनैर्युक्तियोजितैः
As the king lamented thus, Bhagavān Hari restrained him with words full of reason.
श्रीभगवानुवाच किं विषीदसि राजेन्द्र क्व गता ते प्रियाङ्गना । न श्रुतं किं त्वया शास्त्रं न कृतोऽसौ बुधाश्रयः
The Blessed Lord said: Why do you grieve, O king? Where has your beloved gone? Have you not heard the scriptures? Have you not sought the wise?
का सा कस्त्वं क्व संयोगो वियोगः कीदृशस्तव । प्रवाहरूपे संसारे नृणां नौतरतामिव
Who is she? Who are you? What is this union, and what kind of separation is yours? In the current of worldly existence, people are like logs carried by the stream.
गृहे गच्छ नृपश्रेष्ठ वृथा ते रुदितेन किम् । संयोगश्च वियोगश्च दैवाधीनः सदा नृणाम्
Go home, O foremost of kings; what use is your weeping? Union and separation are always subject to fate for people.
अनया सह ते राजन् संयोगस्त्विह संवृतः । भुक्ता त्वया विशालाक्षी सुन्दरी तनुमध्यमा
With her, O king, your union here has been fulfilled; you have enjoyed the beautiful, wide-eyed, slender-waisted woman.