प्राप्स्यन्त्यार्ता यदि सुखं बहवो दुः खिते मयि । किन्नु प्राप्तं मया न स्यात्तस्मात्त्वं व्रज माचिरम् ॥ १५.
If many who are afflicted may gain happiness while I myself suffer, what would I not have attained? Therefore, do not delay—go at once.
यमपुरुष उवाच एष धर्मश्च शक्रश्च त्वां नेतुं समुपागतौ । अवश्यमस्माद्गन्तव्यं तस्मात्पार्थिव ! गम्यताम् ॥ १५.
The servant of Yama said: Here are Dharma and Indra, come to take you away; you must go with us, O King, so depart now.
धर्म उवाच नयामि त्वामहं स्वर्गं त्वया सम्यगुपासितः । विमानमेतदारुह्य मा विलम्बस्व गम्यताम् ॥ १५.
Dharma said: I myself will lead you to heaven, for you have worshipped me well; ascend this celestial chariot—do not delay, go forth.
राजोवाच नरके मानवा धर्म पीड्यन्तेऽत्र सहस्रशः । त्राहीति चार्ताः क्रन्दन्ति मामतो न व्रजाम्यहम् ॥ १५.
The king said: In hell, O Dharma, thousands of people are tormented; the afflicted cry out, 'Save us!'—therefore, I will not go.
इन्द्र उवाच कर्मणा नरकप्राप्तिरेतेषां पापकर्मिणाम् । स्वर्गस्त्वयापि गन्तव्यो नृप ! पुण्येन कर्मणा ॥ १५.
Indra said: By their evil deeds, these people have reached hell; but you, O king, must go to heaven by your virtuous actions.
राजोवाच यदि जानासि धर्म ! त्वं त्वं वा शक्र ! शचीपते । मम यावत्प्रमाणन्तु शुभं तद्वक्तुमर्हथः ॥ १५.
The king said: If you know, O Dharma, or you, O Indra, lord of Shachi, tell me the measure of my merit, whatever it may be.
धर्म उवाच अब्बिन्दवो यथाम्भोधौ यथा वा दिवि तारकाः । यथा वा वर्षता धारा गड्गायां सिकता यथा ॥ १५.
Dharma said: As countless as the drops in the ocean, as the stars in the sky, as the streams of rain, or as the sands on the Ganga—
असंख्येया महाराज यथा बिन्द्वादयो ह्यपाम् । तथा तवापि पुण्यस्य संख्या नैवोपपद्यते ॥ १५.
So too, O great king, your merit is beyond counting, just like those drops and grains.
अनुकम्पामिमामद्य नारकेष्विह कुर्वतः । तदेव शतसाहस्त्रं संख्यामुपगतं तव ॥ १५.
By showing this compassion today to those in hell, your merit has increased a hundred thousandfold.
तद्गच्छ त्वं नृपश्रेष्ठ तद्भाक्तुममरालयम् । एतेऽपि पापं नरके क्षपयन्तु स्वकर्मजम् ॥ १५.
Therefore go, best of kings, to the immortal realm to enjoy its rewards; let these sinners exhaust their own evil deeds in hell.
राजोवाच कथं स्पृहां करिष्यन्ति मत्सम्पर्केषु मानवाः । यदि सत्सन्निधावेषामुकत्कर्षो नोपजायते ॥ १५.
The king said: How will people develop longing for my company if, even in the presence of the virtuous, they do not experience relief from their suffering?
तस्माद्यत्सुकृतं किञ्चिन्ममास्ति त्रिदशाधिप । तेन मुच्यन्तु नरकात्पापिनो यातनां गताः ॥ १५.
Therefore, O lord of the gods, whatever merit I possess, by that may those sinners who are suffering in hell be released.
इन्द्र उवाच एवमूर्ध्वतरं स्थानं त्वयावाप्तं महीपते । एतांश्च नरकात्पश्य विमुक्तान् पापकारिणः ॥ १५.
Indra said: Thus, O king, you have attained an even higher state; see these evil-doers released from hell.
पुत्र उवाच ततोऽपतत्पुष्पवृष्टिस्तस्योपरि महीपतेः । विमानञ्चाधिरोप्यैनं स्वर्लोकमनयद्धरिः ॥ १५.
The son said: Then a shower of flowers fell upon that king, and, after placing him in a celestial chariot, Hari took him to heaven.
अहञ्चान्ये च ये तत्र यातनाभ्यः परिच्युताः । स्वकर्मफलनिर्दिष्टं ततो जात्यन्तरं गताः ॥ १५.
I, and others there who were released from those torments, entered another birth as determined by the fruits of our own actions.
एवमेते समाख्याता नरका द्विजसत्तम । येन येन च पापेन यां यां योनिमुपैति वै ॥ १५.
Thus, O best of twice-born, I have described these hells, and the particular wombs one attains according to each sin.
तत्तत्सर्वं समाख्यातं यथा दृष्टं मया पुरा । पुरानुभवजं ज्ञानमवाप्यावितथं तव । अतः परं महाभाग किमन्यत्कथयामि ते ॥ १५.
All this has been explained, just as I saw it before; I have given you knowledge born of past experience, unfailing and true. O fortunate one, what else shall I tell you now?
16(16) पितोवाच कथितं मे त्वया वत्स संसारस्य व्यवस्थितम् । स्वरूपमतिहेयस्य घटीयन्त्रवदव्ययम्॥१६.
The father said: My child, you have described to me the established nature of worldly existence—its true form, unchanging, like a water-clock mechanism, and bewildering to the mind.
तदेवमेतदखिलं मयावगतमीदृशम् । किं मया वद कर्तव्यमेवस्मिन् व्यवस्थिते॥१६.
Thus, I have fully understood all this as you have explained it. Tell me, what should I do now, given this established order?
पुत्र उवाच यदि मद्वचनं तात श्रद्दधास्यविशङ्कितः । तत् परित्यज्य गार्हस्थ्यं वानप्रस्थपरो भव॥१६.
The son said: If you trust my words without doubt, father, then renounce household life and devote yourself to the life of a forest-dweller.
तमनुष्ठाय विधिवद् विहायाग्निपरिग्रहम् । आत्मन्यात्मानमाधया निर्द्वन्द्वो निष्परिग्रहः॥१६.
Having performed the proper rites, and giving up the keeping of sacred fires, establish your self in your own self, free from dualities and possessions.
एकान्तराशी वश्यात्मा भव भिक्षुरतन्द्रितः । तत्र योगापरो भूत्वा बाह्यस्पर्शविवर्जितः॥१६.
Be one who eats little, self-controlled, a tireless mendicant; there, devoted to yoga, avoid contact with external objects.
ततः प्राप्स्यति तं योगं दुः शसंयोगभेषजम् । मुक्तिहेतुमनौपम्यमनाख्येयमसङ्गिनम् । यत्संयोगान्न ते योगो भूयो भूतैर्भविष्यति॥१६.
Then you will attain that yoga, the remedy for the suffering of union with pain, the incomparable and indescribable cause of liberation, unattached; and by that union, you will not again be joined with the elements.
पितोवाच वत्स योगं ममाचक्ष्व मुक्तिहेतुमतः परम् । येन भूतैः पुनर्भूतो नेदृगः खमवाप्नुयाम्॥१६.
The father said: My child, explain to me that yoga, the supreme cause of liberation, by which, having become free from the elements, I will not again enter such a state.
यत्रासक्तिपरस्यात्मा मम संसारबन्धनैः । नैति योगमयोगोऽपि तं योगमधुना वद॥१६.
Tell me now of that yoga in which, even for one attached, the self is not bound by the fetters of worldly existence, whether in yoga or not.
संसारादित्यतापार्ति-विप्लुष्यद्देहमानसम् । ब्रह्मज्ञानाम्बुशीतेन सिञ्च मां वाक्यवारिणा॥१६.
My body and mind are scorched by the burning pain and distress of worldly existence; sprinkle me with the cool water of words, the water of knowledge of Brahman.
अविद्याकृष्णसर्पेण दष्टं तद्विषपीडितम् । स्ववाक्यामृतपानेन मां जीवय पुनर्मृतम्॥१६.
Bitten by the black serpent of ignorance, tormented by its poison, revive me—who am as if dead—by the nectar of your words.
पुत्र-दार-गृह-क्षेत्र-ममत्वनिगजडार्दितम् । मां मोचयेष्टसद्भाव-विज्ञानोद्घाटनैस्त्वरन्॥१६.
Afflicted by the stupefying elephant of attachment to son, wife, house, and land, quickly free me by unlocking the true knowledge of the real and the good.
पुत्र उवाच शृणु तात ! यथा योगो दत्तात्रेयेण धीमता । अलर्काय पुरा प्रोक्तः सम्यक् पृष्टेन विस्तरात्॥१६.
The son said: Listen, father, to the yoga as taught by the wise Dattatreya to Alarka long ago, when he was properly questioned in detail.
पितोवाच दत्तात्रेयः सुतः कस्य कथं वा योगमुक्तवान् । कश्चालर्को महाभागो यो यौगं परिपृष्टवान्॥१६.
The father said: Whose son is Dattatreya, and how did he teach yoga? Who is this fortunate Alarka who questioned him about yoga?