परः पराणां सकला न यत्र क्लेशादयः संति परावरेशे
He is the supreme among the supreme, where there is no suffering or the like, the Lord of the higher and lower.
सर्वेश्वरः सर्वनिसर्गवेत्ता समस्कशक्तिः परमेश्वराख्यः
He is the Lord of all, the knower of all creation, endowed with all powers, called the Supreme Lord.
तत्प्राप्तिकारणं ब्रह्म तवेतत्प्रतिपद्यते
That Brahman, which is the cause for attaining him, is thus realized by you.
स्वाध्याययोगसंपत्त्या परमात्मा प्रकाशते
Through the attainment of self-study and yoga, the Supreme Self becomes manifest.
न मांसचक्षुषा द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मभूतः स शक्यते
He who has become Brahman cannot be seen with the fleshly eye.
ज्ञाते यन्नाखिलाधारं पश्येयं परमेश्वरम्
When known, I would see the Supreme Lord, the support of all.
जनकाय पुरा योगं तथाहं कथयामि ते
I will tell you, as I once told Janaka, about yoga.
कथं तयोश्च संवादो योगसंबन्धवानभूत्
How did the conversation between those two, connected with yoga, take place?
कृतध्वजो ऽस्य भ्राताभूत्सदाध्यात्मरतिर्नृपः
Kritadhvaja, his brother, was a king always devoted to the Self.
पुत्रो ऽमितव्वजस्यापि खाण्डिक्यजनकाभिधः पुरोधसा मन्त्रिभिश्च समवेतो ऽल्पसाधनः
His son, though possessing little wealth, named Janaka of the Khaṇḍikya line, was surrounded by priests and ministers.
इयाडज सो ऽपि सुबहून यज्ञाञ्ज्ञानव्यपाश्रयः
He too performed many sacrifices, relying on knowledge.
एकदा वर्तमानस्य यागे योगविदां वर
Once, while a sacrifice was underway, O best of knowers of yoga—
ततो राजा हतां ज्ञात्वा धेनुं व्याघ्रेण चर्त्विजः
Then the king learned that a cow, the sacrificial animal, had been killed by a tiger.
ते चोचुर्नवयंविद्मः कशेरुः पृच्छ्यतामिति
And they said, 'We do not know; let someone ask who did this.'
शुनकं पृच्छ राजेन्द्र वेद स वेत्स्यति
O King, ask Śunaka; he knows the Veda.
न कशेरुर्नचैवाहं न चान्यः सांप्रतं भुवि
Neither Kaśeru, nor I, nor anyone else on earth at present knows.
स चाह तं व्रजाम्येष प्रष्टुमात्मरिपुं मुने
He said to him: 'I am going now, O sage, to question my enemy.'
प्रायश्चित्तं स चेत्पृष्टो वदिष्यति रिपुर्मम
If my enemy is asked, he will declare the expiation.
इत्युक्त्वा रथमारुह्य कृष्णाजिनधरो नृपः
Having said this, the king, wearing a black antelope skin, mounted his chariot.
तमायान्तं समालोक्य खाञ्जडिक्यो रिपुमात्मनः
Seeing him approaching, Khāṇḍikya, the enemy of his soul, said—
कृष्णाजिनत्वक्कवचभावेनास्मान्हनिष्यसि
With the black antelope skin as armor, you intend to kill us.
मृगानां वद पृष्टेषु मूढ कृष्णाजिनं न किम्
Fool, tell me: among animals with backs, is the black antelope skin not theirs?
स त्वामहं हनिष्यामि न मे जीवन्विमोक्ष्यसे
I will kill you; I will not let you go alive.
खाण्डिक्य संशयं प्रष्टुं भवन्तमहमागतः
Khāṇḍikya, I have come to you to ask a question.
ततः स मन्त्रिभिः सार्द्धमेकान्ते सपुरोहितः
Then, together with his ministers and the chief priest, he withdrew to a secluded place.
तमूर्मन्त्रिणो वध्यो रिपुरेष वशङ्गतः
The ministers said: 'This enemy, now under your power, should be executed.'
खाण्डिक्यश्चाह तान्सर्वानेव मेव न संशयः
Khāṇḍikya said to them all: 'There is no doubt about this for me.'
परलोकजयस्तस्य पृथिवी सकला मम
If he wins the next world, the whole earth will be mine.
परलोकजयो ऽनन्तः स्वल्पकालो महीजयः
Victory in the next world is endless; victory on earth is brief.
ततस्तमभ्युपेत्याह खाण्डिक्यो जनको रिपुम्
Then Khāṇḍikya approached his enemy Janaka and spoke to him.