चरितं पावनं दिव्यं वैष्णवं श्रेयआवहम् । भवतामग्रतः सर्वं विष्णोश्चैव प्रसादतः
I will recount before you all the pure, divine, Vaishnava conduct, which brings auspiciousness, by the grace of Vishnu.
पूर्वकल्पे महाभागाः सुक्षेत्रे पापनाशने । रेवातीरे सुपुण्ये च तीर्थे वामनसंज्ञके
In a previous kalpa, O blessed ones, at the sacred site that destroys sin, on the holy bank of the Reva, at the tirtha called Vamana.
कौशिकस्य कुले जातः सोमशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः । स तु पुत्रविहीनस्तु बहुदुःखसमन्वितः
Born in the lineage of Kaushika, Somaśarman was a foremost brahmin; he was childless and afflicted with much suffering.
दारिद्रेण स दुःखेन सर्वदैवप्रपीडितः । पुत्रोपायं धनस्यापि दिवारात्रौ प्रचिंतयेत्
Tormented always by poverty and sorrow, he would ponder day and night the means for obtaining a son and wealth.
एकदा तु प्रिया तस्य सुमना नाम सुव्रता । भर्तारं चिंतयोपेतमधोमुखमलक्षयत्
One day, his beloved wife, named Sumanā, virtuous and devoted, noticed her husband deep in thought, his face cast downward.
समालोक्य तदा कांतं तमुवाच तपस्विनी । दुःखजालैरसंख्यैस्तु तव चित्तं प्रधर्षितम्
Seeing her beloved thus, the ascetic woman spoke: Your mind is overwhelmed by countless webs of sorrow.
व्यामोहेन प्रमूढोसि त्यज चिंतां महामते । मम दुःखं समाचक्ष्व स्वस्थो भव सुखं व्रज
You are bewildered by confusion; abandon worry, O wise one. Tell me your sorrow, be at ease, and find happiness.
नास्ति चिंतासमं दुःखं कायशोषणमेव हि । यश्चिंतां त्यज्य वर्तेत स सुखेन प्रमोदते
There is no suffering equal to worry, for it emaciates the body; whoever lives free from worry enjoys happiness and delight.
चिंतायाः कारणं विप्र कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । प्रियावाक्यं समाकर्ण्य सोमशर्माब्रवीत्प्रियाम्
Tell me, O brahmin, the cause of your worry before me; hearing her loving words, Somaśarman spoke to his beloved.
सोमशर्मोवाच-। इच्छया चिंतितं भद्रे चिंता दुःखस्य कारणम् । तत्सर्वं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रुत्वा चैवावधार्यताम्
Somaśarman said: Out of desire, I have worried, O gentle one; worry is the cause of sorrow. I will tell you everything, listen and understand.
न जाने केन पापेन धनहीनोस्मि सुव्रते । तथा पुत्रविहीनश्च एतद्दुःखस्य कारणम्
I do not know by what sin I am deprived of wealth, O virtuous one; likewise, I am childless—this is the cause of my sorrow.
सुमनोवाच- श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि सर्वसंदेहनाशनम् । स्वरूपमुपदेशस्य सर्वविज्ञानदर्शनम्
Sumanā said: Listen, I will tell you that which dispels all doubt—the true nature of instruction, the vision of all knowledge.
लोभः पापस्य बीजं हि मोहो मूलं च तस्य हि । असत्यं तस्य वै स्कंधो माया शाखा सुविस्तरा
Greed is indeed the seed of sin, and delusion is its root; falsehood is its trunk, and illusion its widespread branches.
दंभकौटिल्यपत्राणि कुबुद्ध्या पुष्पितः सदा । अनृतं तस्य सौगंधं फलमज्ञानमेव च
Hypocrisy and crookedness are its leaves, always flourishing with evil intent; untruth is its fragrance, and ignorance is truly its fruit.
छद्मपाखंडशौर्येर्ष्याः क्रूराः कूटाश्च पापिनः । पक्षिणो मोहवृक्षस्य मायाशाखा समाश्रिताः
Deceit, false doctrine, feigned courage, and envy—these cruel and treacherous sinners are like birds that take shelter in the branches of illusion on the tree of delusion.
अज्ञानं सुफलं तस्य रसोऽधर्मः फलस्य हि । तृष्णोदकेन संवृद्धाऽश्रद्धा तस्य द्रवः प्रिय
Ignorance is its abundant fruit, and the taste of its fruit is unrighteousness; nourished by the water of craving, its sap, dear one, is lack of faith.
अधर्मः सुरसस्तस्य उत्कटो मधुरायते । यादृशैश्च फलैश्चैव सुफलो लोभपादपः
Unrighteousness is its sweet and enticing flavor, appearing intense and pleasant; such are the fruits, and thus the tree of greed is abundantly fruitful.
अस्यच्छायां समाश्रित्य यो नरः परितुष्यते । फलानि तस्य चाश्नाति सुपक्वानि दिनेदिने
Whoever takes refuge in its shade and finds satisfaction there eats its well-ripened fruits day after day.
फलानां तु रसेनापि अधर्मेण तु पालितः । स संतुष्टो भवेन्मर्त्यः पतनायाभिगच्छति
Even by enjoying the taste of its fruits, sustained by unrighteousness, a mortal who is content with them proceeds toward downfall.
तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य पुमाँल्लोभं न कारयेत् । धनपुत्रकलत्राणां चिंतामेकां न कारयेत्
Therefore, abandoning anxiety, a person should not give rise to greed; nor should one be consumed by constant worry for wealth, children, or spouse.
यो हि विद्वान्भवेत्कांत मूर्खाणां पथमेति हि । मूर्खश्चिंतयते नित्यं कथमर्थं ममैव हि
Indeed, the wise man, O dear one, follows a different path from fools; but the fool always worries, 'How will I obtain wealth for myself?'
सुभार्यामिह विंदामि कथं पुत्रानहं लभे । एवं चिंतयते नित्यं दिवारात्रौ विमोहितः
'How will I find a good wife here? How will I obtain sons?'—thus he constantly worries, deluded day and night.
क्षणमेकं प्रपश्येत चिंतामध्ये महत्सुखम् । पुनश्चैतन्यमायाति महादुःखेन पीड्यते
For a single moment, he may perceive great happiness amid his worries, but then awareness returns and he is afflicted again by great sorrow.
मित्राश्च बांधवाः पुत्राः पितृमातृसभृत्यकाः । संबंधिनो भवंत्येव कलत्राणि तथैव च
Friends, relatives, sons, fathers, mothers, and servants—all these become one's relations, as do wives as well.
सोमशर्मोवाच- संबंधः कीदृशो भद्रे तथा विस्तरतो वद । येन संबंधिनः सर्वे धनपुत्रादिबांधवाः
Somaśarman said: 'O blessed one, tell me in detail what kind of relationship this is, by which all these relations—wealth, sons, and other kin—are bound.'
सुमनोवाच- ऋणसंबंधिनः केचित्केचिन्न्यासापहारकाः । लाभप्रदा भवंत्येके उदासीनास्तथापरे
Sumanas said: 'Some are bound by debts, some by the taking of deposits; some become givers of gain, while others remain indifferent.'
भेदैश्चतुर्भिर्जायंते पुत्रमित्रस्त्रियस्तथा । भार्या पिता च माता च भृत्याः स्वजनबांधवाः
By these four distinctions are born sons, friends, wives, as well as wives, fathers, mothers, servants, and one's own kin and relatives.
स्वेनस्वेन हि जायंते संबंधेन महीतले । न्यासापहारभावेन यस्य येन कृतं भुवि
Each is born on earth through his own particular connection; by the act of taking or giving a deposit, whatever has been done by whom on earth.
न्यासस्वामी भवेत्पुत्रो गुणवान्रूपवान्भुवि । येनैवापह्रतं न्यासं तस्य गेहे न संशयः
The owner of the deposit becomes the son, endowed with virtue and beauty in the world; and the one by whom the deposit was taken, in his house—of this there is no doubt.
न्यासापहरणाद्दुःखं स दत्वा दारुणं गतः । न्यासस्वामी सुपुत्रोभून्न्यासापहारकस्य च
Because of the pain caused by taking the deposit, he departs after giving severe suffering; the owner of the deposit becomes a good son, and the taker of the deposit as well.