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.
गुणवान्रूपवांश्चैव सर्वलक्षणसंयुतः । भक्तिं तु दर्शयंस्तस्य पुत्रो भूत्वा दिनेदिने
Endowed with virtues and beauty, possessing all auspicious marks, he shows devotion to that person, becoming his son day by day.
प्रियवाङ्मधुरो रोगी बहुस्नेहं विदर्शयन् । स्वीयं द्रव्यं समुद्गृह्य प्रीतिमुत्पाद्य चोत्तमाम्
Speaking sweet and pleasant words, though afflicted by illness, he displays much affection, takes possession of his own wealth, and produces the highest joy.
यथा येन प्रदत्तं स्यान्न्यासस्य हरणात्पुरा । दुःखमेव महाभाग दारुणं प्राणनाशनम्
Just as, by whomever it was given before, the taking away of a trust leads only to suffering, O blessed one, terrible and destructive of life.
तादृशं तस्य सौहृद्यात्पुत्रो भूत्वा महागुणैः । अल्पायुषस्तथा भूत्वा मरणं चोपगच्छति
In this way, out of friendship for him, becoming his son with great qualities, he is born with a short life and then meets with death.
दुःखं दत्वा प्रयात्येवं भूत्वाभूत्वा पुनःपुनः । यदा हा पुत्रपुत्रेति प्रलापं हि करोति सः
Causing sorrow, he departs, thus being born and dying again and again; whenever he laments, 'Alas, my son, my son!'
तदा हास्यं करोत्येव कस्य पुत्रो हि कः पिता । अनेनापहृतं न्यासं मदीयस्योपकारणम्
Then he laughs, saying, 'Whose son is he, and who is the father? By this one the trust was taken, which was for my benefit.'
द्रव्यापहरणेनापि न मे प्राणा गताः किल । दुःखेन महता चैव असह्येन च वै पुरा
Even by the taking of my wealth, my life was not lost; but before, there was great and unbearable suffering.
तथा दुःखं प्रदत्वाहं द्रव्यमुद्गृह्य चोत्तमम् । गंतास्मि सुभृशं चाद्य कस्याहं सुत ईदृशः
Thus, having caused suffering and taken the best wealth, I will depart today in great haste; whose son am I, such as I am?
न चैष मे पिता पुत्रः पूर्वमेव न कस्यचित् । पिशाचत्वं मया दत्तमस्यैवेति दुरात्मनः
He is not my father, nor was I ever his son, nor anyone else's before; I have given him the state of a demon, thus is the nature of the wicked.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रयात्येवं तं प्रहस्य पुनःपुनः । प्रयात्यनेन मार्गेण दुःखं दत्वा सुदारुणम्
Having spoken thus, he departs, laughing again and again; he goes by that path, having caused very terrible suffering.