अन्यच्च ते प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रोतुमिच्छसि यत्पते । ईदृशे चापि धर्मे तु वर्तते यो नरः सदा
And now I shall tell you further, O lord, what you wish to hear; whoever always abides in such dharma—
संसारे तस्य संभूतिः पुनरेव न जायते । स्वर्गं गच्छति धर्मेण सत्यंसत्यं वदाम्यहम्
For him, rebirth in this world does not occur again; by dharma he attains heaven—this is the truth, the truth I declare.
एवं ज्ञात्वा महाप्राज्ञ धर्ममेव व्रजस्व हि । सर्वं हि प्राप्यते कांत यदसाध्यं महीतले
Knowing thus, O great wise one, you should indeed pursue dharma; for, O beloved, everything is attained thereby, even what is unattainable on earth.
धर्मप्रसादतस्तस्मात्कुरु वाक्यं ममैव हि । भार्यायास्तुवचः श्रुत्वा सोमशर्मा सुबुद्धिमान्
Therefore, by the grace of dharma, follow my words; hearing his wife’s speech, Somaśarman, wise in understanding—
पुनः प्रोवाच तां भार्यां सुमनां धर्मवादिनीम्
Once again addressed his virtuous wife, Sumanā, who spoke of dharma.
सोमशर्मोवाच- एवंविधं महापुण्यं धर्मव्याख्यानमुत्तमम् । कथं जानासि भद्रे त्वं कस्माच्चैव त्वया श्रुतम्
Somaśarman said: Such is this most virtuous and supreme exposition of dharma; how do you know this, O good lady, and from whom did you hear it?
सुमनोवाच-। भार्गवाणां कुले जातः पिता मम महामते । च्यवनो नाम विख्यातः सर्वज्ञानविशारदः
Sumanā said: In the lineage of the Bhārgavas was born my father, O most wise one; his name is Cyavana, renowned and skilled in all knowledge.
तस्याहं प्रिय कन्या वै प्राणादपि च वल्लभा । यत्रयत्र व्रजत्येष तीर्थारामेषु सुव्रत
I am his dear daughter, more beloved than life itself; wherever he goes, O virtuous one, to holy places and groves—
सभासु च मुनीनां तु देवतायतनेषु च । तेन सार्द्धं व्रजाम्येका क्रीडमाना सदैव हि
And in the assemblies of sages, and in temples of the gods, I always go with him alone, ever playing.
कौशिकान्वयसंभूतो वेदशर्मा महामतिः । पितुर्मम सखा दैवादटमानः समागतः
Born in the lineage of Kauśika, Vedaśarman, of great wisdom, by fate, came as a friend of my father while wandering.
दुःखेन महताविष्टश्चिंतयानो मुहुर्मुहुः । समागतं महात्मानं तमुवाच पिता मम
Overwhelmed by great sorrow, reflecting again and again, my father spoke to that noble soul who had arrived.
भवंतं दुःखसंतप्तमिति जानामि सुव्रत । कस्माद्दुःखी भवाञ्जातस्तस्मात्त्वं कारणं वद
O virtuous one, I know you are afflicted by suffering; tell me, for what reason have you become sorrowful?
एतद्वाक्यं ततः श्रुत्वा च्यवनस्य महात्मनः । तमुवाच महात्मानं पितरं मम सुव्रतः
Hearing these words from the great Cyavana, the virtuous one spoke to my noble father.
वेदशर्मा महाप्राज्ञ सर्वदुःखस्य कारणम् । मम भार्या महासाध्वी पातिव्रत्यपरायणा
Vedaśarma, wise and learned, said: The cause of all my sorrow is that my wife, a great and devoted woman, steadfast in fidelity—
अपुत्रा सा हि संजाता मम वंशो न विद्यते । एतत्ते कारणं प्रोक्तं प्रश्नितोस्मि यतस्त्वया
—has become childless, and my lineage does not continue; this is the reason, as you have asked me.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तः कश्चित्सिद्धः समागतः । मम पित्रा तथा तेन ह्युत्थाय वेदशर्मणा
At that moment, a certain accomplished sage arrived, and my father, together with him, rose to greet Vedaśarma.
द्वाभ्यामपि च सिद्धोसौ पूजितो भक्तिपूर्वकैः । उपहारैस्स भोज्यान्नैर्वचनैर्मधुराक्षरैः
Both of them worshipped that sage with deep devotion, offering gifts, fine foods, and words sweetly spoken.
द्वाभ्यामन्तर्गतं पृष्टं पूर्वोक्तं च यथा त्वया । उभौ तौ प्राह धर्मात्मा ससखं पितरं मम
Asked by both, as you had previously inquired, that righteous sage spoke to my father and his companion.
धर्मस्य कारणं सर्वं मयोक्तं ते तथा किल । धर्मेण प्राप्यते पुत्रो धनं धान्यं तथा स्त्रियः
I have told you the entire cause of dharma, just as it is; by dharma one attains a son, wealth, grain, and wives.
ततस्तेन कृतं धर्मं संपूर्णं वेदशर्मणा । तस्माद्धर्मात्सुसंजातं महत्सौख्यं सपुत्रकम्
Then, Vedaśarma performed complete dharma, and from that dharma arose great happiness, together with a son.
तेन संगप्रसंगेन ममैष मतिनिश्चयः । यथा कांत तव प्रोक्तं मयैव च परं शुभम्
From that association and its influence, this is my firm conviction, as you have declared, and as I myself have spoken, for the highest good.
तस्माच्छ्रुतं महासिद्धात्सर्वसंदेहनाशनम् । विप्रधर्मं समाश्रित्य अनुवर्त्तस्व सर्वदा
Therefore, having heard from the great sage that which dispels all doubts, always follow the dharma of the brahmins.
सोमशर्मोवाच- धर्मेण कीदृशो मृत्युर्जन्म चैव वदस्व मे । उभयोर्लक्षणं कांते तत्सर्वं हि वदस्व मे
Somaśarma said: By dharma, what kind of death and birth occur? Tell me, beloved, the characteristics of both—tell me all of this.
सुमनोवाच- सत्य शौच क्षमा शांति तीर्थपुण्यादिकैस्तथा । धर्मश्च पालितो येन तस्य मृत्युं वदाम्यहम्
Sumana said: Truth, purity, forgiveness, peace, and merit from holy places—by these, and by upholding dharma, I will tell you of his death.
रोगो न जायते तस्य न च पीडा कलेवरे । न श्रमो वै न च ग्लानिर्न च स्वेदो भ्रमस्तथा
He does not suffer disease, nor pain in the body; there is no fatigue, no exhaustion, no sweating, nor confusion.
दिव्यरूपधरा भूत्वा गंधर्वा ब्राह्मणास्तथा । वेदपाठसमायुक्ता गीतज्ञानविशारदाः
Assuming a divine form, gandharvas and brahmins, skilled in reciting the Vedas and expert in the knowledge of song, approach.
तस्य पार्श्वं समायांति स्तुतिं कुर्वंति चातुलाम् । स्वस्थो हि आसने युक्तो देवपूजारतः किल
They come near him, offering abundant praise, as he sits at ease, devoted to the worship of the gods.
तीर्थं च लभते प्राज्ञः स्नानार्थं धर्मतत्परः । अग्न्यागारे च गोस्थाने देवतायतनेषु च
The wise one, intent on dharma, attains holy waters for bathing, whether at the fire altar, in the cow pen, or in the temples of the gods.
आरामे च तडागे च यत्राश्वत्थो वटस्तथा । ब्रह्मवृक्षं समाश्रित्य श्रीवृक्षं च तथा पुनः
In a garden or by a pond, wherever there is an ashvattha or banyan tree, taking refuge in the sacred tree, and likewise in the tree of fortune,
अश्वस्थानं समाश्रित्य गजस्थानगतो नरः । अशोकं चूतवृक्षं च समाश्रित्य यदास्थितः
Taking shelter at the place of the ashvattha, or at the place of the elephant, a person who stands by the ashoka or mango tree,