महामोहेन संमुग्धः प्रियया बोधितो द्विज । तयाहं प्रेषितस्तात तव पार्श्वं समातुरः
'Deluded by great ignorance, I was instructed by my beloved wife; sent by her, father, I have come to your side, afflicted.'
तत्सर्वं हि समाचक्ष्व सर्वसंदेहनाशकम् । मुक्तिदाता भवस्व त्वं ममसंसारबंधनात्
'Tell me all that destroys every doubt; be the giver of liberation to me from the bondage of worldly existence.'
वसिष्ठ उवाच- पुत्रा मित्राण्यथ भ्राता अन्ये स्वजनबांधवाः । पंचभेदास्तु संभेदात्पुरुषस्य भवंति ते
Vasiṣṭha said: 'Sons, friends, brothers, and other relatives—these fivefold groups arise for a person through association.'
ते ते सुमनया प्रोक्ताः पूर्वमेव तवाग्रतः । ऋणसंबंधिनः सर्वे ते कुपुत्रा द्विजोत्तम
'All these, previously described to you with a cheerful mind, are bound by debts; all of them are bad sons, O best of brahmins.'
पुत्रस्य लक्षणं पुण्यं तवाग्रे प्रवदाम्यहम् । पुण्यप्रसक्तो यस्यात्मा सत्यधर्मरतः सदा
'Now I shall tell you, in your presence, the marks of a virtuous son: one whose soul is devoted to merit, always delighting in truth and righteousness.'
शुद्धिविज्ञानसंपन्नस्तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरः । सर्वकर्मसुसंधीरो वेदाध्ययनतत्परः
'Endowed with purity and knowledge, austere, foremost among speakers, steadfast in all actions, and devoted to study of the Vedas.'
स सर्वशास्त्रवेत्ता च देवब्राह्मणपूजकः । याजकः सर्वयज्ञानां दाता त्यागी प्रियंवदः
'He knows all the scriptures, worships gods and brahmins, performs all sacrifices, is generous, selfless, and speaks kindly.'
विष्णुध्यानपरो नित्यं शांतो दांतः सुहृत्सदा । पितृमातृपरोनित्यं सर्वस्वजनवत्सलः
'Always intent on meditation upon Viṣṇu, ever peaceful, self-controlled, always a friend, ever devoted to father and mother, and affectionate to all his kin.'
कुलस्य तारको विद्वान्कुलस्य परिपोषकः । एवं गुणैश्च संयुक्तः सपुत्रः सुखदायकः
A learned man is the savior of his family, the nourisher of his lineage; endowed with such qualities, together with sons, he brings happiness.
अन्ये संबंधसंयुक्ताः शोकसंतापदायकाः । एतादृशेन किं कार्यं फलहीनेन तेन च
Others, bound only by relation, bring sorrow and distress; what use is such a one, who is fruitless?
आयांति यांति ते सर्वे तापं दत्वा सुदारुणम् । पुत्ररूपेण ते सर्वे संसारे द्विजसत्तम
They come and go, all of them, causing severe pain; all these, in the form of sons, O best of twice-born, exist in the world.
पूर्वजन्मकृतं पुण्यं यत्त्वया परिपालितम् । तत्सर्वं हि प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतामद्भुतं पुनः
The merit you accumulated and preserved in your previous birth, I shall now recount in full—listen again to this wondrous tale.
वसिष्ठ उवाच- भवाञ्छूद्रो महाप्राज्ञ पूर्वजन्मनि नान्यथा । कृषिकर्त्ता ज्ञानहीनो महालोभेन संयुतः
Vasiṣṭha said: You were a Śūdra, O wise one, in your former birth, not otherwise; a farmer, lacking knowledge, filled with great greed.
एकभार्या सदा द्वेषी बहुपुत्रो ह्यदत्तवान् । धर्मं नैव विजानासि सत्यं नैव परिश्रुतम्
Having one wife, always hostile, with many sons you gave nothing; you did not know righteousness, nor had you ever heard of truth.
दानं नैव त्वया दत्तं शास्त्रं नैव प्रतिश्रुतम् । कृता नैव त्वया तीर्थे यात्रा चैव महामते
You never gave gifts, nor did you study scripture; you never undertook pilgrimages to holy places, O wise one.
एवं कृतं त्वया विप्र कृषिमार्गं पुनः पुनः । पशूनां पालनं सर्व गवां चैव द्विजोत्तम
Thus you repeatedly engaged in farming, O brāhmaṇa, and in caring for all animals and cows, O best of twice-born.
महिषीणां तथाऽश्वानां पालनं च पुनः पुनः । एवं पू र्वंकृतं कर्म त्वयैव द्विजसत्तम
Likewise, you repeatedly tended buffaloes and horses; such was the work you did before, O best of brāhmaṇas.
विपुलं च धनं तद्वल्लोभेन परिसंचितम् । तस्य व्ययं सुपुण्येन न कृतं तु त्वया कदा
You amassed great wealth, gathered out of greed; yet you never spent it for meritorious acts.
पात्रे दानं न दत्तं तु दृष्ट्वा दुर्बलमेव च । कृपां कृत्वा न दत्तं तु भवता धनमेव च
You did not give charity to the worthy, even when seeing the weak; you did not give out of compassion, but only hoarded your wealth.
गोमहिष्यादिकं सर्वं पशूनां संचितं त्वया । विक्रीय च धनं विप्र संचितं विपुलं त्वया
All the cows, buffaloes, and other animals were gathered by you; selling them, O brāhmaṇa, you amassed great wealth.
तक्रं घृतं तथा क्षीरं विक्रयित्वा ततो दधि । दुष्कालं चिंतितं विप्र मोहितो विष्णुमायया
You sold buttermilk, ghee, and milk, and then curds; you worried about hard times, deluded by Viṣṇu's illusion.
कृतं महार्घमेवात्र अन्नं ब्राह्मणसत्तम । निर्दयेन त्वया दानं न दत्तं तु कदाचन
You made food very expensive, O best of brāhmaṇas; you never gave charity, being pitiless.
देवानां पूजनं विप्र भवता न कृतं कदा । प्राप्य पर्वाणि विप्रेभ्यो द्रव्यं न च समर्पितम्
You never worshipped the gods, O brāhmaṇa; even during festivals, you did not offer gifts to the brāhmaṇas.
श्राद्धंकालंतुसंप्राप्यश्रद्धयानकृतंत्वया । भार्या वदति ते साध्वी दिनमेनं समागतम्
When the time for ancestral rites arrived, you did not perform them with faith; your virtuous wife would remind you of the day.
श्वशुरस्य श्राद्धकालः श्वश्र्वाश्चैव महामते । त्वं श्रुत्वा तद्वचस्तस्या गृहं त्यक्त्वा पलायसे
It was the time for your father-in-law's and mother-in-law's ancestral rites, O wise one; hearing your wife's words, you would leave the house and flee.
धर्ममार्गं न दृष्टं ते श्रुतं नैव कदा त्वया । लोभो मातापिता भ्राता लोभः स्वजनबांधवाः
You never saw the path of righteousness, nor ever heard of it; greed was your mother, father, brother, and greed was your kin and relatives.
पालितं लोभमेवैकं त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सदैव हि । तस्माद्दुःखी भवाञ्जातो दरिद्रेणातिपीडितः
You have always upheld greed alone, having abandoned righteousness; therefore, you were born miserable, afflicted by extreme poverty.
दिनेदिने महातृष्णा हृदये ते प्रवर्द्धते । यदायदा गृहे द्रव्यं वृद्धिमायाति ते तदा
Day by day, great craving grows in your heart, especially whenever wealth in your house increases.
तृष्णया दह्यमानस्तु तया त्वं वह्निरूपया । रात्रौ वा सुप्रसुप्तस्तु निश्चितो हि प्रचिंतसि
Burned by that craving, which is like fire, even when you sleep soundly at night, you are certainly anxious in your thoughts.
दिनं प्राप्य महामोहैर्व्यापितोसि सदैव हि । सहस्रं लक्षं मे कोटिः कदा अर्बुदमेव च
When day arrives, you are always occupied with great delusions: 'When will I have a thousand, a hundred thousand, a crore, or even ten million?'