तप्यमानेन तेनापि सुशंखेन महात्मना । दत्तः शापः कथं विप्रा न यथावच्च जायते
Even by that great soul Suśankha, who was afflicted, a curse was given. O brāhmaṇas, why does it not occur as it should?
वेनस्य पातकाचारं सर्वमेव वदाम्यहम् । तस्मिञ्छासति धर्मज्ञे प्रजापाले महात्मनि
I will tell you all of Vena's sinful conduct. While that righteous, great protector of the people ruled,
पुरुषः कश्चिदायातश्छद्म लिंगधरस्तदा । नग्नरूपो महाकायः शिरोमुंडो महाप्रभः
A certain man arrived then, disguised in false attire, naked in form, of great size, with a shaven head and great radiance.
मार्जनीं शिखिपत्राणां कक्षायां स हि धारयन् । गृहीतं पानपात्रं तु नालिकेरमयं करे
He carried a broom made of peacock feathers in his armpit, and in his hand he held a drinking vessel made of coconut.
पठमानो ह्यसच्छास्त्रं वेदधर्मविदूषकम् । यत्र वेनो महाराजस्तत्रायातस्त्वरान्वितः
Reciting a false scripture that corrupted Vedic dharma, he hurried to where King Vena was.
सभायां तस्य वेनस्य प्रविवेश स पापवान् । तं दृष्ट्वा समनुप्राप्तं वेनः प्रश्नं तदाकरोत्
That sinful man entered Vena's assembly. Seeing him arrive, Vena then questioned him.
भवान्को हि समायात ईदृग्रूपधरो मम । सभायां वर्तमानस्य पुरः कस्मात्समागतः
Who are you, who have come here in such a form? Why have you approached me in my assembly?
को वेषः किं नु ते नाम को धर्मः कर्म ते वद । को वेदस्ते क आचारः किं तपः का प्रभावना
What is your attire? What is your name? What is your dharma? Tell me your actions. What is your Veda? What is your practice? What is your austerity? What is your power?
किं ज्ञानं कः प्रभावस्ते किं सत्यं धर्मलक्षणम् । तत्त्वं सर्वं समाचक्ष्व ममाग्रे सत्यमेव च
What is your knowledge? What is your power? What is truth, the mark of dharma? Tell me everything, the essence, and only the truth, before me.
श्रुत्वा वेनस्य तद्वाक्यं पापो वाक्यमुदाहरत् । पातक उवाच- करोष्येवं वृथा राज्यं महामूढो न संशयः
Hearing Vena's words, the sinful man spoke. The sinner said: You rule the kingdom in vain, utterly deluded, without doubt.
अहं धर्मस्य सर्वस्वमहं पूज्यतमोसुरैः । अहं ज्ञानमहं सत्यमहं धाता सनातनः
I am the entirety of dharma; I am most worshipped by the gods. I am knowledge, I am truth, I am the eternal creator.
अहं धर्मं अहं मोक्षः सर्वदेवमयो ह्यहम् । ब्रह्मदेहात्समुद्भूतः सत्यसंधोऽस्मि नान्यथा
I am dharma, I am liberation, I am composed of all the gods. I am born from the body of Brahma, steadfast in truth, and nothing else.
जिनरूपं विजानीहि सत्यधर्मकलेवरम् । मामेव हि प्रधावंति योगिनो ज्ञानतत्पराः
Know the form of Jina as the embodiment of truth and righteousness; yogis devoted to knowledge indeed hasten to me alone.
वेन उवाच- तवैव कीदृशं कर्म किं ते दर्शनमेव च । किमाचारो वदस्वैहि इत्युक्तं तेन भूभुजा
Vena said: What is your action like, and what is your appearance? What is your conduct? Tell me, as you have been asked by that king.
पातक उवाच- अर्हंतो देवता यत्र निर्ग्रंथो दृश्यते गुरुः । दया चैव परो धर्मस्तत्र मोक्षः प्रदृश्यते
Pātaka said: Where the Arhants are seen as deities, where the unclad teacher appears, and where supreme compassion is the highest dharma—there, liberation is found.
दर्शनेस्मिन्न संदेह आचारान्प्रवदाम्यहम् । यजनं याजनं नास्ति वेदाध्ययनमेव च
In this view, there is no doubt; I will describe the conduct: there is no offering, no making others offer, and no study of the Vedas.
नास्ति संध्या तपो दानं स्वधास्वाहाविवर्जितम् । हव्यकव्यादिकं नास्ति नैव यज्ञादिका क्रिया
There is no twilight worship, no austerity, no giving; oblations to ancestors and gods are absent; there is no offering of clarified butter or other rites, nor any sacrificial acts.
पितॄणां तर्पणं नास्ति नातिथिर्वैश्वदेविकम् । क्षपणस्य वरा पूजा अर्हतो ध्यानमुत्तमम्
There is no ancestral offering, nor hospitality or Vaiśvadeva rite; the best worship is of the ascetic, and supreme meditation is on the Arhant.
अयं धर्मसमाचारो जैनमार्गे प्रदृश्यते । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं निजधर्मस्यलक्षणम्
This is the righteous conduct seen on the Jain path; thus, I have told you all the characteristics of my own dharma.
वेन उवाच- वेदप्रोक्तो यथा धर्मो यत्र यज्ञादिकाः क्रियाः । पितॄणां तर्पणं श्राद्धं वैश्वदेवं न दृश्यते
Vena said: As the dharma spoken of in the Vedas, where sacrificial acts are performed, the ancestral offerings, śrāddha, and Vaiśvadeva are not seen.
न दानं तप एवास्ति क्वास्ते धर्मस्य लक्षणम् । वद सत्यं ममाग्रे तु दयाधर्मं च कीदृशम्
There is no giving, nor austerity—where, then, is the mark of dharma? Tell me truly before me, and what is this dharma of compassion like?
पातक उवाच- पंचतत्त्वप्रवृद्धोयं प्राणिनां काय एव च । आत्मा वायुस्वरूपोयं तेषां नास्ति प्रसंगता
Pātaka said: This body of living beings is grown from the five elements; the self is of the nature of air—there is no connection among them.
यथा जलेषु भूतानामपिसंगमवेहि तत् । जायते बुद्बुदाकारं तद्वद्भूतसमागमः
Just as among waters, know that there is no mingling of beings; a bubble arises, and so is the coming together of elements.
पृथ्वीभावो रजःस्थस्तु चापस्तत्रैव संस्थिताः । ज्योतिस्तत्र प्रदृश्येत सुवायुर्वर्तते त्रिषु
The earth element remains in dust, and water is established there; light is seen there, and fine air moves among the three.
आकाशमावृणोत्पश्चाद्बुद्बुदत्वं प्रजायते । अप्सुमध्ये प्रभात्येव सुतेजो वर्तुलं वरम्
Space envelops afterwards, and the state of a bubble is produced; in the midst of water, a radiant, round brilliance appears.
क्षणमात्रं प्रदृश्येत क्षणान्नैव च दृश्यते । तद्वद्भूतसमायोगः सर्वत्र परिदृश्यते
It is seen only for a moment, and then is not seen at all; in the same way, the union of elements is observed everywhere.
अंतकाले प्रयात्यात्मा पंच पंचसु यांति ते । मोहमुग्धास्ततो मर्त्या वर्तंते च परस्परम्
At the end, the self departs, and the five elements return to their sources; deluded by ignorance, mortals continue to interact with each other.
श्राद्धं कुर्वंति मोहेन क्षयाहे पितृतर्पणम् । क्वास्ते मृतः समश्नाति कीदृशोऽसौ नृपोत्तम
Out of delusion, they perform śrāddha and offerings to ancestors on the day of their decline; where is the dead one who eats, O best of kings, and what is he like?
किं ज्ञानं कीदृशं कायं केन दृष्टं वदस्व नः । मिष्टान्नं भोजयित्वा च तृप्ता यांति च ब्राह्मणाः
What knowledge, what kind of body, by whom is it seen? Tell us. After feeding the brāhmaṇas with delicious food, they depart satisfied.
कस्य श्राद्धं प्रदीयेत सा तु श्रद्धा निरर्थिका । अन्यदेवं प्रवक्ष्यामि वेदानां कर्म दारुणम्
For whom is the śrāddha offered? That faith is indeed fruitless. I will now speak of something else—the harshness of Vedic ritual acts.