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.
यदातिथिर्गृहे याति महोक्षं पचते द्विजः । अजं वा राजराजेंद्र अतिथिं परिभोजयेत्
When a guest arrives at the house, the twice-born cooks a great ox; or a goat, O king of kings, let the guest be served.
अश्वमेधमखे अश्वं गोमेधे वृषमेव च । नरमेधे नरं राजन्वाजपेये तथा ह्यजान्
In the horse-sacrifice, a horse; in the cow-sacrifice, a bull; in the man-sacrifice, a man, O king; and in the Vājapeya, likewise goats.
राजसूये महाराज प्राणिनां घातनं बहु । पुंडरीके गजं हन्याद्गजमेधेऽथ कुंजरम्
In the Rājasūya, O great king, many living beings are killed; in the Puṇḍarīka, an elephant is slain, and in the Gajamedha, a tusker.
सौत्रामण्यां पशुं मेध्यं मेषमेव प्रदृश्यते । नानारूपेषु सर्वेषु श्रूयतां नृपनंदन
In the Sautrāmaṇī, a sacrificial animal is seen, specifically a ram; in all the various forms, listen, O delight of kings.
नानाजातिविशेषाणां पशूनां घातनं स्मृतम् । यच्चापि दीयते दानं किं तद्दानस्य लक्षणम्
The killing of animals of various kinds and distinctions is prescribed; and whatever is given as a gift, what is the mark of that giving?
ज्ञेयं तदन्नमुच्छिष्टं क्रियते भूरिभोजनम् । अत्यंतदोषहीनांस्तान्हिंसंति यन्महामखे
Know that food left over is made into abundant offerings; those who are utterly free from fault harm in the great sacrifice.
तत्र किं दृश्यते धर्मः किं फलं तत्र भूपते । पशूनां मारणं यत्र निर्दिष्टं वेदपंडितैः
What is seen there as righteousness, what fruit is there, O king? Where the killing of animals is prescribed by Vedic scholars.
तस्माद्विनष्टधर्मं च न पुण्यं मोक्षदायकम् । दयां विना हि यो धर्मः स धर्मो विफलायते
Therefore, where righteousness is lost, there is no merit that grants liberation; for any righteousness without compassion becomes fruitless.
जीवानां पालनं यत्र तत्र धर्मो न संशयः । स्वाहाकारः स्वधाकारस्तपः सत्यं नृपोत्तम
Where the preservation of living beings occurs, there is righteousness without doubt; the utterance of svāhā, svadhā, austerity, and truth, O best of kings.
दयाहीनं चापलं स्यान्नास्ति धर्मस्तु तत्र हि । एते वेदा न वेदाः स्युर्दया यत्र न विद्यते
Where there is lack of compassion, fickleness arises; truly, there is no righteousness there. Those Vedas are not Vedas where compassion is absent.
दयादानपरो नित्यं जीवमेव प्ररक्षयेत् । चांडालोऽप्यथ शूद्रो वा स वै ब्राह्मण उच्यते
One devoted always to compassion and giving protects life; even a Caṇḍāla or a Śūdra is called a brāhmaṇa.
ब्राह्मणो निर्दयो यो वै पशुघातपरायणः । स वै सुनिर्दयः पापी कठिनः क्रूरचेतनः
A brāhmaṇa who is merciless and intent on killing animals is indeed utterly merciless, sinful, hard-hearted, and cruel-minded.
वंचकैः कथितो वेदो यो वेदो ज्ञानवर्जितः । यत्र ज्ञानं भवेन्नित्यं तत्र वेदः प्रतिष्ठति
The Veda spoken by deceivers is a Veda devoid of knowledge; where knowledge always exists, there the Veda stands firm.
दयाहीनेषु वेदेषु विप्रेषु च महामते । नास्ति सत्यं क्रिया तत्र वेदविप्रेषु वै तदा
In Vedas and brāhmaṇas lacking compassion, O wise one, there is no truth or ritual there, truly, in those Vedas and brāhmaṇas.
वेदा न वेदा राजेंद्र ब्राह्मणाः सत्यवर्जिताः । दानस्यापि फलं नास्ति तस्माद्दानं न दीयते
Vedas are not Vedas, O king, and brāhmaṇas are devoid of truth; even the fruit of giving does not exist, therefore giving is not to be performed.
यथा श्राद्धस्य वै चिह्नं तथा दानस्य लक्षणम् । जिनस्यापि च यद्धर्मं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम्
Just as there is a mark of the śrāddha, so is there a mark of giving; and the righteousness of the Jina also grants enjoyment and liberation.
तवाग्रेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि बहुपुण्यप्रदायकम् । आदौ दया प्रकर्तव्या शांतभूतेन चेतसा
In your presence I shall declare that which grants much merit; at the outset, compassion must be practiced with a mind made peaceful.
आराधयेद्धृदा देवं जिनं येन चराचरम् । मनसा शुद्धभावेन जिनमेकं प्रपूजयेत्
One should worship with heart the god Jina, by whom the moving and unmoving exist; with a pure mind, one should honor the one Jina.
नमस्कारः प्रकर्तव्यस्तस्य देवस्य नान्यथा । मातापित्रोस्तु वै पादौ कदा नैव प्रवंदयेत्
One must offer obeisance only to that deity, not otherwise; but as for the feet of mother and father, one should never bow to them.
अन्येषामपि का वार्ता श्रूयतां राजसत्तम । वेन उवाच- एते विप्राश्च आचार्या गंगाद्याः सरितस्तथा
What need is there to speak of others? Listen, O best of kings. Vena said: These Brahmins, teachers, and sacred rivers like the Ganga—