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—
वदंति पुण्यतीर्थानि बहुपुण्यप्रदानि च । तत्किं वदस्व सत्यं मे यदि धर्ममिहेच्छसि
They declare that these are holy places, bestowing much merit; so tell me truly, if you desire righteousness here, what is your view?
पातक उवाच- आकाशाद्वै महाराज मेघा वर्षंति वै जलम् । भूमौ हि पर्वतेष्वेवं सर्वत्र पतिते जलम्
The embodiment of sin said: O great king, clouds pour down water from the sky; that water falls everywhere on the earth, on mountains and all places.
स आप्लाव्य ततस्तिष्ठेद्दयां सर्वत्र भावयेत् । नद्यः पापप्रवाहास्तु तासु तीर्थं श्रुतं कथम्
That water, after flooding, remains, and one should cultivate compassion everywhere; but the rivers are streams of sin—how then are they called holy places?
जलाशया महाराज तडागाः सागरास्तथा । पृथिव्याधारकाश्चैव गिरयो अश्मराशयः
O king, reservoirs of water, lakes, and oceans, as well as the mountains and rocky beds that support the earth—
नास्त्येतेषु च वै तीर्थं जलैर्जलदमुत्तमम् । स्नाने यदा महत्पुण्यं कस्मान्मत्स्येषु वै नहि
In these, there is truly no holy place, nor is water superior to water; if bathing brings great merit, why is it not so among the fish?
दृष्टा स्नानेन वै सिद्धिर्मीनाः शुद्ध्यंति नान्यथा । यत्र जिनस्तत्र तीर्थं तत्र धर्मः सनातनः
It is seen that only by bathing do fish become purified, not otherwise; where the Jina is, there is the holy place, there is the eternal dharma.
तपोदानादिकं सर्वं पुण्यं तत्र प्रतिष्ठितम्
All merit arising from austerity, charity, and the like is established there.
एको जिनः सर्वमयो नृपेंद्र नास्त्येव धर्मं परमं हि तीर्थम् । अयं तु लाभः परमस्तु तस्माद्ध्य्यास्व नित्यं सुसुखो भविष्यसि
The one Jina is all-pervading, O king; there is truly no higher dharma, no greater holy place. This indeed is the supreme gain; therefore, meditate always, and you will be supremely happy.
विनिंद्य धर्मं सकलं सवेदं दानं सपुण्यं परयज्ञरूपम् । पापस्वभावैर्बहुबोधितो नृपस्त्वंगस्य पुत्रो भुवि तेन पापिना
Rejecting all dharma, the Vedas, charity, merit, and the highest form of sacrifice, you, king, have been instructed by many with sinful tendencies, being the son of Anga, by that sinner on earth.
सूत उवाच- एवं संबोधितो वेनः पापभावं गतः किल । पुरुषेण तेन जैनेन महापापेन मोहितः
Sūta said: Thus addressed, Vena indeed became possessed by sin, deluded by that Jain man, the great sinner.