नौषधं न तपो दानं न माता न च बांधवाः । शक्नुवंति परित्रातुं नरं कालेन पीडितम्
No medicine, no austerity, no gift, neither mother nor relatives, can save a man afflicted by time.
रसायन तपो जाप्ययोगसिद्धैर्महात्मभिः । अवांतरितशांतिः स्यात्कालमृत्युमवाप्नुयात्
Through elixirs, austerity, recitation, and yogic accomplishments by great souls, only temporary relief is possible; but death ordained by time will still be attained.
जायते योनिकीटेषु मृतः कर्मवशात्पुनः । देहभेदेन यः पश्येद्वियोगं कर्मसंक्षयात्
One who dies is born again among wombs of insects and the like, according to karma; he perceives separation through the dissolution of karma, with a change of body.
मरणं तद्विनिर्दिष्टं न नाशः परमार्थतः । महातमः प्रविष्टस्य छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु
That which is called death is only so designated; in truth, there is no destruction, even when vital points are severed and one enters deep darkness.
यद्दुःखं मरणे जंतोर्न तस्येहोपमा क्वचित् । हा तात मातः कांतेति क्रंदत्येवं सुदुःखितः
There is no suffering in existence to compare with the pain of death for a living being; in such deep distress, he cries out, 'Alas, father! Mother! Beloved!'
मंडूक इव सर्पेण ग्रस्यते मृत्युना जगत् । बांधवैः स परित्यक्तः प्रियैश्च परिवारितः
Just as a frog is swallowed by a serpent, so the world is seized by death; abandoned by relatives, yet surrounded by loved ones.
निःश्वसन्दीर्घमुष्णं च मुखेन परिशुष्यता । खट्वायां परिवृत्तो हि मुह्यते च मुहुर्मुहुः
Breathing long and hot through a parched mouth, lying on a bed, he turns restlessly and loses consciousness again and again.
संमूढः क्षिपतेत्यर्थं हस्तपादावितस्ततः । खट्वातो वांछते भूमिं भूमेः खट्वां पुनर्महीम्
Confused, he flings his hands and feet about aimlessly; from the bed he longs for the ground, and from the ground he again desires the bed.
विवशस्त्यक्तलज्जश्च मूत्रविष्ठानुलेपितः । याचमानश्च सलिलं शुष्ककंठोष्ठतालुकः
Helpless, having lost all shame, smeared with urine and feces, he begs for water, his throat, lips, and palate dried up.
चिंतयानः स्ववित्तानि कस्यैतानि मृते मयि । यमदूतैर्नीयमानः कालपाशेन कर्षितः
Reflecting on his wealth—'To whom will these belong when I am gone?'—he is dragged by the noose of time, led away by the messengers of Yama.
म्रियते पश्यतामेवं गलो घुरुघुरायते । जीवस्तृणजलौकेव देहाद्देहं विशेत्क्रमात्
He dies before the very eyes of those present, his throat making a gurgling sound; the life force, like a leech or a blade of grass in water, gradually leaves the body.
प्राप्नोत्युत्तरमंगं च देहं त्यजति पूर्वकम् । मरणात्प्रार्थनाद्दुःखमधिकं हि विवेकिनाम्
It reaches the upper limbs and leaves the former body; for the wise, the suffering of death is greater than that of desire.
क्षणिकं मरणे दुःखमनंतं प्रार्थनाकृतम् । जगतां पतिरर्थित्वाद्विष्णुर्वामनतां गतः
The suffering at death is momentary, but that caused by desire is endless; even Vishnu, lord of the worlds, became a dwarf because of a request.
अधिकः कोपरस्तस्माद्यो न यास्यति लाघवम् । ज्ञातं मयेदमधुना मृत्योर्भवति यद्गुरुः
Therefore, anger is greater than these, for it will not be set aside lightly; now I have understood what is truly weighty about death.
न परं प्रार्थयेद्भूयस्तृष्णालाघवकारणम् । आदौ दुःखं तथा मध्ये दुःखमंते च दारुणम्
One should not desire more, for it is caused by the lightness of craving; in the beginning there is suffering, in the middle likewise suffering, and in the end, severe pain.
निसर्गात्सर्वभूतानामिति दुःख परंपरा । वर्तमानान्यतीतानि दुःखान्येतानि यानि तु
Thus, for all beings by their very nature, there is an unbroken succession of suffering—these present, past, and whatever other pains there are.
न नरः शोचयेज्जन्म न विरज्यति तेन वै । अत्याहारान्महद्दुःखमल्पाहारात्तदंतरम्
A man should not grieve over birth, nor does he become detached by it; from overeating comes great suffering, from eating little, a different kind.
त्रुटते भोजने कंठो भोजने च कुतः सुखम् । क्षुधा हि सर्वरोगाणां व्याधिः श्रेष्ठतमः स्मृतः
The throat is strained by eating, so how can there be happiness in eating? For hunger is remembered as the foremost disease among all illnesses.
सच्छांतौषधलेपेन क्षणमात्रं प्रशाम्यति । क्षुद्व्याधि वेदना तीव्रा निःशेषबलकृंतनी
By the application of good food or medicine, it is calmed only for a moment; the pain of the disease of hunger is intense, destroying all strength.
तयाभिभूतो म्रियते यथान्यैर्व्याधिभिर्नरः । तद्रसेपि हि किं सौख्यं जिह्वाग्रपरिवर्तिनि
Overcome by it, a man dies just as by other diseases; and even in the taste, what happiness is there, as it turns at the tip of the tongue?
तत्क्षणादर्धकालेन कंठं प्राप्य निवर्तते । इति क्षुद्व्याधितप्तानामन्नमोषधवत्स्मृतम्
In that instant or half a moment, having reached the throat, it passes away; thus, for those scorched by the disease of hunger, food is considered like medicine.
न तत्सुखाय मंतव्यं परमार्थेन पंडितैः । मृतोपमश्च यः शेते सर्वकार्यविवर्जितः
That should not be regarded as happiness in truth by the wise; and one who lies like the dead, devoid of all activity—
तत्रापि च कुतः सौख्यं तमसा चोदितात्मनः । प्रबोधेपि कुतः सौख्यं कार्येषूपहतात्मनः
Even there, how can there be happiness for one whose mind is driven by darkness? And even when awake, how can there be happiness for one whose mind is oppressed by duties?
कृषिवाणिज्यसेवाद्य गोरक्षादि परश्रमैः । प्रातर्मूत्रपुरीषाभ्यां मध्याह्ने क्षुत्पिपासया
By the great labors of farming, trade, service, cow-tending, and the like, in the morning with urination and defecation, at midday with hunger and thirst—
तृप्ताः काम्येन बाध्यंते निद्रया निशि जंतवः । अर्थस्योपार्जने दुःखं दुःखमर्जितरक्षणे
Creatures, satisfied by desire, are troubled by sleep at night; in acquiring wealth there is suffering, and suffering in protecting what is acquired.
नाशे दुःखं व्यये दुःखमर्थस्यैव कुतः सुखम् । चौरेभ्यः सलिलेभ्योग्नेः स्वजनात्पार्थिवादपि
In its loss there is suffering, in its expenditure suffering—so how can there be happiness in wealth? From thieves, from water, from fire, from one's own people, and even from rulers—
भयमर्थवतां नित्यं मृत्योर्देहभृतामिव । खे यथा पक्षिभिर्मांसं भक्ष्यते श्वापदैर्भुवि
There is constant fear for those who possess wealth, just as for embodied beings there is fear of death; as in the sky birds eat flesh, and on earth wild beasts—
जले च भक्ष्यते मत्स्यैस्तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान् । विमोहयंति संपत्सु वारयंति विपत्सु च
And in water, fish devour—so everywhere, the wealthy are consumed; they are deceived in prosperity and hindered in adversity.
खेदयंत्यर्जने काले कदार्थाः स्युः सुखावहाः । प्रागर्थपतिरुद्विग्नः पश्चात्सर्वार्थनिःस्पृहः
They are wearied in the time of acquisition; those things thought to bring happiness become sources of distress. Formerly, the master of wealth was anxious; afterwards, he is indifferent to all possessions.
तयोरर्थपतिर्दुःखी सुखी मन्येर्विरक्तधीः । वसंतग्रीष्मतापेन दारुणं वर्षपर्वसु
Of these two, the master of wealth is unhappy, but the one whose mind is detached is happy; in the heat of spring and summer, and in the harshness of the rainy season—