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—
वातातपेन वृष्ट्या च कालेप्येवं कुतः सुखम् । विवाहविस्तरे दुःखं तद्गर्भोद्वहने पुनः
By wind, heat, and rain, at all times, how can there be happiness? In the elaborate process of marriage there is suffering, and again in bearing the fetus—
सूतिवैषम्यदुःखैश्च दुखं विष्ठादिकर्मभिः । दन्ताक्षिरोगे पुत्रस्य हा कष्टं किं करोम्यहम्
There is suffering from the pains of difficult childbirth, and from tasks like cleaning excrement; with tooth and eye diseases of the child—alas, what hardship, what can I do?
गावो नष्टाः कृषिर्भग्ना भार्या च प्रपलायिता । अमी प्राघूर्णिकाः प्राप्ता भयं मे शंसिनो गृहान्
The cows are lost, the plough is broken, and my wife has run away; these wandering beggars have arrived, announcing fear to my household.
बालापत्या च मे भार्या कः करिष्यति रंधनम् । विवाहकाले कन्यायाः कीदृशश्च वरो भवेत्
My wife has children and is young—who will do the cooking? At the time of a girl's marriage, what sort of husband will she have?
एतच्चिंताभिभूतानां कुतः सौख्यं कुटुंबिनाम्
For those overwhelmed by such worries, how can there be happiness for householders?
कुटुंबचिंताकुलितस्य पुंसः श्रुतं च शीलं च गुणाश्च सर्वे । अपक्वकुंभे निहिता इवापः प्रयांति देहेन समं विनाशनम्
For a man troubled by anxiety for his household, learning, character, and all virtues perish together with the body, like water placed in an unbaked pot.
राज्येपि हि कुतः सौख्यं संधिविग्रहचिंतया । पुत्रादपि भयं यत्र तत्र सौख्यं हि कीदृशम्
Even in a kingdom, how can there be happiness, with worries of alliances and conflicts? Where there is fear even from one's own son, what kind of happiness can there be?
स्वजातीयाद्भयं प्रायः सर्वेषामेव देहिनाम् । एकद्रव्याभिलाषित्वाच्छुनामिव परस्परम्
Almost all embodied beings have fear from their own kind, because of desire for the same possessions, like dogs toward each other.
न प्रविश्य वनं कश्चिन्नृपः ख्यातोस्ति भूतले । निखिलं यस्तिरस्कृत्य सुखं तिष्ठति निर्भयः
No king is known on earth to have entered the forest, abandoning everything, and lived happily and without fear.
युद्धे बाहुसहस्रं हि पातयामास भूतले । श्रीमतः कार्तवीर्यस्य ऋषिपुत्रः प्रतापवान्
On the battlefield, the powerful son of a sage, Kartavirya, cast down a thousand arms to the earth.