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.
ऋषिपुत्रस्य रामस्य रामो दशरथात्मजः । जघान वीर्यमतुलमूर्ध्वगं सुमहात्मनः
Rama, son of Dasharatha, killed the sage's son Rama, whose unmatched valor soared high, a man of great soul.
जरासंधेन रामस्य तेजसा नाशितं यशः । जरासंधस्य भीमेन तस्यापि पवनात्मजः
Jarasandha destroyed the fame of Rama by his might; Bhima destroyed Jarasandha, and he in turn was overcome by the son of the wind.
हनुमानपि सूर्येण विक्षिप्तः पतितः क्षितौ । निवातकवचान्सर्वदानवान्बलदर्पितान्
Even Hanuman was struck down to the earth by the sun; he defeated the arrogant Danavas called Nivatakavachas.
हतवानर्जुनः श्रीमान्गोपालैः स विनिर्जितः । सूर्यः प्रतापयुक्तोऽपि मेघैः संछाद्यते क्वचित्
The illustrious Arjuna was killed, and he was defeated by cowherds; even the sun, though full of power, is sometimes covered by clouds.
क्षिप्यते वायुना मेघो वायोर्वीर्यं नगैर्जितम् । दह्यंते वह्निना शैलाः स वह्निः शाम्यते जलैः
A cloud is driven away by the wind, but the wind's strength is checked by mountains; mountains are burned by fire, and that fire is extinguished by water.
तज्जलं शोष्यते सूर्यैस्ते सूर्याः सह वारिणा । त्रैलोक्येन समस्ताश्च नश्यंति ब्रह्मणो दिने
That water is dried up by the sun, and those very suns are overcome by water; all the worlds perish in a day of Brahma.
ब्रह्मापि त्रिदशैः सार्धमुपसंह्रियते पुनः । परार्धद्वयकालांते शिवेन परमात्मना
Even Brahma, together with the gods, is withdrawn again at the end of two parardhas, by Shiva, the Supreme Self.
एवं नैवास्ति संसारे यच्च सर्वोत्तमं बलम् । विहायैकं जगन्नाथं परमात्मानमव्ययम्
Thus, in this world, there is no supreme power except for the one, imperishable Supreme Lord of the universe.
ज्ञात्वा सातिशयं सर्वमतिमानं विवर्जयेत् । एवंभूते जगत्यस्मिन्कः सुरः पंडितोपि वा
Knowing this, one should abandon all excessive pride; in such a world as this, who, whether god or even a learned man—
न ह्यस्ति सर्ववित्कश्चिन्न वा मूर्खोपि सर्वतः । यावद्यस्तु विजानाति तावत्तत्र स पंडितः
There is no one who knows everything, nor is anyone completely ignorant; as much as one knows, so much is one wise in that.
समाधाने तु सर्वत्र प्रभावः सदृशः स्मृतः । वित्तस्यातिशयत्वेन प्रभावः कस्यचित्क्वचित्
In all matters, the power of equanimity is considered the same; but due to the excess of wealth, someone's influence may be greater in certain places.
दानवैर्निर्जिता देवास्ते दैवैर्निजिताः पुनः । इत्यन्योन्यं श्रितो लोको भाग्यैर्जयपराजयैः
The gods were conquered by the demons, and then the demons were conquered by the gods; thus, the world is mutually dependent, with victory and defeat determined by fortune.
एवं वस्त्रयुगं राज्ञां प्रस्थमात्रांबुभोजनम् । यानं शय्यासनं चैव शेषं दुःखाय केवलम्
Thus, for kings, a pair of garments, a measure of food and water, a vehicle, a bed, and a seat—these suffice; all else is only a source of suffering.
सप्तमे चापि भवने खट्वामात्र परिग्रहः । उदकुंभसहस्रेभ्यः क्लेशायास प्रविस्तरः
Even in the seventh palace, the only possession is a bed; from thousands of water-jars, there arises only toil and hardship.
प्रत्यूषे तूर्यनिर्घोषः समं पुरनिवासिभिः । राज्येभिमानमात्रं हि ममेदं वाद्यते गृहे
At dawn, the sound of instruments resounds together with the city-dwellers; the pride of sovereignty alone is proclaimed in the house as 'this is mine.'
सर्वमाभरणं भारः सर्वमालेपनं मलम् । सर्वं प्रलपितं गीतं नृत्यमुन्मत्तचेष्टितम्
All ornaments are a burden, all ointments are filth; all chatter, song, and dance are the actions of the intoxicated.
इत्येवं राज्यसंभोगैः कुतः सौख्यं विचारतः । नृपाणां विग्रहे चिंता वान्योन्यविजिगीषया
Thus, considering the enjoyments of kingship, where is happiness to be found? Among kings, there is conflict and anxiety from the desire to surpass one another.
प्रायेण श्रीमदालेपान्नहुषाद्या महानृपाः । स्वर्गं प्राप्ता निपतिताः कः श्रिया विंदते सुखम्
Most great kings, like Nahusha and others, intoxicated by prosperity, after attaining heaven, have fallen; who truly finds happiness in wealth?
स्वर्गेपि च कुतः सौख्यं दृष्ट्वा दीप्तां परश्रियम् । उपर्युपरि देवानामन्योन्यातिशयस्थिताम्
Even in heaven, how can there be happiness, seeing the blazing wealth of others, and the gods themselves constantly striving to surpass one another?
नरैः पुण्यफलं स्वर्गे मूलच्छेदेन भुज्यते । न चान्यत्क्रियते कर्म सोऽत्र दोषः सुदारुणः
In heaven, humans enjoy the fruit of their merit, but only by exhausting its root; no new action is performed there—this is a most dreadful flaw.