आत्मयूथवियोगैश्च बलान्नयनबंधने । पशूनां संति कायानामेवं दुःखान्यनेकशः
Through separation from their own herd, forced movement, and confinement, animals experience many kinds of bodily suffering.
वर्षाशीतातपाद्दुःखं सुकष्टं ग्रहपक्षिणाम् । क्लेशमानाति कायानामेवं दुःखान्यनेकधा
The hardship of rain, cold, and heat is severe for captive birds and animals; thus, bodies endure many forms of suffering.
गर्भवासे महद्दुःखं जन्मदुःखं तथा नृणाम् । सुबाल्यदुःखं चाज्ञानं कौमारे गुरुशासनम्
Great suffering exists in the womb, and at birth for humans; childhood brings pain and ignorance, and in youth, strict instruction from elders.
यौवने कामरागाभ्यां दुःखं चैवेर्ष्यया पुनः । कृषिवाणिज्यसेवाद्यैर्गोरक्षादिक कर्मभिः
In youth, suffering arises from desire and passion, and again from jealousy; through farming, trade, service, and tasks like tending cattle, pain is found.
वृद्धभावे च जरया व्याधिभिश्च प्रपीडनात् । मरणे च महद्दुःखं प्रार्थनायां ततोधिकम्
In old age, affliction comes from decrepitude and disease; at death, there is great suffering, and even more in the longing for life.
राजाग्निजलदाघातचौरशत्रु भयं महत् । अर्थस्यार्जनरक्षायां भयं नाशे व्यये पुनः
There is great fear from kings, fire, water, blows, thieves, and enemies; in acquiring and protecting wealth, fear arises, and again in its loss and expenditure.
कार्पण्यं मत्सरो दम्भो धनाधिक्ये भयं महत् । अकार्ये संप्रवृत्तिश्च दुःखानि धनिनां सदा
Misery, envy, and deceit, and great fear in possessing wealth; constant suffering comes from engaging in wrongful acts for the wealthy.
भृत्यवृत्तिः कुसीदं च दासत्वं परतंत्रता । इष्टानिष्टाभियोगश्च संयोगाश्च सहस्रशः
Employment, usury, servitude, dependence on others, and countless unions with what is desired or undesired—all bring suffering.
दुर्भिक्षं दुर्भगत्वं च मूर्खत्वं च दरिद्रता । अधरोत्तरभागश्च नारकं राजविक्रमम्
Famine, misfortune, ignorance, poverty, inferior status, hell, and royal oppression—all are sources of suffering.
अन्योन्याभिभवं दुःखमन्यांन्यतो भयं महत् । अन्योन्याच्च प्रकोपश्च राज्ञो दुःखं महीभृताम्
Suffering comes from mutual domination, great fear from one another, mutual anger, and for kings, pain from their subjects.
अनित्यतात्र भावानां कृतकाम्यस्य देहिनः । अन्योन्य मर्मभेदाच्च अन्योन्य करपीडनात्
Impermanence of things, desire in embodied beings, mutual injury, and mutual oppression—all cause suffering.
लुब्धाश्च पापभेदेन अन्योन्यस्य च भक्षणम् । इत्येवमादिभिर्दुःखैर्यस्माद्भीतं चराचरम्
The greedy, through sinful acts, devour one another; thus, from such sources of suffering, all moving and unmoving beings are fearful.
निरयादि मनुष्यांतं तस्मात्सर्वं त्यजेद्बुधः । स्कंधात्स्कंधेन यन्भारं विश्रामं मन्यते यथा
From hell up to humanity, therefore the wise should renounce everything; just as one finds rest by shifting a burden from one shoulder to another.
तद्वत्सर्वमिदं लोके दुःखं दुःखेन शाम्यति । अन्योन्यातिशयोपेताः सर्वदा भोगसंप्लवाः
In the same way, all suffering in this world is calmed by other suffering; pleasures are always mingled with excess and rivalry.
धर्मक्षयाच्च देवानां दिवि दुःखमवस्थितम् । नानायोनिसहस्रेषु संभवः पुण्यसंक्षयात्
When merit is exhausted, even the gods experience suffering in heaven; birth occurs in countless forms when virtue is depleted.
रोगाश्च विविधाकारा देवलोकेऽपि संस्मृताः । यज्ञस्य हि शिरश्छिन्नमश्विभ्यां संधितं पुनः
Diseases of various kinds are remembered even in the realm of the gods; for the head of the sacrifice, once severed, was restored by the Ashvins.
तेन दोषेण यज्ञस्य शिरोरोगः सदैव हि । मार्तंडभानोः कुष्ठं च वरुणस्य जलोदरम्
Because of that fault, the sacrifice suffers from a chronic head disease; the sun is afflicted with leprosy, and Varuṇa with dropsy.
पूष्णोदशनवैकल्यं भुजस्तंभः शचीपतेः । सुमहान्क्षयरोगश्च सोमस्य परिकीर्तितः
Pūṣan lost his teeth, Indra's arms became stiff, and Soma is said to have contracted a severe wasting disease.
ज्वरश्च सुमहानासीद्दक्षस्यापि प्रजापतेः । कल्पेकल्पे च देवानां महतामपि संक्षयः
A great fever also befell Dakṣa, the lord of creatures; and in every age, even the greatest of the gods experience decline.
परार्धद्वयकालांते ब्रह्मणश्चाप्यनित्यता । दक्षस्य दुहितां पौत्रीं ब्रह्मा कामितवान्पुनः
At the end of two parārdhas, even Brahmā is subject to impermanence; Brahmā again desired Dakṣa's granddaughter.
क्रोधेन च जयां देवीं योगज्ञां शप्तवान्प्रभुः । कामक्रोधौ स्थितौ यत्र तत्र दोषास्तदात्मकाः
Out of anger, the lord cursed the goddess Jayā, who was skilled in yoga; wherever desire and anger exist, faults of that nature arise.
दुःखानि च समस्तानि संस्थितानि न संशयः । विशीर्णजन्ममरणं सर्वाशित्वं हविर्भुजः
All forms of suffering are established there, without a doubt; the cycle of birth and death is shattered, and the eaters of oblations consume everything.
स्त्रीवधः कामसक्तिश्च सारथ्यं पांडवे बले । रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं दग्धं दक्षयज्ञो विनाशितः
The killing of women, attachment to desire, Arjuna's charioteering in battle, the burning of Tripura by Rudra, and the destruction of Dakṣa's sacrifice—
स्कंदस्य जन्म वै शुक्रात्क्रीडादीनां सहस्रशः । एवं त्रयोपि रागाद्यैर्दोषैर्देवाः समन्विताः
The birth of Skanda from Śukra, and thousands of such acts of play—thus, even the three (chief gods) are affected by faults such as passion.
एभ्यः परः प्रभुः शांतः परिपूर्णः स मुक्तिदः । एवमेतज्जगत्सर्वमन्योन्यातिशये स्थितम्
Beyond these is the supreme Lord, peaceful and complete, the giver of liberation; thus, this entire world exists in mutual predominance.
दुःखैराकुलितं ज्ञात्वा निर्वेदं परमं व्रजेत् । निर्वेदाच्च विरागः स्याद्विरागाज्ज्ञानसंभवः
Recognizing that the world is afflicted with suffering, one should attain supreme dispassion; from dispassion comes detachment, and from detachment arises knowledge.
ज्ञानेन तत्परं ज्ञानं शिवं मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् । समस्तदुःखनिर्मुक्त स्वस्थात्मा स सुखी तदा
Through knowledge, one attains that supreme knowledge—auspicious and liberating; then, freed from all suffering, the self abides in its own nature and is happy.
सर्वज्ञः परिपूर्णश्च मुक्त इत्यभिधीयते । मातलिरुवाच- एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्
Such a one, all-knowing and complete, is called liberated. Mātali said: All this has been told to you, as you have asked.
धर्माधर्मविवेको हि सर्वज्ञानसमुद्भवः । इंद्रलोके प्रगंतव्यं देवराजस्य शासनात्
The discernment between righteousness and unrighteousness is the source of all knowledge; by the command of the king of the gods, we must proceed to Indra's world.
ययातिरुवाच- अस्मद्भाग्यप्रसंगेन भवतो दर्शनं मम । संजातं शक्रसंवाह एतच्छ्रेयो ममातुलम्
Yayāti said: By the merit of my destiny, I have come to see you; this meeting with Śakra's charioteer is an incomparable blessing for me.