दुर्लभं नास्ति राजेंद्र त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । सर्वेष्वेव सुलोकेषु विद्यते तव सुव्रत
'O king of kings, there is nothing unattainable in the three worlds, moving or unmoving; in all the excellent realms, it is found for you, O virtuous one.'
विष्णोश्चैव प्रसादेन गगने गतिरुत्तमा । मर्त्यलोकं समासाद्य त्वयैव वसुधाधिप
'By the grace of Viṣṇu, the highest path in the heavens is attained; having reached the world of mortals, you alone, O lord of the earth—'
जरापलितहीनास्तु मृत्युहीना जनाः कृताः । गृहद्वारेषु सर्वेषु मर्त्यानां च नरर्षभ
'have made people free from old age and gray hair, and free from death, at the doors of all houses of mortals, O best of men.'
कल्पद्रुमा अनेकाश्च त्वयैव परिकल्पिताः । येषां गृहेषु मर्त्यानां मुनयः कामधेनवः
'By you alone, many wish-fulfilling trees have been established; in the houses of mortals, sages and wish-granting cows are found.'
त्वयैव प्रेषिता राजन्स्थिरीभूताः सदा कृताः । सुखिनः सर्वकामैश्च मानवाश्च त्वया कृताः
'By you alone, O king, they have been sent and made firm forever; by you, people have been made happy with all desires fulfilled.'
गृहैकमध्ये साहस्रं कुलीनानां प्रदृश्यते । एवं वंशविवृद्धिश्च मानवानां त्वया कृता
'In the midst of a single house, a thousand noble families are seen; thus, the increase of mankind's lineage has been accomplished by you.'
यमस्यापि विरोधेन इंद्रस्य च नरोत्तम । व्याधिपापविहीनस्तु मर्त्यलोकस्त्वया कृतः
O best of men, even in opposition to Yama and Indra, you have made the world of mortals free from disease and sin.
स्वतेजसाहंकारेण स्वर्गरूपं तु भूतलम् । दर्शितं हि महाराज त्वत्समो नास्ति भूपतिः
By your own brilliance and pride, O great king, you have made the earth resemble heaven; truly, there is no king equal to you.
नरो नैव प्रसूतो हि नोत्पत्स्यति भवादृशः । भवंतमित्यहं जाने सर्वधर्मप्रभाकरम्
No man has ever been born, nor will be born, like you; I know you to be the illuminator of all dharma.
तस्मान्मया कृतो भर्ता वदस्वैवं ममाग्रतः । नर्ममुक्त्वा नृपेंद्र त्वं वद सत्यं ममाग्रतः
Therefore, I have accepted you as my lord—declare this before me; O king of men, speak the truth before me, without jest.
यदि ते सत्यमस्तीह धर्ममस्ति नराधिप । देवलोकेषु मे नास्ति गगने गतिरुत्तमा
If you have truth and dharma here, O king of men, then for me there is no highest path in the heavens or among the gods.
सत्यं त्यक्त्वा यदा च त्वं नैव स्वर्गं गमिष्यसि । तदा कूटं तव वचो भविष्यति न संशयः
If you abandon truth, you will not go to heaven; then your word will be false, without doubt.
पूर्वंकृतं हि यच्छ्रेयो भस्मीभूतं भविष्यति । राजोवाच- सत्यमुक्तं त्वया भद्रे साध्यासाध्यं न चास्ति मे
Whatever good was done before will be reduced to ashes; The king said: You have spoken the truth, O gentle one; for me, nothing is impossible or unattainable.
सर्वंसाध्यं सुलोकं मे सुप्रसादाज्जगत्पते । स्वर्गं देवि यतो नैमि तत्र मे कारणं शृणु
Everything is possible for me in this world by the supreme grace of the Lord of the universe; O goddess, hear the reason why I do not go to heaven.
आगंतुं तु न दास्यंति लोके मर्त्ये च देवताः । ततो मे मानवाः सर्वे प्रजाः सर्वा वरानने
The gods will not allow me to come to the world of mortals; therefore, O beautiful-faced one, all my human subjects will be deprived of me.
मृत्युयुक्ता भविष्यंति मया हीना न संशयः । गंतुं स्वर्गं न वाञ्छामि सत्यमुक्तं वरानने
They will be subject to death, being bereft of me, without doubt; I do not desire to go to heaven—this is the truth, O beautiful-faced one.
देव्युवाच-। लोकान्दृष्ट्वा महाराज आगमिष्यसि वै पुनः । पूरयस्व ममाद्यत्वं जातां श्रद्धां महातुलाम्
The goddess said: O great king, having seen the worlds, you will indeed return again; now fulfill the great faith that has arisen in me.
राजोवाच-। सर्वमेवं करिष्यामि यत्त्वयोक्तं न संशयः । समालोक्य महातेजा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः
The king said: I will do everything you have said, without doubt; the mighty Yayati, son of Nahusha, having seen all, replied.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रियां राजा चिंतयामास वै तदा । अंतर्जलचरो मत्स्यः सोपि जाले न बध्यते
Having thus spoken to his beloved, the king then reflected; even a fish that lives in water is not caught in a net.
मरुत्समानवेगोपि मृगः प्राप्नोति बंधनम् । योजनानां सहस्रस्थमामिषं वीक्षते खगः
Even a deer, swift as the wind, is captured; a bird sees flesh a thousand yojanas away.
सकंठलग्नपाशं च न पश्येद्दैवमोहितः । कालः समविषमकृत्कालः सन्मानहानिदः
But, deluded by fate, it does not see the noose fastened around its neck; time acts equally or unequally, causing loss of honor.
परिभावकरः कालो यत्रकुत्रापि तिष्ठतः । नरं करोति दातारं याचितारं च वै पुनः
Time brings about disrespect wherever one may be; it makes a man a giver or a beggar again.
भूतानि स्थावरादीनि दिवि वा यदि वा भुवि । सर्वं कलयते कालः कालो ह्येक इदं जगत्
All beings, whether immovable or moving, in heaven or on earth—time measures all; time alone is this world.
अनादिनिधनो धाता जगतः कारणं परम् । लोकान्कालः स पचति वृक्षे फलमिवाहितम्
Time, without beginning or end, is the creator, the supreme cause of the world; time ripens the worlds as a tree ripens its fruit.
न मंत्रा न तपो दानं न मित्राणि न बांधवाः । शक्नुवंति परित्रातुं नरं कालेन पीडितम्
Neither mantras, nor austerity, nor charity, nor friends, nor relatives are able to rescue a person afflicted by time.
त्रयः कालकृताः पाशाः शक्यंते नातिवर्तितुम् । विवाहो जन्ममरणं यदा यत्र तु येन च
There are three bonds created by time which cannot be surpassed: marriage, birth, and death—when, where, and by whom they occur.
यथा जलधरा व्योम्नि भ्राम्यंते मातरिश्वना । तथेदं कर्मयुक्तेन कालेन भ्राम्यते जगत्
Just as clouds are driven in the sky by the wind, so too this world is driven by time, bound to action.
सुकर्मोवाच-। कालोऽयं कर्मयुक्तस्तु यो नरैः समुपासितः । कालस्तु प्रेरयेत्कर्म न तं कालः करोति सः
Sukarma said: This time, joined with action, is served by people; time impels action, but it does not itself perform it.
उपद्रवा घातदोषाः सर्पाश्च व्याधयस्ततः । सर्वे कर्मनियुक्तास्ते प्रचरंति च मानुषे
Afflictions, fatal faults, serpents, and diseases—all these are bound to action and move among humans.
सुखस्य हेतवो ये च उपायाः पुण्यमिश्रिताः । ते सर्वे कर्मसंयुक्ता न पश्येयुः शुभाशुभम्
The causes and means of happiness, mixed with merit, are all connected to action; they do not perceive good or evil.