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.
कर्मदा यदि वा लोके कर्मसंबधि बांधवाः । कर्माणि चोदयंतीह पुरुषं सुखदुःखयोः
Whether in this world there are givers of action or relatives connected to action, actions urge a person toward happiness and suffering.
सुवर्णं रजतं वापि यथा रूपं विनिश्चितम् । तथा निबध्यते जंतुः स्वकर्मणि वशानुगः
Just as gold or silver is shaped according to its form, so too a creature is bound to its own actions, following their power.
पंचैतानीह सृज्यंते गर्भस्थस्यैव देहिनः । आयुः कर्म च वित्तं च विद्यानिधनमेव च
These five are created here for the embodied one in the womb: lifespan, action, wealth, knowledge, and death.
यथा मृत्पिंडतः कर्ता कुरुते यद्यदिच्छति । तथा पूर्वकृतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति
Just as a potter shapes whatever he wishes from a lump of clay, so too the action done previously follows the doer.
देवत्वमथ मानुष्यं पशुत्वं पक्षिता तथा । तिर्यक्त्वं स्थावरत्वं च प्राप्यते च स्वकर्मभिः
Divinity, humanity, animalhood, birdhood, as well as the state of lower creatures and immobile beings—all are attained by one's own actions.
स एव तत्तथा भुंक्ते नित्यं विहितमात्मना । आत्मना विहितं दुःखं चात्मना विहितं सुखम्
He alone experiences exactly that which is ordained for himself; suffering ordained by oneself, and happiness ordained by oneself.
गर्भशय्यामुपादाय भुंजते पूर्वदैहिकम् । संत्यजंति स्वकं कर्म न क्वचित्पुरुषा भुवि
Taking up the bed of the womb, one enjoys the results of previous embodiment; people never abandon their own actions anywhere on earth.
बलेन प्रज्ञया वापि समर्थाः कर्तुमन्यथा । सुकृतान्युपभुंजंति दुःखानि च सुखानि च
Whether by strength or by wisdom, though capable of acting otherwise, people experience good deeds, sufferings, and pleasures.
हेतुं प्राप्य नरो नित्यं कर्मबंधैस्तु बध्यते । यथा धेनुसहस्रेषु वत्सो विंदति मातरम्
Upon finding the cause, a person is always bound by the bonds of action, just as a calf finds its mother among thousands of cows.
तथा शुभाशुभं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति । उपभोगादृते यस्य नाश एव न विद्यते
Thus, good and evil actions follow the doer; apart from enjoyment, there is no destruction of them.