प्रालपं रामचंद्रेति शुकराजेति पंडित । श्लोकराजेति तं विप्र मोहाच्चलितमानसः
I kept uttering 'Rama,' 'Shuka,' 'Scholar,' 'King of verses,' O Brahmin, my mind shaken by delusion.
ततोऽहं दुःखसंतप्तः संजातः स्वेनकर्मणा । वियोगेनापि विप्रेंद्र शुकस्य शृणु सांप्रतम्
Then, afflicted by sorrow, I was born by my own karma; also by separation, O chief of Brahmins, listen now about the parrot.
विस्मृतं तन्मया ज्ञानं सिद्धेनापि प्रकाशितम् । संस्मरञ्छोकसंतप्तस्तं शुकं चाटुकारकम्
That knowledge, revealed even by a perfected being, was forgotten by me; remembering that charming parrot, I was scorched by grief.
वत्सवत्सेति नित्यं वै प्रलपञ्छृणु भार्गव । गद्यपद्यमयैर्वाक्यैः संस्कृताक्षरसंयुतैः
Always uttering 'child, child,' listen, O Bhargava; with words composed in prose and verse, adorned with Sanskrit syllables.
त्वां विना कश्च मां वत्स बोधयिष्यति सांप्रतम् । कथाभिस्तु विचित्राभिः पक्षिराजप्रसाद्य माम्
Without you, my child, who would instruct me now, charming me with wondrous tales and winning me over by the favor of the king of birds?
अस्मिन्सुनिर्जनोद्याने विहाय क्व गतो भवान् । केन दोषेण लिप्तोस्मि तन्मे कथय सांप्रतम्
In this utterly deserted garden, where have you gone, leaving me behind? By what fault have I been tainted? Tell me this now.
एवंविधैरहं वाक्यैः करुणैस्तैस्तु मोहितः । एवमादि प्रलप्याहं शोकेनापि सुपीडितः
With such words, filled with sorrow, I was bewildered; speaking thus and more, I was overwhelmed by grief.
मृतोहं तेन मोहेन तद्भावेनापि मोहितः । मरणे यादृशो भावो मतिश्चासीच्च यादृशी
I died in that delusion, bewildered by that very state; and the disposition and thought I had at death—
तादृशेनापि भावेन जातोऽहं द्विजसत्तम । गर्भवासो मया प्राप्तो ज्ञानस्मृतिविधायकः
By that very disposition, O best of twice-born, I was reborn; I entered the womb, endowed with the faculty of knowledge and memory.
स्मृतं पूर्वकृतं कर्म स्वयमेव विचेष्टितम् । मया पापेन मूढेन किं कृतं ह्यकृतात्मना
I remembered the deeds I had done before, performed by my own misguided self; what sinful act did I commit, being so deluded and undisciplined?
गर्भयोगसमारूढः पुनस्तं चिंतयाम्यहम् । तेन मे निर्मलं ज्ञानं जातं वै सर्वदर्शकम्
Mounted upon the union of the womb, again I reflected on that; thereby pure knowledge arose in me, all-seeing indeed.
गुरोस्तस्य प्रसादाच्च प्राप्तं वै ज्ञानमुत्तमम् । तस्यवाक्योदकैः स्वच्छैः कायस्य मलमेव च
And by the grace of that teacher, supreme knowledge was attained; by the pure waters of his words, the impurity of my body was washed away.
सबाह्याभ्यंतरं विप्र क्षालितं निर्मलं कृतम् । तिर्यक्त्वं च मया प्राप्तं शुकजातिसमुद्भवम्
Both outwardly and inwardly, O Brahmin, I was cleansed and made pure; I attained the state of an animal, born in the lineage of parrots.
शुकस्य ध्यानभावेन मरणे समुपस्थिते । तस्मिन्काले मृतो विप्र तद्भावेनापि भावितः
By the meditative state of the parrot, when death approached, O Brahmin, I died at that time, my mind shaped by that very disposition.
तादृशोऽस्मि पुनर्जातः शुकरूपो महीतले । मरणे यादृशो भावः प्राणिनां परिजायते
Thus I was reborn on earth in the form of a parrot; whatever state of mind arises in beings at death—
तादृशाः स्युस्तु सत्वास्ते तद्रूपास्तत्परायणाः । तद्गुणास्तत्स्वरूपास्ते भावभूता भवंति हि
Such are the beings that come to be, of that very form and devoted to that; they possess those qualities, that very nature, becoming embodiments of that state.
मृत्यकालस्य विप्रेंद्र भावेनापि न संशयः । अतुलं प्राप्तवाञ्ज्ञानमहमत्र महामते
At the time of death, O foremost of Brahmins, there is no doubt that by such a disposition, I attained incomparable knowledge here, O wise one.
तेन सर्वं विपश्यामि यद्भूतं यद्भविष्यति । वर्तमानं महाप्राज्ञ ज्ञानेनापि महामते
By that, I see all—what has been, what will be, and what is present, O great sage, by knowledge, O wise one.
सर्वं विदाम्यहं ह्यत्र संस्थितोपि न संशयः । तारणाय मनुष्याणां संसारे परिवर्तताम्
I know everything here, without doubt, even while remaining thus; for the deliverance of humans revolving in saṃsāra.
नास्ति तीर्थं गुरुसमं बंधच्छेदकरं द्विज । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं शृणु भार्गवनंदन
There is no holy place equal to the teacher, O Brahmin, who severs the bonds; all this has been told to you—listen, O delight of the Bhṛgu lineage.
यत्त्वया पृच्छितं विप्र तत्ते सर्वं प्रकाशितम् । स्थलजाच्चोदकात्सर्वं बाह्यं मलं प्रणश्यति
Whatever you have asked, O Brahmin, has all been revealed to you; all external impurity is destroyed by earth and water.
जन्मांतरकृतान्पापान्गुरुतीर्थं प्रणाशयेत् । संसारतारणायैव जंगमं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
The holy teacher destroys sins committed in previous births; the supreme moving holy place is indeed for crossing saṃsāra.
विष्णुरुवाच- शुक एवं महाप्राज्ञश्च्यवनाय महात्मने । तत्त्वं प्रकाशयित्वा तु विरराम नृपोत्तम
Viṣṇu said: Thus, the wise Śuka revealed the truth to the great-souled Cyavana, and then ceased, O best of kings.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं जंगमं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्त्तते
All this, the supreme moving pilgrimage, has been told to you; choose a boon, may auspiciousness be yours, whatever is in your mind.
वेन उवाच- नाहं राज्यस्य कामार्थी नान्यत्किंचित्प्रकामये । सदेहो गंतुमिच्छामि तव कायं जनार्दन
Vena said: I do not desire the kingdom, nor do I wish for anything else; I wish to go to your body, O Janārdana, while still in this body.
एवं वरमहं मन्ये यदि दातुमिहेच्छसि । विष्णुरुवाच- यज त्वमश्वमेधेन राजसूयेन भूपते
If you wish to grant such a boon, then I accept it; Viṣṇu said: Perform the Aśvamedha and Rājasūya sacrifices, O king.
गो भू स्वर्णाम्बुधान्यानां कुरु दानं महामते । दानान्नश्यति वै पापं ब्रह्मवध्यादिघोरकम्
Give gifts of cows, land, gold, and water, O wise one; by giving, even the terrible sin of killing a Brahmin and others is destroyed.
चतुर्वर्गस्तु दानेन सिद्ध्यत्येव न संशयः । तस्माद्दानं प्रकर्तव्यं मामुद्दिश्य च भूपते
The four aims of life are surely attained through giving, without doubt; therefore, gifts should be made, addressed to me, O king.
यादृशेनापि भावेन मामुद्दिश्य ददाति यः । तादृशं तस्य वै भावं सत्यमेवं करोम्यहम्
Whatever feeling one has when giving to me, in that very manner I make it true for him.
ऋषीणां दर्शनात्स्पर्शाद्भ्रष्टस्ते पापसंचयः । आगमिष्यसि यज्ञांते मम देहं न संशयः
By seeing and touching the sages, your accumulation of sin is destroyed; after the sacrifice, you will come to my body, without doubt.