मुकुंद उवाच-। ममैव परिपाकोऽयं पूर्वोपार्जितकर्मणाम् । न कश्चित्सुखदुःखस्य दाता कस्यापि देहिनः
Mukunda said: 'This is only the ripening of my own past actions; no one is the giver of happiness or sorrow to any embodied being.'
धर्मोऽधर्मश्च तावेव तेषां मूलं पुराकृतौ । नारद उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा स तु भूयस्यापीडया गाढपीडितः
'Righteousness and unrighteousness, both, have their root in previous actions.' Nārada said: Having spoken thus, he, greatly afflicted by pain—
तत्याज भूपते प्राणान्पश्यतां सुहृदां तदा । विललाप तदा तस्य माता द्विजसती नृप
Then, O King, in the presence of his friends, he gave up his life; at that time, his mother, the noble brāhmaṇa lady, lamented.
निधाय तच्छिरः स्वांके कुंडलाभ्यामलंकृतम् । मातोवाच- हा हतास्मि त्वया वत्स दशामंत्यां च गच्छता
Placing his head, adorned with earrings, on her lap, his mother said: 'Alas, I am destroyed by you, my child, as you depart at the final moment.'
दिनश्रीरिव सूर्येण पश्चिमाचललंबिना । यदंगं चंदनालेपयोग्यं तव महामते
'Just as the beauty of the day is lost when the sun sets behind the western mountain, so your body, O wise one, fit to be anointed with sandal, now—'
मां मज्जयार्तिशोकाब्धौ तदिदं धूलिधूसरम्
'—has become covered with dust, plunging me into the ocean of pain and grief.'
तांबूलचर्वणेभ्यासो यस्त्वया विहितस्त्वसौ । स एव रुधिरोद्गार मिश्रेण क्रियते ध्रुवम् । तव ये लोचने पूर्वं जिग्यतुः कमलश्रियम्
The habit of chewing betel that you established is indeed the cause of this mixture of blood and phlegm being expelled; those eyes of yours, which once surpassed the beauty of lotuses—
त एव सांप्रतं जाते तिमिरौघा वृते इव । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ वत्स त्वं शिष्यानध्यापयात्मनः
—those very eyes are now covered by a mass of darkness; arise, arise, dear one, instruct your students yourself.
यथावद्वैश्वदेवांते पूजयातिथिमागतम् । द्वारि स्थिता वयस्यास्ते त्वाह्वयंति प्रयाहि तान्
Just as, at the conclusion of the Vaiśvadeva rite, one worships a guest who has arrived, so too your friends are standing at the door, calling for you—go to them.
दातव्यं यद्ददस्वैभ्यो गृहीतव्यं गृहाण तत् । हाहा देहि प्रतिवचः पतामि तव पादयोः
Give to them what should be given, and accept what should be accepted; alas, give me a reply, I fall at your feet.
नोचेदहं विमोक्ष्यामि प्राणांस्तव समीपतः । नारद उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा मूर्छिता तस्य मुकुंदस्य प्रसूस्तदा
Otherwise, I will give up my life here at your side; Nārada said: Having spoken thus, the wife of Mukunda then fainted.
भार्या तस्य शिरः स्वांके विधाय व्यलपच्च सा । भार्योवाच- नाममार्गेण पाथोधे मदीयं वचनं शृणु
Placing her husband's head in her lap, she lamented; the wife said: Listen to my words, O ocean, by the path of your name.
रुष्टोऽसि चेत्समं मात्रा कुतो वद ममाग्रतः । न कदाचित्त्वया साधो मौनमीदृक्कृतं पुरा । केनापि लघुना भ्रात्रा ह्यपमानः कृतस्तव
If you are angry, tell me openly in my presence; never before, O noble one, have you kept such silence; has some younger brother insulted you in some way?
शुकोऽयं पंजरस्थस्ते नान्नमत्ति त्वया विना । भोजयैनं सुसिद्धान्नं कलवाचं च सारिकाम्
This parrot of yours, kept in a cage, will not eat food without you; feed him well-cooked rice, and the sweet-voiced mynah bird as well.
रामराम हरेकृष्ण विष्णो नामावलीमिति । पाठयोत्तिष्ठ निपुणौ द्वावेतौ सारिकाशुकौ
Recite to these two—the mynah and the parrot—the string of names: 'Rāma, Rāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu'; arise and teach them, for they are clever.
अपराद्धं मया किं ते यत्वं मां नाभिभाषसे । यत्त्वया मे धनं दत्तं तन्मया साधुरक्षिणम्
What offense have I committed against you, that you do not speak to me? The wealth you gave me, I have guarded faithfully.
अर्पितं यत्त्वया नाथ निजतेजो ममोदरे । सूतिकालमहं तस्य नोपेक्षे त्वामनुव्रजे
What you entrusted to me, O lord—your own brilliance within my womb—when the time of birth comes, I will not neglect it; I will follow you.
नारद उवाच- एवं विलप्य सा तस्य मुकुंदस्य प्रिया तदा । न रुरोद स्वभर्तारमनुगंतुमना सती
Nārada said: Thus lamenting, she, the beloved of Mukunda, did not weep, for she was intent on following her husband.
अथ तस्य मुकुंदस्य गुरुर्वेदायनाभिधः । संन्यासी पर्यटन्पृथ्वीं तस्य वेश्म ययौ नृप
Then the guru of Mukunda, named Vedāyana, a renunciant wandering the earth, came to his house, O king.
मुकुंदः क्व गतो माता भार्या तस्य च धीमतः । न दृश्यते तदा तेन पृष्टेत्याचष्ट चेटिका
He asked, 'Where has Mukunda gone, and his wise mother and wife? They are not to be seen.' To this, the maidservant replied.
चेटिकोवाच । स्वामिन्केनापि चौरेण मम स्वामी हतो निशि । स्नुषाया भूषणं नीतं दुकूलानि च सर्वशः
The maidservant said: My master was killed at night by a thief; the ornaments of the daughter-in-law and all the fine garments were taken.
स मृतः पतितो भूमौ हर्म्यस्योपरि तिष्ठति । तस्य माता वधूश्चैव भ्रातरश्च तदंतिके
He lies dead, fallen on the ground, on the upper floor of the mansion; his mother, wife, and brothers are there beside him.
विलपंति महाशोकसागरे पतिता गुरो । नारद उवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य परिव्राट्स वचनं चेटिकोदितम्
They are lamenting, plunged in a great ocean of grief, O guru; Nārada said: Hearing the words spoken by the maidservant—
आरुह्य हर्म्यमद्राक्षीदात्मांते वासिनं मृतम् । तदंतिके समालोक्य बंधूनां क्रंदतो भृशम्
Ascending the mansion, the wandering ascetic saw the dead householder; seeing the relatives there, weeping greatly nearby.
उद्धरिष्यन्निदं धीरः शोकाब्धेस्तानुवाच ह । वेदायन उवाच- देहमुद्दिश्य वात्मानं शोकोऽयं क्रियते त्वया
Desiring to lift them from this ocean of sorrow, the wise one spoke: Vedāyana said—This grief you feel is for the self, thinking of the body.
मातः कथय सत्यं मे नोभयोर्युज्यते हि सः । देहोऽयं भूतसंघातः प्रारब्धेः समुपार्जितः
Mother, tell me truly: it does not apply to either. This body is a collection of elements, brought about by past actions.
तेषु क्षीणेषु भूतानां पृथक्त्वमुपजायते । यदेकीभवनं तेषां कर्मभिर्जन्म तन्नृणाम्
When those elements are exhausted, their separation arises; their coming together by actions is what is called birth for people.
तन्नाशे तत्पृथक्त्वं च तदेव मरणं स्मृतम् । एक्यं पृथक्त्वं भूतानां कर्मार्धा नेयतो? बुधैः
When that dissolves, their separation is what is called death; the union and separation of elements is thus explained by the wise.
अतो देहे न कर्तव्यः शोकः परवशे जडे । अनाद्यविद्यया जीवे दृष्टे मरणजन्मनी
Therefore, one should not grieve for the body, which is inert and subject to others; for, due to beginningless ignorance, the living being perceives birth and death.
देहस्यात्मन्यहं बुद्ध्या मन्यते नहि तत्र ते । तन्निवृत्तौ स तद्ब्रह्म यच्छुद्धं रूपवर्जितम्
By the thought 'I am this body,' one mistakes the body for the self, but that is not your true nature; when that ceases, one attains that Brahman, which is pure and formless.