धनपुत्रविहीनस्तु बहुदुःखसमन्वितः । दारिद्रेण सुदुःखेन सर्वदैवप्रपीडितः
Deprived of wealth and children, afflicted by many sufferings, he was always tormented by severe poverty and misery.
पुत्रोपायं धनस्यापि दिवारात्रौ प्रचिंतयेत् । एकदा तु प्रिया तस्य सुमना नाम सुव्रता
Day and night he pondered ways to obtain a son and wealth; once, his virtuous wife named Sumanā—
भर्तारं चिंतयोपेतमधोमुखमलक्षयत् । समालोक्य तदा कांतं तमुवाच यशस्विनी
—noticed her husband, lost in thought, his face cast down; seeing her beloved thus, the illustrious lady spoke to him.
दुःखजालैरसंख्यैस्तु तव चित्तं प्रकर्षितम् । व्यामोहेन प्रमूढोसि त्यज चिंतां महामते
Your mind is overwhelmed by countless nets of sorrow; you are bewildered by confusion—abandon worry, O wise one.
मम दुःखं समाचक्ष्व स्वस्थो भव सुखं व्रज । नास्ति चिंतासमं दुःखं कायशोषणमेव हि
Tell me your sorrow, be at ease, and find happiness; there is no suffering equal to worry, for it only emaciates the body.
तां संत्यज्य प्रवर्तेत स सुखेन प्रमोदते । चिंतायाः कारणं विप्र कथयस्व मम प्रभो
Abandoning it, one acts and rejoices in happiness; O brāhmaṇa, tell me the cause of your worry.
नारद उवाच-। प्रियावाक्यं स संश्रुत्य देवशर्मा महामतिः । उवाच वचनं प्रीतो दुःखितोऽपि सतीसखः
Nārada said: Hearing his beloved's words, Devaśarmā, wise though afflicted, replied with pleasure, companion of a faithful wife.
देवशर्मोवाच-। यत्त्वया चिंतितं भद्रे किंचिद्दुःखस्य कारणम् । तत्सर्वं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रुत्वा चैवावधार्यताम्
Devaśarmā said: Whatever you have thought, dear, as the cause of my sorrow, I will tell you all—listen and understand.
न जाने केन पापेन धनहीनोऽस्मि सुव्रते । तथा पुत्रविहीनोऽस्मि एतद्दुःखस्य कारणम्
I do not know by what sin, O virtuous one, I am deprived of wealth; likewise, I am without a son—this is the cause of my sorrow.
सुमनोवाच-। श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि सर्वसंदेहनाशनम् । स्वरूपमुपदेशस्य सर्वविज्ञानदर्शनम्
Sumanā said: Listen, I will tell you the true nature of the teaching that destroys all doubts and reveals all knowledge.
संतोष एव परमं पुण्यं सौख्यादिकारणम् । असंतोषः परं पापमित्याह भगवान्हरिः
Contentment alone is the highest virtue and the cause of happiness; discontent is the greatest sin—so declares the blessed Hari.
लोभः पापस्य बीजोऽयं मोहो मूलं च तस्य वै । असत्यं तस्य हि स्कंधो महाशाखा सुविस्तरात्
Greed is the seed of sin, and delusion is its root; falsehood is its trunk, and it spreads vast, great branches.
मदकौटिल्य पत्राणि कुबुद्ध्या पुष्पितः सदा । अनृतं तस्य सौगंध्यमज्ञानं फलमेव च
Intoxication and crookedness are its leaves, always blossoming with evil intent; falsehood is its fragrance, and ignorance is indeed its fruit.
कुड्यं पाषंडचौराश्च क्रूराः कूटाश्च पापिनः । पक्षिणो मोहवृक्षस्य महाशाखासमाश्रिताः
Heretics, thieves, the cruel, and the deceitful are the wicked birds that take shelter in the great branches of the tree of delusion.
अज्ञानं सुफलं तस्य रसो धर्मं फलस्य हि । भावोदकेन संवृद्धिस्तस्य श्रद्धा क्रतु प्रिया
Its well-ripened fruit is ignorance, and the sap of its fruit is unrighteousness; nourished by the water of disposition, its cherished ritual is faith.
अधर्मेषु रसस्तस्य उत्क्लेदैर्मधुरायते । तादृशैश्च फलैश्चैवसफलो लोभपादपः
Its sap is found in unrighteous acts, sweetened by excessive indulgence; and with such fruits, the tree of greed is fruitless.
तस्यच्छायां समाश्रित्य यो नरः परिवर्तते । फलानि तस्य सोऽश्नाति स्वपक्वानि दिनेदिने
Whoever takes refuge in its shade and moves about there, day by day eats the fruits that have ripened on it.
फलानां च रसेनापि अधर्मेण तु पोषितः । स संपुष्टो भवेन्मर्त्यः पतनाय प्रयच्छति
Even by the taste of its fruits, nourished by unrighteousness, a mortal who is thus fattened is led to downfall.
तस्माच्चिंतां परिश्रित्य स्वामि लोभं न कारयेत् । धनपुत्रकलत्राणां चिंतामेतां न कारयेत्
Therefore, having abandoned worry, one should not give rise to greed, O master; one should not foster such anxiety for wealth, children, or spouse.
यो हि विद्वान्नचेत्कांत मूर्खाणां पथमेव हि । मृषा चिंतयते नित्यं दिवारात्रौ विमोहितः
Indeed, the wise man, if he constantly worries like the foolish, is ever deluded, thinking falsely day and night.
शुभार्थं च प्रविंदामि कथं पुत्रानहं लभे । एवं चिंतयते नित्यं दिवारात्रौ विमोहितः
He thinks day and night, deluded, 'How shall I obtain good fortune? How shall I gain sons?'
क्षणमेकं प्रपश्येत्स चिंतामध्ये महत्सुखम् । पुनश्चैतन्यमायाति महादुःखेन पीड्यते
In the midst of worry, he perceives great happiness for a moment; but then, regaining awareness, he is afflicted by great sorrow.
चिंतामोहौ परित्यज्य अनुवर्तस्व तं द्विज । संसारे नास्ति संबंधः केन सार्धं महामते
Abandoning worry and delusion, follow that path, O twice-born; in this world, there is no true connection with anyone, O wise one.
मित्राश्च बांधवाः पुत्राः पितामाता सुतास्तथा । स्वसंबंधा भवंत्येते कलत्रादि तथैव च
Friends, relatives, sons, father, mother, and likewise daughters—these are one's own relations, as are wife and others.
देवशर्मोवाच-। संबंधः कीदृशो भद्रे तन्मे विस्तरतो वद । येन जायंति ते सर्वे धनपुत्रादि बांधवाः
Devaśarman said: 'O blessed one, what kind of relation is this? Tell me in detail, by which all these—wealth, sons, and relatives—arise.'
सुमनोवाच-। भर्तः पंचविधाः पुत्रा जायंते तान्वदाम्यहम् । न्यासापहारकं चैकमृणसंबंधिनं परम्
Sumana said: 'Lord, five kinds of sons are born; I shall tell you of them: one who steals a trust, one bound by debt—these are foremost.'
रिपुं लभ्यमुदासीनमिति कांत भवंति ते । लक्षणानि प्रवक्ष्यामि तेषामीश पृथक्पृथक्
'An enemy, one who is neutral, and so, beloved, these are the types. I shall describe their characteristics to you, O lord, each separately.'
पुत्रा मित्राः प्रिया भार्या पिता माता च बांधवाः । स्वेनस्वेन हि जायंते संबंधेन महीतले
Sons, friends, beloved wife, father, mother, and relatives—all are born on earth through their own distinct connections.
न्यासापहारभावेन यस्य येन हृतं भुवि । न्यासस्वामी भवेत्पुत्रो गुणवान्रूपवान्भुवि
When something entrusted is taken away by someone on earth, the owner of the deposit becomes the son, endowed with virtue and beauty, in this world.
येन ह्यपहृतं न्यासं तस्य गेहे न संशयः । न्यासापहारणं दुःखं स दत्त्वा दारुणं गतः
There is no doubt that the one who took the deposit will experience suffering in the house of the owner; having committed the theft of the deposit, he departs after enduring severe pain.