धनपुत्रविहीनस्तु बहुदुःखसमन्वितः । दारिद्रेण सुदुःखेन सर्वदैवप्रपीडितः
Lacking wealth and children, afflicted by much suffering, he was always tormented by severe poverty and distress.
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 and downcast; seeing her beloved thus, the illustrious woman spoke to him.
दुःखजालैरसंख्यैस्तु तव चित्तं प्रकर्षितम् । व्यामोहेन प्रमूढोसि त्यज चिंतां महामते
Your mind is overwhelmed by countless nets of sorrow; you are bewildered and deluded—abandon worry, O wise one.
मम दुःखं समाचक्ष्व स्वस्थो भव सुखं व्रज । नास्ति चिंतासमं दुःखं कायशोषणमेव हि
Tell me your sorrow, regain your composure, and find happiness; there is no suffering like 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 happily; O Brahmin, tell me the cause of your worry, my lord.
नारद उवाच-। प्रियावाक्यं स संश्रुत्य देवशर्मा महामतिः । उवाच वचनं प्रीतो दुःखितोऽपि सतीसखः
Narada said: Hearing his beloved's words, Devaśarman, wise though afflicted, replied with pleasure to his faithful wife.
देवशर्मोवाच-। यत्त्वया चिंतितं भद्रे किंचिद्दुःखस्य कारणम् । तत्सर्वं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रुत्वा चैवावधार्यताम्
Devaśarman said: What you have guessed, dear, is indeed the cause of my sorrow; I will tell you everything, so listen and understand.
न जाने केन पापेन धनहीनोऽस्मि सुव्रते । तथा पुत्रविहीनोऽस्मि एतद्दुःखस्य कारणम्
I do not know by what sin I am without wealth, O virtuous one; 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 that which destroys all doubts—the true nature of instruction, the vision of all knowledge.
संतोष एव परमं पुण्यं सौख्यादिकारणम् । असंतोषः परं पापमित्याह भगवान्हरिः
Contentment alone is the highest merit and the cause of happiness, so says Lord Hari; discontent is the greatest sin.
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 has great branches spreading far.
मदकौटिल्य पत्राणि कुबुद्ध्या पुष्पितः सदा । अनृतं तस्य सौगंध्यमज्ञानं फलमेव च
Its leaves are intoxication and crookedness, always blossoming with evil intent; its fragrance is falsehood, and its fruit is ignorance.
कुड्यं पाषंडचौराश्च क्रूराः कूटाश्च पापिनः । पक्षिणो मोहवृक्षस्य महाशाखासमाश्रिताः
Heretics, thieves, cruel and deceitful sinners are like the walls, ropes, and birds that take shelter on the great branches of the tree of delusion.
अज्ञानं सुफलं तस्य रसो धर्मं फलस्य हि । भावोदकेन संवृद्धिस्तस्य श्रद्धा क्रतु प्रिया
Ignorance is its abundant fruit; the taste of its fruit is unrighteousness; nourished by the water of disposition, faith is dear to its ritual.
अधर्मेषु रसस्तस्य उत्क्लेदैर्मधुरायते । तादृशैश्च फलैश्चैवसफलो लोभपादपः
Its flavor is in unrighteousness, made sweet by fermentations; 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 eats its ripened fruits day by day.
फलानां च रसेनापि अधर्मेण तु पोषितः । स संपुष्टो भवेन्मर्त्यः पतनाय प्रयच्छति
Even by the taste of its fruits, nourished by unrighteousness, a person who is thus fattened is led toward downfall.
तस्माच्चिंतां परिश्रित्य स्वामि लोभं न कारयेत् । धनपुत्रकलत्राणां चिंतामेतां न कारयेत्
Therefore, having abandoned such anxiety, one should not foster greed; one should not cultivate this anxiety for wealth, children, or spouse.
यो हि विद्वान्नचेत्कांत मूर्खाणां पथमेव हि । मृषा चिंतयते नित्यं दिवारात्रौ विमोहितः
Indeed, the learned one who, like the foolish, always thinks falsely, day and night, is deluded.
शुभार्थं च प्रविंदामि कथं पुत्रानहं लभे । एवं चिंतयते नित्यं दिवारात्रौ विमोहितः
He constantly thinks, day and night, 'How can I obtain sons for auspicious purposes?'—thus he is deluded.
क्षणमेकं प्रपश्येत्स चिंतामध्ये महत्सुखम् । पुनश्चैतन्यमायाति महादुःखेन पीड्यते
In the midst of anxiety, 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 anxiety 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 daughters, as well as one's own kin and wife, all become one's relations.
देवशर्मोवाच-। संबंधः कीदृशो भद्रे तन्मे विस्तरतो वद । येन जायंति ते सर्वे धनपुत्रादि बांधवाः
Devaśarman said: 'O blessed one, what kind of relationship is this? Tell me in detail, by which all these—wealth, sons, and relatives—arise.'
सुमनोवाच-। भर्तः पंचविधाः पुत्रा जायंते तान्वदाम्यहम् । न्यासापहारकं चैकमृणसंबंधिनं परम्
Sumanā said: 'Husband, there are five kinds of sons; I will tell you of them: one who takes away a trust, one bound by debt—these are the foremost.'
रिपुं लभ्यमुदासीनमिति कांत भवंति ते । लक्षणानि प्रवक्ष्यामि तेषामीश पृथक्पृथक्
An enemy, one who is gained, and one who is indifferent—O beloved, these are the types; I will describe their characteristics to you, each separately.
पुत्रा मित्राः प्रिया भार्या पिता माता च बांधवाः । स्वेनस्वेन हि जायंते संबंधेन महीतले
Sons, friends, dear wife, father, mother, and relatives—all are born on earth through their own respective connections.
न्यासापहारभावेन यस्य येन हृतं भुवि । न्यासस्वामी भवेत्पुत्रो गुणवान्रूपवान्भुवि
By the act of taking away a trust, whoever has taken from whom on earth, the owner of the trust becomes the son, endowed with virtue and beauty in the world.
येन ह्यपहृतं न्यासं तस्य गेहे न संशयः । न्यासापहारणं दुःखं स दत्त्वा दारुणं गतः
Whoever has taken the trust, there is no doubt, is born in that person's house; having committed the theft of the trust, he departs after giving great suffering.