ममैव पुंसः पितरौ तौ च पापपरायणौ । मुखरौ दययाहीनौ पाखंडिसङ्ग लोलुपौ
My own parents were devoted to sin, harsh of speech, devoid of compassion, greedy for the company of heretics.
पौरुषं जीवनं चैव धनं चैव कुलं तथा । विद्या कीर्तिश्च सर्वस्वं पितृभ्यां विफलीकृतम्
Manliness, life itself, wealth, family, learning, fame, and all possessions—everything was rendered fruitless by my parents.
एतद्विचिन्त्य मनसा मया नृप मुहुर्मुहुः । अवज्ञया परित्यक्ता पित्रोः सेवा शुभप्रदा
Reflecting on this again and again in my mind, O King, I abandoned the service of my parents, which brings auspiciousness, out of contempt.
अनेन कर्मणा राजन्सदारोऽहं यमाज्ञया । विक्षिप्तो नरके दूतैर्यत्रतौ पापिनांवरौ
Because of this deed, O King, I, along with my wife, was cast into hell by the messengers of Yama, where those two greatest of sinners were also taken.
एताभ्यां सह पापाभ्यां सदारेण मया नृप । स्थितं च नरके घोरे यावत्कालं शृणुष्व तत्
Together with these two sinful ones and my wife, I dwelled in a terrible hell, O King—listen for how long.
युगकोटिसहस्राणि युगकोटिशतानि च । अनुभूतं महादुःखं नरकस्य नृपोत्तम
For thousands of crores of ages and hundreds of crores of ages, I endured great suffering in hell, O best of kings.
नरकांते ततः सोऽहं कांतया सह भूपते । गृध्रपक्षकुलेजातौ मृतमांसाशनौ तथा
At the end of our time in hell, O King, I, together with my beloved, was born among the race of vultures, eating dead flesh.
एतावपि च तौ राजन्नरकांत गतैषिणौ । जातौ शलभयोर्वंशे भोक्तुं फलं स्वकर्मणः
And those two as well, O King, after leaving hell and desiring to be reborn, were born in the lineage of moths, to reap the fruit of their own actions.
यदेताभ्यां कृतं कर्म्म राजञ्छलभजन्मनि । तदाकर्णय वक्ष्यामि श्रोतॄणां विस्मयप्रदम्
Hear now, O King, what deeds those two performed in their birth as moths; I will tell you, for it will astonish the listeners.
एकदा सुमहान्वायुः समायातो महीपते । उड्डीय पातितौ तेन गङ्गागर्भे सुनिर्मले
Once, a mighty wind arose, O King, and, sweeping them up, cast them into the pure waters of the Ganga.
निपत्य गङ्गासलिले कोमलाङ्गाविमौ तथा । जग्मतुः पंचतां सद्यः समस्तकलुषापहम्
Falling into the waters of the Ganga, their delicate bodies at once perished, and all their accumulated sins were washed away.
ततो नेतुमिमौ दूता आयाताश्चारुचक्षुषः । आयातानि विमानानि सर्वभोगान्वितानि च
Then, messengers with beautiful eyes arrived to take them away, and celestial chariots endowed with every enjoyment came as well.
विमुक्तौ सर्वपापेभ्यस्तुलसी माल्य शोभितौ । दिव्यंविमानमारुह्य गतौ विष्णुपुरं प्रति
Freed from all sins, adorned with garlands of tulasi, they ascended a divine chariot and set out for the city of Vishnu.
तावत्कालं स्थितौ राजन्ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । ब्रह्माज्ञया समायातौ तत इन्द्रपुरं प्रति
For a time, O King, they dwelled in the realm of Brahma, the unmanifest-born; then, by Brahma's command, they went to the city of Indra.
भुक्तवंतौ सुखं तत्र दुर्ल्लभं यत्सुरैरपि । तावत्कालं स्थितौ राजन्भोक्तुं कृच्छ्रां वसुंधराम्
There they enjoyed happiness, rare even for the gods; and for a time, O King, they remained there before being born again to enjoy the earth.
पवित्रे भवतो वंशे जातावेतौ महायशौ । गङ्गायां त्यजतो देहं भूयो जन्म न विद्यते
Born in your pure and illustrious lineage, as they gave up their bodies in the Ganga, they were freed from rebirth.
तथापि वसुधां भोक्तुं जातौ पुण्यतमाविमौ । चिरं भुक्त्वा महीं कृत्स्नां पुत्रपौत्रसमन्वितौ
Yet, to enjoy the earth, they were born again as the most virtuous; after long enjoying the whole world, surrounded by sons and grandsons—
गङ्गामरणमासाद्य योगिनामपि दुर्ल्लभम् । नारायणस्य सायुज्यमिमौ भूप गमिष्यतः
Having attained death in the Ganga, which is difficult even for yogis to achieve, these two, O King, will attain union with Narayana.
एतत्सर्वं मया प्रोक्तं पूर्व वृत्तांतमेतयोः । जातिस्मरप्रभावेन नृपवर्गशिरोमणी
All this has been spoken by me, recounting the former events of these two, by the power of remembering past births, O foremost among kings.
गङ्गामरणमासाद्य गतावेतौ दशामिमाम् । आवयोः कः परित्राणं करिष्यति दुरात्मनोः
Having reached death at the Ganges, these two have attained this state; who will deliver us, wicked as we are?
मित्रावज्ञा मनुष्याणां नरकक्लेशदायिनी । ममैव पृथिवीपाल दृष्टा केवलमेवतत्
Disregard of friends among men brings the torment of hell; O ruler of the earth, I have seen this myself, only this.
पित्रभक्तिर्द्विजश्रेष्ठ इहामुत्र च दुःखदा । इह संपद्विनाशाय परत्र नरकाय च
Devotion to one's father, O best of twice-born, brings suffering here and hereafter; here it leads to loss of wealth, and beyond, to hell.
वरं मन्ये महीपाल ब्रह्महत्यादि पातकम् । कदाचिन्निष्कृतिस्तस्मादियं भवति शाश्वती
I consider, O king, that even the sin of killing a Brahmin and others is preferable; for sometimes atonement is possible for that, but this remains eternal.
दुःखार्जितं पुण्यवृक्षं सर्वक्लेशविनाशनम् । पित्रवज्ञाकुठारेण च्छिंदंति भुवि मानवाः
The tree of merit, painfully acquired and destroying all afflictions, is cut down on earth by men with the axe of disregard for fathers.
यत्किञ्चिद्दीयते राजन्पित्र्ये वक्त्रे परंतप । तदश्नाति स्वयं विष्णुः पितृरूपो हरिर्यतः
Whatever is given, O king, into the mouth of one's ancestors, O scorcher of foes, that is eaten by Vishnu himself, for Hari takes the form of the ancestors.
प्रत्यक्षदेवौ पितरौ सेवंते येत्वहर्निशम् । सर्वसिद्धिर्भवेत्तेषां प्रसादाज्जगतीपतेः
Those who serve their parents, who are visible gods, day and night, attain all accomplishments by the grace of the Lord of the world.
पितृभक्तिविहीना ये दिनं तिष्ठंति मानवाः । तावत्कल्पसहस्रं तु तिष्ठंति नरके जनाः
Those men who live without devotion to their fathers remain in hell for a thousand ages.
तस्मादिदं महादुःखं बभूव मम सांप्रतम् । मोक्षं कदा गमिष्यामि सदारोऽहं न वेद्मि तत्
Therefore, this great suffering has come upon me now; when will I attain liberation with my wife? I do not know that.
व्यासउवाच- एतत्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रगृह्य द्विजसत्तम । बभूव हर्षितो राजा विस्मितश्च पुनः पुनः
Vyasa said: Hearing these words of his, and embracing him, O best of twice-born, the king became delighted and repeatedly astonished.
राजोवाच- आश्चर्यं हि वचो गृध्र श्रुतमेतन्मुखात्तव । मम चैषां च हृदये प्रतीतिर्न हि जायते
The king said: Truly wonderful are these words, O vulture, heard from your mouth; neither I nor these others find conviction in our hearts.