आयुषोऽन्ते व्रजेन्मोक्षं योगिनामपि दुर्ल्लभम् । यमाज्ञया ततो दूतैः सदारोऽसौ महीपतिः
At the end of his life, he attains liberation, which is difficult even for yogis to obtain; but by the command of Yama, that king with his wife,
असिपत्रवने घोरे स्थापितोऽत्यंतदुःखदे । असितुल्यानि पत्राणि यतस्तेषां च शाखिनाम्
Was placed by the messengers in the dreadful forest of sword-leaves, exceedingly painful; the leaves of those trees are like swords.
असिपत्रवनं प्राहुरतस्तद्वै मनीषिणः । स्थित्वासिपत्रविपिने युगकोटिशतानि च
Therefore, the wise call it the forest of sword-leaves; there, having remained in that forest for hundreds of millions of ages,
सदारो नरकं भेजे व्याघ्रभक्ष्याह्वयं ततः । निरयं तं प्रविशति सर्वोपद्रवसंयुतम्
The king with his wife entered the hell called 'food for tigers'; he enters that hell, filled with all kinds of torments.
भवेच्च भक्ष्यो व्याघ्रेण व्याघ्रभक्ष्यस्ततः स्मृतः । युगकोटिसहस्राणि स्थित्वा तत्र स भूपतिः
He becomes food for tigers and is known as 'food for tigers'; after remaining there for thousands of millions of ages, that king
सदारोऽजनि पापांते भेकयोनिं गतः क्षितौ । जातिस्मरौ ततस्तौ तु भेकीभेकौ सुदुःखितौ
With his wife, at the end of his evil, was born on earth in the womb of a frog; then, remembering their past births, the two frogs were very miserable.
तीरे तस्थतुरेकस्मिन्सततं कीटभोजिनौ । अथैकदा तेन पथा पुण्याहं प्राप्य मानवाः
They always stood together on a certain bank, feeding on insects; then, one day, by that path, some meritorious humans arrived.
गच्छंति जाह्नवीतीरं तांस्तौ ददृशतुर्द्विज । भेक उवाच- वर्षाभ्वि मोहाद्यत्सर्वं पापं कर्म कृतं मया
As they went to the bank of the Ganges, O twice-born, the two saw them; the frog spoke: 'Because of delusion in the rainy season, all the sinful acts I performed—'
अद्यापि कर्मणा तेन दुःखमावां न मुंचति । त्यक्त्वा शरीरं गंगायां मुक्ताः स्युः पापिनोऽपि च १०० 7.9.
'Even now, because of that karma, we do not escape suffering; even sinners are freed if they give up their bodies in the Ganges.'
तथाप्येवं विधं दुःखमनुभूयावहे कथम् । गंगायां त्यक्तुमिच्छामि संप्रत्येतत्कलेवरम्
'Still, how is it that, having experienced such suffering, we remain? I wish now to give up this body in the Ganges.'
का युक्तिर्ब्रूहि तां कांते तितीर्षुर्दुःखसागरम् । वर्षाभ्वी तद्वचः श्रुत्वा प्राहेति विनयान्विता
'What means is there, tell me, dear, as I wish to cross this ocean of suffering?' Hearing these words, the frog's wife, full of humility, replied:
वर्षाभ्व्युवाच- दुःखं न शक्यते सोढुं स्वामिन्नेतद् द्रुतं कुरु । ततस्तौ दंपती विप्र स्मृत्वा गंगां शुभप्रदाम्
The frog's wife said: 'This suffering cannot be endured, my lord; do this quickly.' Then, O Brahmin, the couple remembered the auspicious Ganges.
सहसा चक्रतुर्यात्रां मरणायोपहर्षितौ । अथैतौ पथि गच्छंतौ चिरकालं बुभुक्षितौ
Suddenly, the two, delighted, set out on a journey, but as they traveled for a long time, they became hungry.
अपश्यत्पापकृत्क्ष्वेडः कालसर्पो भयंकरः । कालसर्प्प उवाच- दर्दुरौ पापिनौ येथाः प्राप्तकालौ युवां ततः
A wicked, hissing serpent of Time, terrifying to behold, appeared before them; the serpent of Time spoke: 'You two sinful frogs have come at your destined time.'
अथ नूनं भक्षितव्यौ क्षुधितेन मया युवाम् । ततस्तावतिसंत्रस्तौ दंपती दुःखभागिनौ
'Now, surely, you both must be eaten by me, for I am hungry.' Then, the husband and wife, greatly terrified and afflicted by suffering—
इत्यूचतुर्वचो भक्त्या कालसर्पं पुरोगतम् । नास्ति मृत्युभयं सर्प स्वल्पमप्यावयोर्हृदि
—spoke these words with devotion to the serpent of Time standing before them: 'There is not the slightest fear of death in our hearts, O serpent.'
अहमासं पुरा राजा सत्यधर्माह्वयः क्षितौ । इयं च विजया नाम महिषी संस्थिता मम
'I was once a king on earth, known as Satyadharma; and this is my queen, named Vijaya, who stood by my side.'
मया दुरात्मना मोहान्नितः शरणं गतः ?। तेनैव कर्मणा भुक्तं चिरं दुःखं यमालये
'Through delusion, I, of evil mind, sought refuge here; by that very deed, I endured long suffering in the abode of Yama.'
भोक्तुं स्वकर्मणः शेषं भेकयोनौ स्त्रिया सह । सोऽहं यातोऽस्मि पापेन कृतं कर्म न मुंचति
'To exhaust the remainder of my deeds, I was born as a frog, together with my wife; thus I have come here, for one cannot escape the karma one has done.'
सत्यमावां जिगमिषू परमं धाम पन्नग । व्रजावो जाह्नवीतीरं शरीरत्यागहेतवे
'Truly, we wish to reach the supreme abode, O serpent; let us go to the bank of the Ganges to abandon our bodies.'
त्यजाविवेकतां सर्प नरकक्लेशदायिनीम् । आवां संखाद्य भवतो भविष्यति सुखं कियत्
'Abandon ignorance, O serpent, which brings the torment of hell; if you devour us, what little happiness will come to you?'
आवयोर्हृदये विष्णुस्तवापि हृदये हरिः । अतएव त्वया सार्द्धं शत्रुता का भुजंगम
'Vishnu dwells in our hearts, and Hari is in yours as well; therefore, what enmity can there be between you and us, O serpent?'
प्राणिहिंसा न कर्तव्या कदापि च विचक्षणैः । क्रियतेऽपि च तद्धिंसां विदधाति स्वयं विधिः
'The wise should never commit violence against living beings; even if such violence occurs, fate itself brings about that act.'
आयुः पुत्राश्च दाराश्च संपदश्च यशांसि च । हिंसां दत्वा मनुष्याणां हरेद्दुष्टो विधिः स्वयम्
'Lifespan, children, wives, wealth, and fame—fate itself takes these away from people who commit violence.'
किं जपैः किं तपोभिर्वा किं दानैः किमु चाध्वरैः । हिंसेति वर्णद्वितयं यस्यास्ति हृदये सदा
'What use are recitations, austerities, gifts, or sacrifices to one whose heart always holds the two syllables: "harm"?'
यः प्राणिहिंसको मर्त्यः स एव हरिहिंसकः । सर्वप्राणिशरीरस्थो भगवान्कमलापतिः
'That mortal who harms living beings is indeed one who harms Hari, for the Lord, consort of Lakshmi, abides in the bodies of all beings.'
आत्मानं बहुधा सृष्ट्वा भगवान्भूतभावनः । संसारकौतुकागारे क्रीडेच्छिशुरिव स्वयम्
'The Lord, creator of beings, having manifested himself in many forms, plays in the theater of the world like a child, by his own will.'
शरीरिणः शरीरं हि निलयः परमात्मनः । परमात्मा स्वयं विष्णुरतो हिंसां विवर्जयेत्
'The body of the embodied is truly the dwelling of the Supreme Self; the Supreme Self is Vishnu himself, therefore one should avoid violence.'
परप्राणविनाशेन चात्मतुष्टिर्विधीयते
By the destruction of another's life, one's own satisfaction is obtained.
क्षणं स्यादात्मनस्तुष्टिरन्यस्य प्राणसंक्षयः । चरित्रमेतल्लोकानामत्यद्भुतमिव क्षितौ
For a moment, there may be satisfaction for oneself through the loss of another's life; such conduct among people on earth is indeed astonishing.