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.
आत्मतृप्तिं प्रकुर्वंति परं हत्वातियत्नतः । धीमान्नात्मपरिज्ञानं कदाचित्कुरुते नहि
They seek their own satisfaction by killing others with great effort; the wise never attain true knowledge of self or others.
अहं विष्णुरसौविष्णुरिति चेतसि भावयेत् । परदुःखेन यो दुःखी सुखी यश्च परश्रिया
One should contemplate in the mind, 'I am Viṣṇu, that one is Viṣṇu'; he who is distressed by another's suffering and happy at another's prosperity—
संसारेऽस्मिन्स विज्ञेयः साक्षादेव हरिः स्वयम् । धिगस्तु तत्सुखं नॄणां मोहवंचितचेतसाम्
In this world, he should be recognized as Hari himself, manifest; but shame upon the happiness of those whose minds are deluded by ignorance.
परहिंसाविधानेन सुखं यत्स्याद्भुजंगम । सुखानि वापि दुःखानि दीयंते यानि जंतवे
The happiness gained through harming others, O serpent, or the pleasures and pains given to living beings—
अचिरेणैव तानि स्म लभंते भुवि मानवाः । तस्माद्धिंसां परित्यज्य भुजंगम सुखी भव
Men attain these on earth very quickly; therefore, abandoning violence, O serpent, become happy.
त्वयि प्रसन्ने गच्छावः पारं दुःखमहोदधेः । सर्प उवाच- यदा स्यात्परहिंसायां नूनं मे नातिपातकम्
When you are pleased, we shall cross the vast ocean of suffering; the serpent said: If violence against others is not a great sin for me—
तदा कथमहो सृष्टै वेधसा भक्ष्यभक्षकौ । परहिंसा न कर्तव्या सत्यमेतत्त्वयोदितम्
Then how, indeed, did the Creator make the eater and the eaten? Violence against others should not be done; this is truly as you have said.
किंतु सर्वेषु भक्ष्येषु हिंसा संभाव्यते नहि । नारायणो विश्वरूपः सत्यमेतन्न संशयः
But among all things to be eaten, violence is not always found; Nārāyaṇa is of universal form, this is true, there is no doubt.
भक्ष्यभक्षकसंयुक्तं स्वयमेव ससर्ज ह । सृजति स्वयमात्मानमात्मानं रक्षति स्वयम्
He himself created the eater and the eaten together; he creates himself and protects himself.
आत्मानं स्वयमेवात्ति सृष्टिरेवंविधा हरेः । शक्तोऽहं किं युवां हंतुं कालरूपी स्वयं विधिः
He himself consumes himself; such is the creation of Hari. I am able—what can I do to slay you? Fate itself is the form of time.