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.
संप्रति प्रेषयामास कार्येस्मिन्मां स्वयं हरिः । युवां ससर्ज यो देवो यश्च रक्षति वां सदा
Now Hari himself has sent me for this task; the god who created you both also always protects you.
कालरूपी स एवाद्य हंति हेतुं विधाय माम् । व्यास उवाच-। ततस्तेन भुजंगेन भक्षितौ तौ च दंपती
That same one, now in the form of time, kills, appointing me as the cause; Vyāsa said: Then, by the serpent, those two spouses were eaten.
गङ्गा गंगेति जल्पंतौ महत्या क्षुधया पथि । जाह्नवीतीरयात्रायां पादेपादे जनाविमौ
Crying 'Gaṅgā! Gaṅgā!' they wandered, afflicted by great hunger on the path; in the pilgrimage to the banks of Jāhnavī, these two people—
अश्वमेधाख्य यज्ञानां प्राप्तवंतौ महाफलम् । तस्मादेनौ महात्मानौ बह्वश्वमेधधारिणौ
They attained the great fruit of the sacrifice called Aśvamedha; therefore, these two great souls performed many Aśvamedha sacrifices.
एतयोः सदृशो नास्ति शतक्रतुरहं यतः । निजाधिकारेणैवान्यमवलंब्य पुरंदरः
There is none equal to these two, for I am Indra; Indra himself, by his own authority, relied on another.
अर्घ्यहस्तः पादचारी वृतो देवैः समाययौ । अथ रम्भोर्वशी चैव सुंदर्योऽन्याश्च हर्षिताः
With hands offering arghya, walking on foot, surrounded by the gods, he arrived; then Rambhā, Urvaśī, and other beautiful, joyful women—
अन्योन्यं कथयामासुर्निजयौवनगर्विताः । अयं पुण्यात्मनां श्रेष्ठो रसज्ञोऽत्यंतसुन्दरः
They began to speak to each other, proud of their own youth; 'This one is the best among the virtuous, a connoisseur of pleasure, exceedingly handsome.'
आयातोऽमुं करिष्यामि स्ववशं सेवितैः स्वकैः । काचित्कांचिद्वदत्येतज्जानामि सकलां कलाम्
'He has come; I will make him mine with my own arts and attendants.' One says to another, 'I know every skill completely.'
अतएव भविष्यामि कांताहमस्य भूपतेः । काचित्कांचिदिति ब्रूयात्ते शक्रोपि वशो मम
Therefore, I shall become the beloved of this king; let him say, 'This one or that one,' even Indra is under my control.
किमत्र चित्रं वशगो भूपालोऽयं भविष्यति
What is remarkable in this, that the king will become subject to my will?