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?
भर्त्ता ममायं च पतिर्ममायं स्वामी ममायं मम नाथ एषः । इतीव सर्वाः परमप्रमोदैर्वदंति नार्योखिलसद्गुणज्ञाः
This is my husband, this is my lord, this is my master, this is my protector—thus, all the women who know all the highest virtues speak with great joy.
उच्चावचं विप्र निशम्य तासां जगाद काचिद्गुणिनी रसज्ञा । सौदास्यकांतां नृपतिः स्वयं यां भजत्ययं किं कलहेन नार्यः
Hearing their varied words, O Brahmin, one virtuous and discerning woman said: 'The king himself favors Saudāsyā, so why should the women quarrel?'
सुन्दर्य्यस्तास्ततः सर्वाः संत्यज्य कलहं द्विज । आजग्मुर्हृदयोत्साहैः सर्वाभरणभूषिताः
Then all those beautiful women, abandoning quarrel, O Brahmin, came with uplifted hearts, adorned with all their ornaments.
अथ तं नृपतिश्रेष्ठ सदारं गतकल्मषम् । पाद्याद्यैः पूजयामासुः प्राहेति च पुरंदरः
Thereafter, they worshipped that best of kings, free from sin and with his wives, with offerings of water and other honors; and then Purandara spoke.
रथे निवेशयामास पुष्पके स्त्रीसमन्वितम् । भेरीमृदंगमधुरी डिंडिमानकनिःस्वनैः
He seated him, accompanied by women, in the celestial chariot Puṣpaka, with the sweet sounds of drums, kettledrums, and ḍiṇḍimas resounding.
करकं कणनादैश्च करतालस्वनैस्तथा । जयशब्दैश्च देवानां नाकः शब्दमयोऽभवत्
With the clanging of cymbals and the sounds of hand-clapping, and with the victorious cries of the gods, the heavens became filled with sound.
देवाङ्गना चारुहस्त श्वेतचामरमारुतैः । वीजितः सरथारूढः सदारस्त्रिदिवं ययौ
Fanned by the lovely hands of divine women with white chowries, he, mounted on the chariot with his wives, went to heaven.
ततः शक्रः स्वयं तस्मै सत्यधर्माय भूभुजे । दत्तवान्निजासनार्द्धं शुभो वै क्षयशंकया
Then Indra himself, fearing for his own position, gave half of his own seat to that king who was true to righteousness.
शक्रेण सह भूपोऽसौ वसन्नेकासने सदा । शक्रत्वमकरोत्स्वर्गे केशवस्यानुकंपया १५० 7.9.
Dwelling always on the same seat with Indra in heaven, that king attained the status of Indra by the compassion of Keśava.
युगकोटिसहस्राणि दिवि भुक्त्वाखिलं सुखम् । रथमारुह्यवैकुंठं ययौ भगवदाज्ञया
Having enjoyed all pleasures in heaven for thousands of millions of ages, he ascended the chariot and went to Vaikuṇṭha by the command of the Lord.