योनिजास्तु कथं योनिं सेवंते जंतवस्त्वमी। मैथुनेन कथं स्वर्गं यास्यंते दानवेश्वर। मृद्भस्मना यत्रशुद्धिस्तत्र शुद्धिस्तु का भवेत्
How do these creatures, born from the womb, serve the womb again? O Lord of Dānavas, how can they reach heaven through intercourse? Where purification is by clay and ashes, what true purity can there be?
विपरीततमं लोकं पश्य दानव यादृशम्। विण्मूत्रस्य कृतोत्सर्गे शिश्नापाने तु शोधनम्
Behold, O Dānava, how perverse this world is: where purification is prescribed by drinking the urine from the organ after the discharge of excrement and urine.
भुक्ते वा भोजने राजन्कथं नापानशिश्नयोः
O King, when one has eaten food, why is there not purification for the mouth and the organ of urination?
क्रियते शोधनं तद्वद्विपरीता स्थितिस्त्वियम्। यत्र प्रक्षालनं प्रोक्तं तत्र तेनैव कुर्वते
Just as purification is performed there, so too is this perverse practice established; where cleansing is prescribed, they do it in just that way.
तारां बृंहस्पतेर्भार्यां हृत्वा सोमः पुरा गतः। तस्यां जातो बुधः पुत्रो गुरुर्जग्राह तां पुनः
Once, Soma took Tārā, the wife of Bṛhaspati; from her was born the son Budha, and the teacher took her back again.
गौतमस्य मुनेः पत्नीमहल्यां नाम नामतः। अगृह्णात्तां स्वयं शक्रः पश्य धर्मो यथाविधः
Indra himself took Ahalyā, the wife of the sage Gautama, by name; see how dharma is practiced.
एतदन्यच्च जगति दृश्यते पापदायकम्। एवंविधो यत्र धर्मः परमार्थो मतस्तु कः
Such things and others that cause sin are seen in the world; where such is dharma, what is the highest truth, in your opinion?
वदस्व त्वं दानवेंद्र वद भूयो वदामि ते। गुरोस्तु गदितं श्रुत्वा परमार्थान्वितं वचः
Speak, O Lord of Dānavas, speak again, I say to you; having heard the words of the teacher, endowed with the highest truth.
जातकौतूहलास्तत्र विविक्तास्तु भवार्णवात्। दानवा ऊचुः। दीक्षयस्व गुरो सर्वान्प्रपन्नान्भक्तितः स्थितान्
Those who had become curious about their birth, separated from the ocean of worldly existence, the Dānavas spoke: 'O teacher, initiate all those who have approached and stand here with devotion.'
येन वै न पुनर्मोहं व्रजामस्तव शासनात्। सुविरक्ताः स्म संसारे शोकमोहप्रदायिनि
'By your command, may we never again fall into delusion; we are thoroughly detached from worldly life, which brings sorrow and confusion.'
उद्धरस्व गुरो सर्वान्केशाकर्षेण कूपतः। कस्य देवस्य शरणं गच्छामो ब्राह्मणोत्तम
'Lift us all, O teacher, from the pit by pulling our hair; O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, to which god should we seek refuge?'
दैवतं च प्रपन्नानां प्रकाशय महामते। स्मरणेनोपवासेन ध्यानधारणया तथा
'Reveal to us, O wise one, the deity for those who have taken refuge; whether by remembrance, fasting, meditation, or concentration.'
पूजोपहारे च कृते अपवर्गस्तु लभ्यते। विरक्तास्स्म कुटुंबे तु भूयो नात्र यतामहे
'And by offering worship and gifts, liberation is attained; we are detached from family and will not strive for it again.'
एवं चैव गुरुश्छन्नस्तैरुक्तो दनुपुंगवैः। चिंतयामास तत्कार्यं कथमेतत्करोम्यहम्
Thus, concealed as their teacher, he was addressed by those leaders of the Dānavas; he began to ponder how he might accomplish this task.
कथमेते मया पापाः कर्तव्या नरकौकसः। विडंबनाच्छ्रुतेर्बाह्यास्त्रैलोक्ये हास्यकारिणः
'How should I, who am to deal with these sinful ones dwelling in hell, act? They are outside the Vedic tradition, objects of ridicule in the three worlds.'
इत्युक्त्वा धिषणो राजंश्चिन्तयामास केशवम्। तस्य तच्चिंतितं ज्ञात्वा मायामोहं जनार्दनः
Having spoken thus, the wise king began to contemplate Keśava; Janārdana, knowing his thoughts, produced an illusion of delusion.
समुत्पाद्य ददौ तस्य प्राह चेदं बृहस्पतिम्। मायामोहोयमखिलांस्तान्दैत्यान्मोहयिष्यति
He created it and gave it to him, saying this to Bṛhaspati: 'This entire illusion of delusion will bewilder those Daityas.'
भवता सहितः सर्वान्वेदमार्गबहिष्कृतान्। एवमादिश्य भगवानंतर्द्धानं जगाम ह
'Together with you, all will be excluded from the Vedic path.' Having thus instructed, the Lord disappeared.
तपस्यभिरतान्सोथ मायामोहो गतोऽसुरान्। तेषां समीपमागत्य बृहस्पतिरुवाच ह
Those Asuras, devoted to austerities, were overtaken by the illusion of delusion; approaching them, Bṛhaspati spoke.
अनुग्रहार्थं युष्माकं भक्त्या प्रीतस्त्विहागतः। योगी दिगम्बरो मुण्डो बर्हिपत्रधरो ह्ययम्
'For the sake of your favor, pleased by your devotion, I have come here; this yogi is naked, shaven-headed, and wears peacock feathers.'
इत्युक्ते गुरुणा पश्चान्मायामोहोब्रवीद्वचः। भो भो दैत्याधिपतयः प्रब्रूत तपसि स्थिताः
After the teacher spoke thus, the illusion of delusion then said: 'O chiefs of the Daityas, speak, you who are engaged in austerity.'
एहिकार्थं तु पारक्यं तपसः फलमिच्छथ। दानवा ऊचुः। पारक्यधर्मलाभाय तपश्चर्या हि नो मता
'Do you desire the fruit of austerity for worldly purposes or for something beyond?' The Dānavas spoke: 'Our practice of austerity is for gaining the dharma of the beyond.'
अस्माभिरियमारब्धा किं वा तत्र विवक्षितम्। दिगंबर उवाच। कुरुध्वं मम वाक्यानि यदि मुक्तिमभीप्सथ
'We have begun this; what else is intended here?' The naked ascetic said: 'Follow my words if you desire liberation.'
आर्हतं सर्वमेतच्च मुक्तिद्वारमसंवृतम्। धर्माद्विमुक्तेरर्होयं नैतस्मादपरः परः३५० 1.13.
'All this is worthy of the Arhats; the gateway to liberation is open. Liberation comes from dharma; there is no higher path than this.'
अत्रैवावस्थिताः स्वर्गं मुक्तिं चापि गमिष्यथ। एवंप्रकारैर्बहुभिर्मुक्तिदर्शनवर्जितैः
'Remaining here, you will attain heaven and liberation, by many such means devoid of the vision of liberation.'
मायामोहेन ते दैत्याः वेदमार्गबहिष्कृताः। धर्मायैतदधर्माय सदेतदसदित्यपि
By the illusion of delusion, those Daityas were excluded from the Vedic path; for dharma, this is adharma, and for truth, this is untruth.
विमुक्तये त्विदं नैतद्विमुक्तिं संप्रयच्छति। परमार्थोयमत्यर्थं परमार्थो न चाप्ययम्
This is not for liberation; indeed, it does not grant liberation. This is said to be the highest truth, but it is not truly the highest truth.
कार्यमेतदकार्यं हि नैतदेतत्स्फुटं त्विदम्। दिग्वाससामयं धर्मो धर्मोयं बहुवाससाम्
This is said to be duty, but it is not truly duty; this is not clear at all. The law for those who wear only a cloth is one thing, and the law for those who wear many garments is another.
इत्यनेकार्थवादांस्तु मायामोहेन ते यतः। उक्तास्ततोऽखिला दैत्याः स्वधर्मांस्त्याजिता नृप
Thus, because of the delusion of illusion, they spoke many contradictory doctrines; therefore, O king, all the demons abandoned their own duties.
अर्हध्वं मामकं धर्मं मायामोहेन ते यतः। उक्तास्तमाश्रिता धर्ममार्हतास्तेन तेभवन्
Because of the delusion of illusion, they declared my own law to be worthy; those who adopted that law became worthy through it.