स्वर्गापवर्गनरकाः सत्यवाचि प्रतिष्ठिताः। यस्तु लोपयते वाचमशेषं तेन लोपितं
Heaven, liberation, and hell are established in truthfulness of speech; whoever destroys truth in speech, destroys all of these.
योऽन्यथा संतमात्मानमन्यथा प्रतिपद्यते। किं तेन न कृतं पापं चोरेणात्मापहारिणा४०० 1.18.
Whoever, being one thing in himself, presents himself as something else—what sin has not been committed by that thief, that stealer of his own self?
यास्यामि नरकं घोरं विलोप्यात्मानमात्मना। तस्य वैवस्वतो राजा धर्मस्यार्धं निकृंतति
Having destroyed his own self by himself, he will go to dreadful hell; for him, King Yama cuts away half of his righteousness.
अगाधे सलिले शुद्धे सत्य तीर्थे क्षमा ह्रदे। स्नात्वा पापविनिर्मुक्तः प्रयाति परमां गतिं
Bathing in deep, pure water, at the holy ford of truth, in the lake of forgiveness, one, freed from sin, attains the highest state.
अश्वमेधसहस्रं च सत्यं च तुलया धृतं। अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते
A thousand horse sacrifices and truth, when weighed on a scale—truth indeed surpasses a thousand horse sacrifices.
सत्यं साधुफलं श्रुतं च परमं क्लेशादिभिर्वर्जितं। साधूनां निकटं सतां कुलधनं सर्वाश्रमाणां फलं। यस्मात्तं समवाप्य गच्छति दिवं संत्यज्यतेऽसौ कथं। लोकैरत्र समागमे प्रतिदिनं सत्यं वदध्वं ध्रुवं
Truth is the noble fruit, and learning is supreme, free from all afflictions; among the good, it is their treasure, the fruit of all stages of life; having attained that, one goes to heaven—how could he be abandoned? In this gathering of people, speak truth always, without fail.
सख्य ऊचुः। नंदे सा त्वं नमस्कार्या सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः। या त्वं परमसत्वेन प्राणांस्त्यजसि दुस्त्यजान्
The friends said: O Nanda, you are worthy of reverence by all, gods and demons alike, for you, with supreme truthfulness, are giving up your life, which is so hard to give up.
ब्रूमः किं तत्र कल्याणि या त्वं धर्मधुरंधरा। त्यागेनानेन नाऽप्राप्यं त्रैलोक्ये वस्तु किंचन
We ask, O blessed one, what is there that you, bearer of the burden of righteousness, cannot attain in the three worlds by this act of renunciation?
अवियोगं च पश्यामस्त्यागादस्मात्सुतेन हि। नार्याः कल्याणचित्तायानापदः संति कुत्रचित्
We see that, because of this renunciation, there will be no separation from your son; for a woman of noble mind, there are no misfortunes anywhere.
दृष्ट्वा गोपीजनं सर्वं परिक्रम्य च गोकुलं। नंदा संप्रस्थिता देवान्वृक्षांश्चापृच्छ्य सा पुनः
Having seen all the cowherd folk and circled around Gokula, Nanda, taking leave of the gods and the trees, set out again.
क्षितिं वरुणमग्निं च वायुं चापि निशाकरं। दशदिग्देवतावृक्षान्नक्षत्राणि ग्रहैः सह
She took leave of the earth, Varuṇa, Agni, Vāyu, the moon, the guardian deities of the ten directions, the trees, the stars, and the planets.
सर्वान्विज्ञापयामास प्रणिपत्य मुहुर्मुहुः। ये संश्रिता वने सिद्धाः सर्वाश्च वनदेवताः
She informed them all, bowing again and again: all the perfected beings dwelling in the forest, and all the forest deities.
वने चरंतं च तृणं ते रक्षंतु सुतं मम। चंपकाशोक पुन्नागास्सरलार्जुनकिंशुकाः
May the grasses that roam the forest protect my son; O campaka, ashoka, punnāga, sarala, arjuna, and kiṃśuka trees.
शृण्वंतु पादपाः सर्वे संदेशं मम विक्लवं। वत्समेकाकिनं दीनं चरंतं विषमे वने
Let all the trees hear my anxious message: my calf, alone and distressed, wandering in the difficult forest.
रक्षध्वं वत्सकं बालं स्नेहात्पुत्रमिवौरसं। मात्रापित्राविहीनं च अनाथं दीनमानसं
Protect the little calf, the child, out of affection, as if he were your own son, motherless and fatherless, helpless and sorrowful in mind.
विचरंतमिमां भूमिं क्रंदमानं सुदुःखितं। तस्येह क्रंदमानस्य मत्पुत्रस्य महावने
Wandering this earth, crying out in deep sorrow—here, in this great forest, as my son cries out.
महाशोकाभिभूतस्य क्षुत्पिपासातुरस्य च। शून्यस्यैकाकिनः सर्वं जगच्छून्यं प्रपश्यतः
Overwhelmed by great grief, afflicted by hunger and thirst, alone and seeing the whole world as empty.
चरमाणस्य कर्तव्यं सानुक्रोशैस्तु रक्षणं। संदिश्य नंदा प्रीत्यैवं पुत्रस्नेहवशं गता
For one wandering, protection must be given with compassion; thus, Nanda, overcome by motherly love, gave these instructions with affection.
शोकाग्निना च सन्दीप्ता विच्छिन्ना पुत्रदर्शने। वियुक्ता चक्रवाकीव लतेव पतिता तरोः
Inflamed by the fire of sorrow, severed from seeing her son, she was parted like a chakravaka bird, fallen like a creeper from a tree.
अंधेव दृष्टिरहिता प्रस्खलंती पदे पदे। अगच्छत्सा पुनस्तत्र यत्रासौ पिशिताशनः
Like one blind, deprived of sight, stumbling at every step, she went again to where that flesh-eater was.
आस्ते विस्फूर्जितमुखस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रो भयावहः। तावत्तस्याः सुतो वत्स ऊर्द्ध्वपुच्छोतिवेगवान्
He sat with mouth wide open, sharp-fanged and terrifying; meanwhile, her son, O child, swift as one with tail raised, arrived.
आगत्य मातुरग्रेसौ मृगेंद्रस्याग्रतोऽभवत्। आगतं तु सुतं दृष्ट्वा मृत्युं तमग्रतः स्थितं
He came before his mother and stood before the king of beasts; seeing her son arrive, she saw death standing before her.
व्याघ्रं दृष्ट्वा तु सा धेनुरिदं वचनमब्रवीत्। भोभो मृगेंद्रागताहं सत्यधर्मव्रते स्थिता
Seeing the tiger, the cow spoke these words: 'O king of beasts, I have come, steadfast in truth and righteousness.'
कुरु तृप्तिं यथाकाममस्मन्मांसेन सांप्रतम्। संतर्पय स्वभूतानि पिब त्वं शोणितं मम
Fulfill your desire now, satisfy yourself with my flesh; nourish your own kind, drink my blood.
मृतायां तु मयि त्वं भो भक्षयेमं तु बालकम्। द्वीप्युवाच। स्वागतं तव कल्याणि धेनुके सत्यवादिनी
When I am dead, O sir, then eat this calf; the tiger said: 'Welcome to you, O virtuous cow, speaker of truth.'
न हि सत्यवतां किंचिदशुभं भवति क्वचित्। त्वयोक्तं धेनुके पूर्वं सत्यं प्रत्यागमे पुनः
For nothing inauspicious ever befalls those devoted to truth; what you said before, O cow, was truth, and you have returned again.
तेन मे कौतुकं प्राप्तं प्राप्ता गच्छेत्कथं पुनः। तव सत्यपरीक्षार्थं प्रेषितासि मया पुनः
Because of this, I am curious how you could return; for the sake of testing your truthfulness, I sent you again.
अन्यथा मां समासाद्य जीवंती यास्यसे कथम्। यच्च नः कौतुकं जातं सत्यमन्वेषणं मम
Otherwise, having met me, how could you depart alive? And my curiosity arose for the search of truth.
तस्मादनेन सत्येन मुक्तासि च मयाऽधुना। भगिनी भवती मह्यं भागिनेयः सुतस्तव
Therefore, by this truth, you are now released by me; you are my sister, and your son is my nephew.
दत्तोपदेशस्य शुभे मम पापिष्ठकर्मणः। सत्ये प्रतिष्ठिता लोका धर्मः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः
O auspicious one, having given instruction to me, though I am sinful in deed, worlds are established in truth, and righteousness is established in truth.