ततः स दिग्गजैर्बालो भूभृच्छिखरसन्निभैः । पातितो धरणीपृष्ठ विषाणैरवपीड़ितः
Then, by those guardians of the quarters, resembling mountain peaks, the boy was struck down to the earth and pierced by their tusks.
स्मरतस्तस्य गोविन्दमिभदन्ताः सहस्त्रशः । शीर्णा वक्षःस्थलं प्राप्य स प्राह पितरं ततः
As he remembered Govinda, the elephant tusks, by the thousands, shattered upon his chest; then he spoke to his father.
दन्ता गजानां कुलिशाग्रनिष्ठुराः शीर्णा यदेते न बलं ममैतत् । महाविपत्पापविनाशनोऽयं जनार्दनानुस्मरणानुभावः
The tusks of the elephants, sharp as thunderbolts, are broken—this is not my strength; it is the power of remembering Janardana, the destroyer of great calamities and sins.
ज्वाल्यतामसुरा ! वह्निरपसर्पत दिग्गजाः । वायो समेधयाग्निं त्वं दह्मतामेष पापकृत् महाकाष्ठच्छन्नमसुरेन्द्रसुतं ततः । प्रज्वाल्य दानवा वह्नि ददहुः खामिनोदिताः
Ignite the fire, O Asuras! Withdraw, O guardians of the quarters! Wind, kindle the fire; let it burn this sinful son of the lord of the Asuras, covered with great logs. Then, the Danavas, urged by the fire, set him ablaze.
तातैष वह्निः पवनेरितोऽपि न मां दहत्यत्र समन्ततोऽहम् । पश्यामि पह्मास्तरणास्तृतानि शीतानि सर्व्वाणि दिशां मुखानि
Father, though this fire is fanned by the wind, it does not burn me at all; I see lotus beds spread everywhere, and all the directions are cool.
अथ दैत्येश्वरं प्रोचुर्भार्गवस्यात्मजाद्रिजाः । पुरोहिता महात्मानः साचम्ना संस्तूय वाग्मिनः
Then the sons of Bhargava, the great-souled priests, eloquent and praising him, spoke to the lord of the Daityas.
राजन् ! नियम्यतां कोपो बालेऽत्र तनयेऽनुजे । कोपो देवनिकायेषु यत्र ते सफलो यतः
O king, restrain your anger toward this boy, your son and younger brother; let your wrath be directed at the hosts of gods, where it will be fruitful.
तथा तथैनं बालं ते शासितारो भविष्यति
Thus, in this way, those will become the chastisers of your boy.
बालत्वं सर्व्वदोषाणां दैत्यराजास्पदं यतः । ततोऽत्र कोपमत्यर्थं योक्तुमर्हसि नार्भके
Childhood is the abode of all faults, O king of the Daityas; therefore, you should not direct excessive anger towards a child in this matter.
न त्यक्ष्यति हरेः पक्षमस्माकं वचनाद् यदि । ततः कृत्यां वधायास्य करिष्यामो निवर्त्तिनीम्
If, by our words, he does not abandon the side of Hari, then we shall employ a magical rite to bring about his death and turn him back.
एवमभ्यर्थितस्तैस्तु दैत्यराजः पुरोहितैः । दैत्यैर्निष्काशयामास पुत्रं पावकसञ्चयात्
Thus urged by his priests, the king of the Daityas expelled his son from the assembly of fire.
तो गुरुगृहे बालः सवसन् बालदानवान् । अध्यापयामास मुहुरुपदेशान्तरे गुरोः
While living in the house of his teacher, the boy instructed the other young Daityas repeatedly, even amidst the teacher’s other lessons.
श्वूयतां परमार्थो मे दैतेया दितिजात्मजाः । न चान्यथैतन्मन्तव्यं नात्र लोभादिकारणम्
Listen to my highest teaching, O Daityas, sons of Diti; let this not be considered otherwise—there is no motive here of greed or the like.
जन्म बाल्यं ततः सर्वो जन्तुः प्राप्नोति यौवनम् । अव्याहतैव भवति ततोऽनुदिवसं जरा
After birth and childhood, every creature attains youth; then, without hindrance, day by day, old age comes.
ततश्यच मृत्युमभ्येति जन्तुर्दैत्येश्वरात्मजाः । प्रत्यक्षं दृश्यते चैतदस्माकं भवतां तथा
Then, O sons of the lord of the Daityas, death approaches the creature; this is seen directly by us and by you as well.
मृतस्य च पुनर्जन्म भवत्येतज्व नान्यथा । आगमोऽयं तथा तत्र नोपादानं विनोद्भवः
And for the dead, there is rebirth—this is certain, not otherwise; such is the tradition, and in that, there is no arising without a cause.
गर्भवासादि यावत् तु पुनर्जन्मोपपादनम् । समस्तावस्थकं तावदू दुः खमेवावगम्यताम्
From dwelling in the womb and so on, up to the occasion of rebirth, every stage is to be understood as nothing but suffering.
क्षुतूतृषअमोपशमं तदूच्छीताद्यु पशमं सुखम् । मन्यते बालबुद्धित्वादू दुः खमेव हि तत् पुनः
The cessation of hunger and thirst, or the relief from cold and the like, is considered happiness by childish minds, but in truth, that too is only suffering.
अत्यन्तस्तिमिताङ्गानां व्यायामेन सुखैषिणाम् । भ्रान्तिज्ञानावृताक्षाणां प्रहारोऽपि सूखायते
For those whose limbs are utterly inert, who desire pleasure through exertion, whose senses are veiled by deluded knowledge—even a blow seems pleasurable.
क शरीरमशेषाणां श्लैष्मादीनां महाचयः । क कान्ति-शोभा-शौरभ्य-कमनीयादयो गुणाः
What is the body but a mass of phlegm and the like? What beauty, radiance, fragrance, or charm are its qualities?
मांसाऽसृकूपूयविणूमूत्रस्नायुमज्जाऽस्थिसंहतौ । देहे चेत् प्रीतिमान् मूढ़ो नरके भवितापि सः
If a fool delights in a body composed of flesh, blood, pus, veins, urine, sinews, marrow, and bones, he will also find joy in hell.
अग्नेः शीतेन तोयस्य तषा भक्तस्य च क्षुधा । क्रियते सुखकर्त्तृ त्वं तदू विलोमस्य चेतदरैः
Fire is relieved by cold, thirst by water, hunger by food; if one considers these to be the causes of happiness, it is the opposite in truth.
करोति हे दैत्यसुता ! यावन्मात्रं परिग्रहम् । तावन्मात्रं, स एवास्य दुः स्वं चेतसि यच्छति
O sons of the Daityas! As long as one maintains attachment, for that long, he brings suffering upon his own mind.
यावतः कुरुते जन्तुः सम्बन्धान् मनसः प्रियान् । तावन्तोऽस्य निखन्यन्ते ह्टदये शोकशङ्गवः
As many beloved connections as a creature forms in his mind, just so many shafts of sorrow are driven into his heart.
यदू यदू गृहे तन्मनसि यत्र तत्रावतिष्ठतः । नाशदाहापहरणां तत्र तस्यैव तिष्ठति
Wherever one’s mind is fixed, regarding whatever in the home, there alone abide destruction, burning, and loss for him.
जन्मन्यत्र महदू दुःखं म्रियमाणस्य चापि तत् । यातनासु यमस्योग्र गर्भसंक्रमणेषु च ।.
In every birth, there is great suffering, and for the dying as well; in the fierce torments of Yama and in the transitions through the womb.
गर्भै च सुखलेशोऽपि भवद्भिरनुमीयते । यदि तत् कथ्यतामेवं सर्वं दुः खमयं जगत्
Even the slightest trace of happiness in the womb is inferred by you; if that is so, then tell me—this entire world is filled with suffering.
तदेवमतिदुः खानामास्पदेऽत्र भवार्णावे । बवतां कथ्यते सत्यं विष्णुरेकः परायणम्
Thus, in this ocean of existence, which is the very abode of great suffering, you declare truly that Viṣṇu alone is the supreme refuge.
मा जानीत वयं बाला देही देहेषु शाशवतः । जरा-यौवन-जन्माद्या धर्म्मा देहस्य नात्मनः
We are children and do not know that the embodied soul is eternal in bodies; old age, youth, birth, and such are properties of the body, not of the self.
बालोऽहं तावदिच्छातो यतिष्ये श्रेयसे युवा । युवाहं वार्द्धके प्राप्त करिष्याम्यात्मनो हितम्
As a child, I think, 'I will strive for the good when I am young'; as a youth, 'I will do what is beneficial for myself when I am old.'