ब्राह्मण उवाच भूप पृच्छसि किं श्रेयः परमार्थं नु पृच्छसि । श्रेयांस्यपरमार्थानि अशेषाणि च भूपते ॥ २,१४.
The brāhmaṇa said: O king, do you ask about the highest good, or do you ask about ultimate truth? All goods that are not ultimate truth also exist, O king.
देवताराधनं कृत्वा धनसम्पदमिच्छति । पुत्रानिच्छति राज्यं च श्रेयस्तस्यैव तन्नृप ॥ २,१४.
By worshipping the gods, one desires wealth and prosperity; one desires sons and a kingdom. That is his good, O king.
कर्म यज्ञात्मकं श्रेयः फलं तत्प्राप्तिलक्षणम् । श्रेयः प्रधानं च फले तदेवानभिसंहिते ॥ २,१४.
Action whose essence is sacrifice is good; its fruit is characterized by attainment. The chief good lies in the fruit, even if it is not intended.
आत्मा ध्येयः सदा भूप योगयुक्तैस्तथा परम् । श्रेयस्तस्यैव संयोगः श्रेयो यः परमात्मनः ॥ २,१४.
The self should always be meditated upon, O king, by those united with yoga, and likewise the supreme. His union is the highest good, which is the good of the Supreme Self.
श्रेयांस्येवमनेकानि शतशोय सहस्रसः । सन्त्यत्र परमार्थस्तु न त्वेते श्रूयतां च मे ॥ २,१४.
Although there are countless things here that seem superior, in truth, none of these are the ultimate reality; now listen to me about that.
धर्माय त्यज्यते किन्तु परमार्थो धनं यदि । व्ययश्च क्रियते कस्मात्कामप्राप्त्युपलक्षणः ॥ २,१४.
If wealth is given up for the sake of righteousness, that is not the highest reality; and if it is spent, it is only for the attainment of desire.
पुत्रश्चेत्परमार्थः स्यात्सोऽप्यन्यस्य नरेश्वर । परमार्थभूतः सोन्यस्य परमार्थो हि तत्पिता ॥ २,१४.
If a son were considered the highest reality, O lord of men, then he would belong to another; for the father is the highest reality for the son, and vice versa.
एवं न परमार्थोस्ति जगत्यस्मिञ्चराचरे । परमार्थो हि कार्याणि कारणानामशेषतः ॥ २,१४.
Thus, in this world of moving and unmoving beings, there is no ultimate reality; for what is called the highest reality is always the effect of causes.
राज्यादिप्राप्तिरत्रोक्ता परमार्थतया यदि । परमार्था भवन्त्यत्र न भवन्ति च वै ततः ॥ २,१४.
If attainment of kingdom and such things is said to be the highest reality here, then these become the highest reality, and yet, at the same time, they do not.
ऋग्यजुःसामनिष्पाद्यं यज्ञकर्म मतं तव । परमार्थभूतं तत्रापि श्रूयतां गदतो मम ॥ २,१४.
You consider the sacrificial act, accomplished through the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, to be the highest reality; hear from me what is truly the case even there.
यत्तु निष्पाद्यते कार्यं मृदा कारणभूतया । तत्कारणानुगमनाज्ज्ञायते नृप मृण्मयम् ॥ २,१४.
Whatever work is accomplished with clay as its material cause, O king, is known as an earthen object because it follows from its cause.
एवं विनाशिभिर्द्रव्यैः समिदाज्यकुशादिभिः । निष्पाद्यते क्रिया या तु सा भवित्री विनाशिनी ॥ २,१४.
In the same way, the rite performed with perishable substances—such as sacrificial sticks, ghee, and kusa grass—will itself be perishable.
अनाशो परमार्थश्च प्राज्ञौरभ्युपगम्यते । तत्तु नाशि न सन्देहो नाशिद्रव्योपपादितम् ॥ २,१४.
The wise accept that the imperishable alone is the highest reality; but that which is perishable, being produced from perishable substances, is certainly not so.
तदेवाफलदं कर्म परमार्थो मतस्तव । मुक्तिसाधनभूतत्वात्परमार्थो न साधनम् ॥ २,१४.
You consider that action which bears fruit as the highest reality, because it is a means to liberation; but the highest reality is not a means.
ध्यानं चैवात्मनो भूपु परमार्थार्थशब्दितम् । भेदकारि परेभ्यस्तु परमार्थो न भेदवान् ॥ २,१४.
Meditation upon the self, O king, is called the pursuit of the highest reality; but for those who create distinctions, the highest reality is not divided.
परमात्मात्मनोर्योगः परमार्थ इतीष्यते । मिथ्यैतदन्यद्रव्यं हि नैति तद्द्रव्यतां यतः ॥ २,१४.
The union of the supreme self and the individual self is considered the highest reality; but anything else, being a different substance, is false, for it does not attain the nature of that substance.
तस्माच्छ्रेयांस्यशेषाणि नृवैतानि न संशयः । परमार्थस्तु भूपाल संक्षेपाच्छ्रूयतां मम ॥ २,१४.
Therefore, O king, all these things are indeed excellent, without doubt; but now, in brief, listen to me about the highest reality.
एको व्यापी समः शुद्धो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । जन्मवृद्ध्यादिरहित आत्मा सर्वगतोव्ययः ॥ २,१४.
The one self is all-pervading, equal, pure, without qualities, beyond nature, free from birth and growth, all-pervading, and undecaying.
परज्ञानमयो सद्भिर्नामजात्यादिभिर्विभुः । न योगवान्न युक्तोभून्नैव पार्थिव योक्ष्यते ॥ २,१४.
He is composed of supreme knowledge, called by the wise by various names and categories; he is neither possessed of yoga nor joined to anything, nor will he ever be, O king.
तस्यात्मपरदेहेषु सतोप्येकमयं हि यत् । विज्ञानं परमार्थोऽसौ द्वैतिनोऽतथ्यर्शिनः ॥ २,१४.
Although present in one's own and others' bodies, that consciousness which is one in essence is the highest reality; for those who perceive duality, it is not so.
वेणुरन्ध्रप्रभेदेन भेदः षङ्जादिसंज्ञितः । अभेदव्यापिनोवायोस्तथास्य परमात्मनः ॥ २,१४.
Just as the differences in the notes of a flute arise from the holes, yet the air pervades without distinction, so it is with the supreme self.
एकस्वरूपभेदश्च ब्राह्मकर्मावृतिप्रजः । देवादिभेदेऽपध्वस्ते नास्त्येवावरणे हि सः ॥ २,१४.
The apparent differences in the one true nature arise from coverings of action and birth; when distinctions such as gods and others are removed, he remains, without any covering.
पराशर उवाच । इत्युक्ते मौनिनं भूयश्विन्तयानं महीपतिम् । प्रत्युवाचाथ विप्रोऽसावदू तौन्तर्गतां कथाम्
Parāśara said: When this was spoken, the sage, reflecting again, addressed the king, who was deep in thought, and began to relate the story that had been previously mentioned.
श्रूयतां नृपशाद्दूल! यदूगोतमृबुणा पुरा । अवबोधं जनयता निदाघस्य महात्मनः
Listen, O best of kings, to what was formerly done by the illustrious Ṛbhu of the Yadu lineage, who awakened the great-souled Nidāgha.
ऋभुर्नामाभवत् पुत्रो ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । विज्ञाततत्त्वसद्रावो निसर्गादेव भूपते
There was a son of Brahmā, the supreme lord, named Ṛbhu, who, O king, was naturally endowed with knowledge of the true reality.
तस्य शिष्यो निदाघोऽबूत् पुलस्त्यतनयः पुरा । प्रादादशेषविज्ञानं स तस्मै परया मुदा
In former times, Nidāgha, the son of Pulastya, became his disciple; and Ṛbhu, with supreme joy, imparted to him all knowledge without remainder.
अवाप्यज्ञानत्त्वस्य न तस्यादूतैवासनाम । स ऋभुस्तर्कयामास निदाघस्य नरेश्वर
But, having attained knowledge, Nidāgha did not realize its essence; so Ṛbhu, O king, began to reflect upon Nidāgha.
देविकायास्तटे वीरनगरं नाम वै पुरम् । समृद्धमतिरम्यं च पुलस्त्येन निवेशितम्
On the bank of the Devikā river stood a city named Vīranagara, prosperous and exceedingly delightful, established by Pulastya.
रम्योपवनपर्य्यन्ते स तस्मिन् पार्थिवोत्तम ! निदाघो नाम योगज्ञ ऋभुशिष्योऽवसत् पुरा
In that city, at the edge of a beautiful grove, Nidāgha, the knower of yoga and disciple of Ṛbhu, once resided, O best of kings.
दिव्येवर्षसहस्त्रे तु समतीतेऽस्य तत्पुरम् । जगाम स ऋभुः शिष्यं निदाघमवलोककः
When a thousand divine years had passed in that city, Ṛbhu came to see his disciple Nidāgha.