स तस्य वैश्वदेवान्ते द्रारालोकनगोचरे । स्थितस्तेन गृहीतार्घ्यो निजवेश्म प्रवेशितः
At the end of the Vaiśvadeva rite, when Nidāgha was within sight, Ṛbhu stood there; Nidāgha welcomed him, offered water for his feet, and led him into his own house.
पर्क्षालिताङ घ्रिपाणिं च कृतासनपरिग्रहम् । उवाच स द्रिजश्वेष्ठो भूज्यतामिति सादरम्
After washing his feet and hands and having him seated comfortably, Nidāgha, the best of twice-born, respectfully said, 'Please eat.'
ऋभुरुवाच । भो विप्रवर्य्य! भोक्तव्यं यदन्नं भवतो गृहे । तत् कथ्यतां कदन्नेषु न प्रीतिः सतत मम
Ṛbhu said: O excellent Brāhmaṇa, please tell me what food is to be eaten in your house; for I do not always take pleasure in every kind of food.
निदाघ उवाच । भक्त-यावक-वाठ्यानामपूपानाञ्च मे गृहे । यदू रोचते द्रिजश्रेष्ठ!तत् त्वं भुङ श्र्व यथेच्छया
Nidāgha said: Of cooked rice, barley, cakes, and other foods in my house, O best of Brāhmaṇas, eat whatever pleases you, as you wish.
ऋभुरुवाच । कदन्नानि द्रिजैतानि मृष्टमन्नं प्रयच्छ मे । संयाव-पायसादीनि द्रप्स्यफाणितावन्ति च
Ṛbhu said: These are all foods made from rice; give me some fine food—such as semolina, milk-rice, and others, as well as curdled milk with sugar.
निदाघ उवाच । हे हे शालिनि मदगेहे यत किञ्चिदतिशोभनम् । भक्ष्योपसाधनं मष्टं तेनास्यान्नां प्रसाधय
Nidāgha said: O wife, whatever excellent ingredients for food are in my house, prepare the meal with those for this guest.
ब्राह्मण उवाच । इत्युक्ता तेन सा पत्री मृष्टमन्नं द्रिजस्य यत् । प्रसाधितवती तदू वै भर्त्तुर्वचनगौरवात्
The Brāhmaṇa said: Thus instructed by him, the lady prepared fine food for the Brāhmaṇa, out of respect for her husband's words.
तं भुक्तवन्तमिच्छातो मृष्टमन्नं महामुनिम् । निदाघः प्राह भूपाल! प्रश्रयावनतः स्थितः
When the great sage had eaten the fine food as he wished, Nidāgha, standing with humility, addressed him, O king.
निदाघ उवाच । अपि ते परमा तृप्तिरुत्पन्ना तुष्टिरेव च । अपि ते मानसं खस्थमाहारेण कृतं द्रिज
Nidāgha said: Has the highest satisfaction arisen for you? Are you truly content? Has your mind been pleased by the meal, O Brāhmaṇa?
क्क निवासो भवान् विप्र ! क्क च गन्तु समुद्यतः । आगम्यते च भवता यतस्तज्व द्रिजोच्यताम्
Where is your residence, O Brāhmaṇa? And where are you intending to go? Please tell me from where you have come.
ऋबुरुवाच । क्षुदू यस्य तस्य भुक्तेऽन्ने तृप्तिर्ब्राह्मण! जायते । न मे क्षु न्नाभवत् तृप्तिः कस्मान्मां परिपृच्छसि
Ṛbhu said: O Brāhmaṇa, satisfaction arises from eating food for one who is hungry; but as I did not feel hunger, I did not experience satisfaction—so why do you question me?
वह्निना पार्थिवे धातौ क्षयिते क्षु त्सनुद्भवः । भवत्यम्भांस च क्षीणो नृणां तृड़पि जायते
Hunger arises when the element of earth is consumed by fire; and when the waters in the body are depleted, thirst arises in people.
क्षुत्तृषौ देहधर्म्माख्ये न ममैते यतो द्रिज । ततः क्षु त्सम्भवाभावात् तृप्तिरस्त्येव मे सदा
O twice-born, hunger and thirst are known as bodily conditions, but these do not pertain to me; therefore, as there is no arising of hunger for me, I am always satisfied.
मनसः स्वस्थता तुष्टिश्वित्तधर्म्माविमौ द्रिज । चेतसो यस्य तत् पृच्छ पुमानेबिर्न युज्यते
O Brāhmaṇa, the contentment of the mind and the satisfaction of desires are two qualities of the mind; ask about these, for a person is not bound by anything else.
क्व निवासस्तवेत्युक्तं क्व गन्तासि स यत् त्वया । कु तश्वागम्यते तत्र त्रितयेऽपि निबोध मे
When you ask, 'Where is your dwelling? Where will you go? From where have you come?'—listen to my answer regarding these three.
पुमान् सर्व्वगतो व्यापा आकाशवदयं यतः । कुतः कुत्र क्व गन्तासीत्येतदप्यर्थवत् कथम्
Since the person is all-pervading and spreads everywhere like space, how can questions like 'from where, to where, where will you go?' have any real meaning?
नाहं गन्ता न चागन्ता नैकदेशनिकेतनः । त्वं चान्येच न च त्वं त्वं नान्ये नैवाहमप्यहम्
I am neither a goer nor one who comes, nor am I confined to any one place; you are not another, nor are you yourself, nor am I another, nor am I myself.
मष्टं न मष्टमप्येषा जिज्ञासा मे कृता तव । किं वक्ष्यसीति तत्रापि श्रूयतां द्रिजसत्तम
You have asked this inquiry about 'mine' and 'not mine'; now hear, O best of Brāhmaṇas, what I will say in response.
किमस्वादूथवा मृष्टं भुञ्जतोऽन्नं द्रिजोत्तम । मृष्टमेव यदामृष्टं तदैवोदू गकारकम्
O best of Brāhmaṇas, when one eats food, is it tasteless or delicious? What is delicious becomes tasteless when it is no longer desired.
अमृष्टं जायते मृष्टं मृष्टादुद्रिजते जनः । आदिमध्यावसानेषु किमन्नं रुचिकारकम्
What is tasteless becomes delicious, and from the delicious, people turn away; at the beginning, middle, and end, what is it that makes food appealing?
मृन्मयं हि गृहं यदून्मृदा लिप्त स्थिरं भवेत् । पार्थिवोऽयं तथा देहः पार्थिवैः परमाणभिः
Just as a house made of clay, when coated with clay, becomes firm, so too this body is made of earthly atoms.
. यव-गोधूम-मुदूगादि घृतं तैलं पयो दधि । गुड फलादीनि तथा पार्थिवाः परमाणवः
Barley, wheat, pulses, clarified butter, oil, milk, curd, jaggery, fruits, and the like—all these are composed of earthly atoms.
तदेतदू भवता ज्ञात्वा मृष्टामृष्टविचारि यत् । तन्मनः समातालम्बि कार्य्यं साम्यं हि मुक्तय
Knowing this, consider the distinction between what is delicious and what is not; let the mind remain balanced, for equanimity is the means to liberation.
इतायाकर्ण्य वच्स्तस्य परमार्थाश्रितं नृफ! प्रणिपत्य महाभागे निदाघो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Hearing these words, which rest on the highest truth, King, Nidāgha bowed to the great one and spoke.
प्रसीद मद्धितार्थाय कथ्यतां यस्त्वमागतः । नष्टो मोहस्तवाकर्ण्य वचांस्येतानि मे द्रिज
Be gracious, and tell me for my benefit why you have come; my delusion has vanished upon hearing these words of yours, O Brāhmaṇa.
ऋभुरस्मि तवाचार्य्यः प्रज्ञादानाय ते द्रिज! इहागतोऽहं यास्यामि परमार्थस्तवोदितः
I am Ṛbhu, your teacher, come here to bestow knowledge upon you, O Brāhmaṇa; now I will depart, for the highest truth has been declared to you.
एवमेकमिदं विद्धि न भेदि सकलं जगत् । वासुदेवाभिधेयस्य स्वरूपं परमात्मनः
Know this: all this world is one, not divided; it is the true nature of the Supreme Self, known as Vāsudeva.
तथेत्युक्त्वा निदाघेन प्रणिपातपुरः सरम् । पूजितः परया भतया इच्छातः प्रययावृभुः
Having said so, Nidāgha, bowing deeply, worshipped Ṛbhu with great devotion, and Ṛbhu departed as he wished.
ऋबुर्वर्षसहस्त्र तु समतीते नरेश्वर! निदाघज्ञानदानाय तदेव नगरं ययौ
O king, when a thousand years had passed, Ṛbhu went again to that city to impart knowledge to Nidāgha.
नगरस्य वहिः सोऽथ निदाघं ददृशे मुनिः । महाबलपरीवारे पुरं विशति पार्थिवे
Then, outside the city, the sage saw Nidāgha, who, surrounded by a great retinue, was entering the city of the king.