तदूगच्छत न भीः कीर्या मायामोहोऽयमग्रतः । गच्छत्वद्योपकाराय भवता भवतां सुराः
Therefore, do not be afraid; this delusion of illusion stands before you. Let it go now, for your benefit, by your own will, O gods.
इत्युक्ताः प्रणिपत्यैनं ययुर्देवा यथागतम् । मायामोहोऽपि तैः सार्द्धं ययौ यत्र महासुराः
Thus addressed, the gods bowed to him and departed as they had come; and the delusion of illusion went with them to where the great asuras were.
पराशर उवाच । तपस्यभिरतान् सोऽथ मायामोहो महासुरान् । मैत्रेय ! ददृशे गत्वा नर्मदातीरसंश्रितान्
Parāśara said: Then, Maitreya, the delusion of illusion, having gone, saw the great asuras engaged in austerities, dwelling on the banks of the Narmadā.
ततो दिगम्बरो मुण्डो बर्हिपत्रधरो द्रिज । मायामोहोऽसुरान् श्लक्ष्णमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Then, naked, shaven-headed, and wearing peacock feathers, the delusion of illusion spoke these gentle words to the asuras.
हे दैत्यपतयो ! ब्रूत यदर्थं तप्यते तपः । ऐहिकं वाथ पारत्र्यं तपसः फलमिच्छथ
O lords of the daityas, tell me for what purpose you perform austerities. Do you desire the fruit of asceticism for this world or for the next?
पारत्र्यफललाभाय तपश्वर्या महामते । अस्माभिरियमारब्धा किं वा तेऽत्र विवक्षितम्
We, of great understanding, have undertaken these austerities for the attainment of the fruit of the next world. Or is there something else you wish to say about this?
कुरुध्वं मम वाक्यानि यदि मुक्तिमभीप्सथ । अर्हध्वमेनं धर्मञ्च मुक्तिद्रारमसंवृतम्
If you desire liberation, then follow my words. You are worthy of this dharma, which is the gateway to liberation.
धर्मो विमुक्तेरर्होऽयं नैतदस्मात् परः परः । अत्रैव संस्थिताः स्वर्गं विमुक्तिं वा गमिष्यथ । अर्हध्वं धर्ममेतञ्च सर्वे यूयं महाबलाः
This dharma is worthy of liberation; there is nothing higher than this. Remaining here itself, you will attain heaven or liberation. All of you, mighty ones, are worthy of this dharma.
एवं प्रकारैर्बहुभिर्युक्तिदर्शनवर्द्धितैः । मायामोहन ते देत्या वेदमार्गादपाकृताः
In this way, with many arguments strengthened by reasoning, the delusion of illusion led the daityas away from the path of the Veda.
धर्मायैतदधर्माय सदेतन्न सदित्यपि । विमुक्तये त्विदं नैतदू विमुक्तिं सम्प्रच्छात
This is for dharma, that is for adharma; this is real, that is unreal—so it is said. But for liberation, this is not the way; do not seek liberation in this manner.
परमार्थोऽयमत्यर्थं परमार्थो न चाप्ययम् कार्यमेतदकार्य्यञ्च नैतदेवं स्पुटं त्विदम् । दिग्वाससामयं धर्मो धर्मोऽयं बहुवाससाम्
This is the highest truth, and yet it is not the highest truth; this is action, and yet it is inaction—thus, nothing here is clear. The dharma of the naked is one thing, and the dharma of those with many garments is another.
इत्यनैकान्तवादञ्च मायामोहेन नैकधा । तेन दर्शयता दैत्याः स्वधर्मांस्त्याजिता द्रिज
Thus, by presenting many-sided arguments of indeterminacy, the delusion of illusion caused the daityas to abandon their own dharmas, O twice-born.
अर्हतेमं महाधर्मं मायामोहेन ते यतः । प्रोक्तास्तमाश्रिता धर्ममार्हतास्तेन तेऽभवन्
Because the delusion of illusion proclaimed this great dharma, they adopted that dharma and became followers of it.
त्रयीधर्मसमुत्सर्ग मायामोहेन तेऽसुराः । कारितास्तन्मया ह्मासंस्ततोऽन्ये तत्प्रबोधिताः
Through the delusion of illusion, those asuras were made to abandon the dharma of the three Vedas; I too became like them, and others were awakened by them.
तैरप्यन्ये परे तैश्व तैरप्यन्ये परे च तैः । अल्पैरहोभिः सन्तयक्ता तैर्दैत्यैः प्रायशस्त्रयी
By them, others, and by those others still more, and again by others—within a few days, most of the daityas abandoned the threefold Vedic path.
पुनश्व रक्ताम्बरधृङू मायामोहोऽजितेक्षिणः । अन्यानाहासुरान् गत्वा मृद्धल्पमधुराक्षरम्
Again, wearing red garments, the delusion of illusion, unconquered, went to other asuras and addressed them with soft, gentle, and sweet words.
स्वर्गार्थं यदि वो वाञ्छा निर्वाणार्थमथासुराः । तदलं पशुघातादिदुष्टधर्मैर्निबोधत
If your desire is for heaven, or asuras, if it is for liberation, then enough of these evil dharmas like animal sacrifice—listen.
विज्ञानमयमेवैतदशेषमवगच्छत । बुध्यध्वं मे वचः सम्यगू बुधैरेवमुदीरितम्
Understand that all this is truly made of knowledge alone. Listen well to my words, as spoken by the wise.
जगदेतदनाधारं भ्रान्तिज्ञानार्थतत्परम् । रागादिदुष्टमत्यर्थं भ्राम्यते भवसङ्कटे
This world, lacking a true foundation, is absorbed in false knowledge and delusion; thoroughly corrupted by passion and the like, it wanders in the peril of worldly existence.
एवं बुध्यत बुध्यध्वं बुध्यतैवमितीरयन् । मायामोहः स दैतेयान् धर्ममत्याजयन्नजम्
Thus, proclaiming, 'Understand! Awaken! Comprehend in this way!'—that illusion and delusion caused the Daityas to abandon the unborn (eternal) Dharma.
नानाप्रकारवचनं स तेषां युक्तियोजितम् । तथा तथा च तदूधर्मं तत्यजुस्ते यथा यथा
He spoke to them with various kinds of arguments, skillfully arranged; and as he spoke in different ways, so too did they abandon their true Dharma, each according to the manner presented.
तेऽप्यन्येषां तथैवोचुरन्यैरन्ये तथोदिताः । मैभेय ! तत्यजुर्धर्मं वेदस्मृत्युदितं परम्
They, in turn, spoke the same to others, and others repeated it likewise; O Maibheya, thus they abandoned the supreme Dharma taught in the Vedas and Smṛtis.
अन्यानप्यन्यपाषणडप्रकारैर्बहुभिर्द्रिज । दैतेयान् मोहयामास मायामोहोऽतिमोहकृत्
By many other forms of false doctrine, O twice-born, that great deluder, the illusion-maker, thoroughly bewildered the Daityas.
स्वल्पेनैव हि कालेन मायामोहेन तेऽसुराः । मोहितास्तत्यजुः सर्वां त्रयीमार्गाश्रितां कथाम्
Indeed, in a very short time, under the influence of that deluding illusion, those Asuras, bewildered, abandoned entirely the teachings based on the threefold Vedic path.
केचिदूविनिन्दां वेदानां देवानामपरे द्रिज । यज्ञकर्मसलापस्य तथान्ये च द्रिजन्मनाम्
Some began to revile the Vedas, others the gods, O twice-born; still others mocked sacrificial rites and the lineage of the twice-born.
नैतदूयुक्तिसहं वाक्यं हिंसा धर्माय नेष्यते । हवींष्यनलदग्धानि फलायेत्यर्भकोदितम
Such words, lacking sound reasoning, do not support Dharma; it is childish to say that offerings burned in fire yield fruit.
यज्ञैरनेकैर्देवत्वमवाप्येन्द्रण भुज्यते । शम्यादि यदि चेत्काष्ठं तदूरं पत्रभुक् पशु
If, by many sacrifices, divinity is attained and Indra enjoys it, then if a log is burned, let the animal that eats its leaves also attain that.
निहतस्य पशोर्यज्ञ स्वर्गप्रात्पिर्यदीष्यते । स्वपिता यजमानेन किन्नु तस्मान्न हन्यते
If the sacrifice of a slain animal is said to grant heaven, then when the sacrificer’s own father sleeps, why is he not killed for that purpose?
तृत्पये जायते पुसो भुक्तमन्येन चेत्ततः । कुर्याच्छ्राद्ध श्रद्धयान्नं न वहेयुः प्रवासिनः
If satisfaction arises from food eaten by another, then one should perform śrāddha with faith and food, but travelers would not carry it away.
जनश्रद्ध यमित्येतदवगम्य ततो वचः । उपेक्ष्य श्रेयसे वाक्यं रोचतां यन्मयेरितम्
Recognizing that people act out of faith, therefore, let them disregard words spoken for their own good if they are pleasing only because they are fabricated.