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.
न ह्माप्तवादा नभसो निपतन्ति महासुराः । युक्तिमद् वचनं ग्राह्म मयान्येश्व भवद्रिधैः
Great Asuras, words not grounded in truth do not fall from the sky; only statements with reasoning, spoken by me or others like you, should be accepted.
मायामोहेन ते दैत्याः प्रकारैर्बहुभिस्तथा । व्युत्थापिता यथा नैषां त्रयीं कश्विदरोचयत्
Thus, by many such means, those Daityas were led astray by deluding illusion, so that none of them found delight in the threefold Vedic path.
इत्थमुन्मार्गयातेषु तेषु दैत्येषु तेऽमराः । उद्योगं परमं कृत्वा युद्धाय समुपस्थिताः
When those Daityas had thus strayed from the path, the gods, making utmost effort, assembled for battle.
ततो देवासुरं युद्ध पुनरेवाभवद् द्रिज । हताश्व तेऽसुरा देवैः सन्मार्गपरिपन्थिनः
Then, O twice-born, there was again a battle between gods and Asuras; the Asuras, who obstructed the righteous path, were slain by the gods.
स्वधर्मकवचस्तषामभूदू यः प्रथमं द्रिय । तेन रक्षाभवत् पूर्वं नेशुर्नष्टे च तत्र ते
Among them, the one who first wore the armor of his own Dharma, O twice-born, by him protection was formerly given; when he perished, they could not prevail.
ततो मैत्रेय! तन्मार्गवर्त्तिनो येऽभवञ्जनाः । नग्रास्ते तैर्यतस्त्यक्तं त्रयीसंवरणां वृथा
Therefore, O Maitreya, those people who remained on that path were not harmed by those who had abandoned the Vedic discipline in vain.
ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थस्व वानप्रस्थस्तथाश्रमाः । परिब्राडू वा चतुर्थोऽत्र पञ्चमो नोपपद्यते
The four stages of life are: student, householder, forest-dweller, and renunciate; there is no fifth stage.
यस्तु सन्त्यज्य गार्हस्थ्यं वानप्रस्थो न जायते । परिव्राडू वापि मैत्रेय! स न्ग्रः पापकृन्नरः
One who abandons household life but does not become a forest-dweller or renunciate, O Maitreya, is a sinful man.
नित्यानां कर्मणां विप्र! तस्य हानिरहर्निशम् । अकुर्वन् विहितं कर्म शक्तः पतति तद्दिने
O Brahmin, neglect of daily duties causes constant loss; if one fails to perform prescribed actions while able, he falls on that very day.
प्रायश्वित्तेन महता शुद्धिमाप्रोत्यनापदि । पक्षं नित्यक्रियाहानेः कर्त्ता मैत्रेय! मानवः
By a great expiatory offering, purity is attained if there is no calamity; O Maitreya, a man who neglects daily rites must perform this penance.