सो ऽचिन्तयत् तदा तत्र ममत्वाकृष्टचेतनः । मत्पूर्वैः पालितं पूर्वं मया हीनं पुरं हि तत् । मद्भृत्यैस्तैरसद्वृत्तैर्धर्मतः पाल्यते न वा
There, his mind drawn by attachment, he thought: 'That city, once protected by my ancestors and formerly by me, is now lost. My servants, corrupted in conduct, may or may not protect it righteously.'
न जाने स प्रधानो मे शूरहस्ती सदामदः । मम वैरिवशं यातः कान् भोगानुपलप्स्यते
'I do not know if my chief minister, always proud and skilled in battle, now under the power of my enemy, will enjoy any pleasures.'
ये ममानुगता नित्यं प्रसादधनभोजनैः । अनुवृत्तिं ध्रुवं ते ऽद्य कुर्वन्त्यन्यमहीभृताम्
Those who have always followed me with gifts, wealth, and food, today they surely serve the interests of other kings.
असम्यग्व्ययशीलैस्तैः कुर्वद्भिः सततं व्ययम् । संचितः सो ऽतिदुः खेन क्षयं कोशो गमिष्यति
By their constant reckless spending and improper habits, the treasury, amassed with great difficulty, will soon be exhausted.
एतच्चान्यच्च सततं चिन्तयामास पार्थिवः । तत्र विप्राश्रमाभ्यासे वैश्यमेकं ददर्श सः
The king kept thinking about this and other matters, and there, near the hermitage of the brahmins, he saw a merchant.
स पृष्टस्तेन कस्त्वं भोः हेतुश्चागमने ऽत्र कः । सशोक इव कस्मात्त्वं दुर्मना इव लक्ष्यसे
He asked him, 'Who are you, sir, and what is the reason for your coming here? Why do you appear so sorrowful and troubled in mind?'
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य भूपतेः प्रणयोदितम् । प्रत्युवाच स तं वैश्यः प्रश्रयावनतो नृपम्
Hearing these kindly spoken words of the king, the merchant, bowing respectfully, replied to him.
समाधिर्नाम वैश्यो ऽहमुत्पन्नो धनिनां कुले । पुत्रदारैर्निरस्तश्च धनलोभादसाधुभिः
I am a merchant named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family, but cast out by my sons and wife, who, driven by greed for wealth, acted unrighteously.
विहीनश्च धनैर्दारैः पुत्रैरादाय मे धनम् । वनमभ्यागतो दुः खी निरस्तश्चाप्तबन्धुभैः
Deprived of wealth, wife, and sons, having had my property taken from me, I have come to the forest, sorrowful and abandoned by my relatives and friends.
सो ऽहं न वेद्मि पुत्राणां कुशलाकुशलात्मिकाम् । प्रवृत्तिं स्वजनानाञ्च दाराणाञ्चात्र संस्थितः
Here, I do not know whether my sons are faring well or ill, nor do I know the condition of my family and wife.
किं नु तेषां गृहे क्षेममक्षेमं किं नु साम्प्रतम् । कथं ते किं नु सद्वृत्ताः दुर्वृत्ताः किं नु मे सुताः
Is there well-being or misfortune in their home now? How are they? Are my sons of good conduct or bad?
यैर्निरस्तो भवांल्लुब्धैः पुत्रदारादिभिर्धनैः । तेषु किं भवतः स्नेहमनुबध्नाति मानसम्
Those greedy ones—my sons, wife, and others—who cast you out for the sake of wealth, does your mind still feel affection for them?
एवमेतद्यथा प्राह भवानस्मद्गतं वचः । किं करोमि न बध्नाति मम निष्ठुरतां मनः
It is just as you have said, your words reflect my own thoughts; but what can I do? My mind does not become hard-hearted.
यैः सन्त्यज्य पितृस्नेहं धनलुब्धैर्निराकृतः । पतिस्वजनहार्दं च हार्दि तेष्वेव मे मनः
Though I was rejected by those greedy for wealth, who abandoned their filial affection, still my heart remains attached to them—my wife, family, and kin.
किमेतन्नाभिजानामि जानन्नपि महामते । यत्प्रेमप्रवणं चित्तं विगुणेष्वपि बन्धुषु
O wise one, I do not understand this, even though I know it: why does the mind remain inclined with affection toward relatives, even when they are unworthy?
तेषां कृते मे निः श्वासो दौर्मनस्यं च जायते । करोमि किं यन्न मनस्तेष्वप्रीतिषु निष्ठुरम्
Because of them, I sigh and feel distress; what can I do, since my mind is not harsh toward those who show me no affection?
ततस्तौ सहितौ विप्र तं मुनिं समुपस्थितौ । समाधिर्नाम वैश्यो ऽसौ स च पार्थिवसत्तमः
Then, O Brahmin, the two of them together approached that sage—one was a merchant named Samadhi, and the other, the best of kings.
कृत्वा तु तौ यथान्यायं यथार्हं तेन संविदम् । उपविष्टौ कथाः काश्चिच्चक्रतुर्वैश्य-पार्थिवौ
Having properly greeted him as was fitting, the merchant and the king sat down and began to converse on various topics.
भगवंस्त्वामहं प्रष्टुमिच्चाम्येकं वदस्व तत् । दुः खाय यन्मे मनसः स्वचित्तायत्ततां विना
Revered sir, I wish to ask you something—please tell me this: why does my mind remain attached to sorrow, even though it is not under my control?
ममत्वं गतराज्यस्य राज्याङ्गेष्वखिलेष्वपि । जानतो ऽपि यथाज्ञस्य किमेतन्मुनिसत्तम
Even though I have lost my kingdom and all its parts, why does the sense of 'mine' persist in me, as if I were ignorant, though I know the truth, O best of sages?
अयं च निकृतः पुत्रैर्दारैर्भृत्यैस्तथोज्झितः । स्वजनेन च सन्त्यक्तस्तेषु हार्दे तथाप्यति
And he has been deceived by his sons, abandoned by his wife and servants, and forsaken by his own people; yet, even so, his heart remains attached to them.
एवमेष तथाहं च द्वावप्यत्यन्तदुः खितौ । दृष्टदोषे ऽपि विषये ममत्वाकृष्टमानसौ
In this way, both he and I are deeply afflicted; though we see the faults in these objects, our minds are still drawn by attachment.
तत्किमेतन्महाभाग यन्मोहो ज्ञानिनोरपि । ममास्य च भवत्येषा विवेकान्धस्य मूढता
O greatly fortunate one, what is this delusion that arises even for the wise? Why does this bewilderment of discernment, this folly, occur to me and to him?
ज्ञानमस्ति समस्तस्य जन्तोर्विषयगोचरे । विषयश्च महाभाग याति चैवं पृथक् पृथक्
All beings possess knowledge regarding objects, O greatly fortunate one, and yet, the objects themselves appear to each being in different ways.
दिवान्धाः प्राणिनः केचिद्रात्रावन्धास्तथापरे । केचिद् दिवा तथा रात्रौ प्राणिनस्तुल्यदृष्टयः
Some living beings are blind by day, others are blind by night; and some, both by day and by night, perceive equally.
ज्ञानिनो मनुजाः सत्यं किन्तु ते न हि केवलम् । यतो हि ज्ञानिनः सर्वे पशु-पक्षि-मृगादयः
It is true that humans are knowledgeable, but they are not unique in this; for indeed, all creatures—cattle, birds, wild animals, and others—possess knowledge.
ज्ञानं च तन्मनुष्याणां यत्तेषां मृगृपक्षिणाम् । मनुष्याणां च यत्तेषां तुल्यमन्यत्तथोभयोः
The knowledge that humans possess, and that which belongs to animals and birds—whatever is similar between humans and them, and whatever is distinct, is likewise found in both.
ज्ञाने ऽपि सति पश्यैतान् पतङ्गाञ्छावचञ्चुषु । कणमोक्षादृतान् मोहात्पीड्यमानानपि क्षुधा
Even though knowledge exists, look at these moths, drawn to the flames, who, out of delusion, pursue the fire for its taste, and, though tormented by hunger, are destroyed.
मानुषा मनुजव्याघ्र साभिलाषाः सुतान् प्रति । लोभात्प्रत्युपकाराय नन्वेतान् किं न पश्यसि
Humans, like tigers among men, are attached to their children with desire; out of greed, they seek reciprocation—do you not see this in them as well?
तथापि ममतावर्ते मोहगर्ते निपातिताः । महामायाप्रभावेण संसारस्थितिकारिणा
Yet, caught in the whirlpool of attachment and cast into the pit of delusion by the power of the great Māyā, which sustains the world, they remain thus.