सर्वा एव हि ते भूतजातयो राम बन्धवः । अत्यन्तासंस्तुता एतास् तव नाम न काश्चन
All these classes of beings, O Rama, are your relatives; yet, though they are greatly praised, in truth none of them bear your name.
विविधजन्मशताहितसम्भ्रमे जगति बन्धुर् अबन्धुर् इति क्षणम् । भ्रमदशैव विवल्गति वस्तुतस् त्रिभुवनं चिरबन्धुर् अबन्ध्व् अपि
In the world, amid the confusion caused by hundreds of diverse births, the notion of friend and non-friend arises for a moment; but in reality, throughout the three worlds, all are long-time friends and non-friends alike.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीमम् इतिहासं पुरातनम् । भ्रात्रोस् त्रिपथगातीरे संवादो मुनिपुत्रयोः
Here, they recount this ancient story: a conversation between two sons of sages on the banks of the sacred river.
अयं बन्धुर् अयं नेति कथाप्रस्तावतस् स्मृतम् । इतिहासम् इमं पुण्यं साश्चर्यं शृणु राघव
The topic of 'this one is a friend, this one is not' is remembered in the context of this story; listen, O Raghava, to this sacred and wondrous tale.
अस्त्य् अस्य जम्बुद्वीपस्य कस्मिंश्चिद् दिङ्निकुञ्जके । वनव्यूहमहोत्तंसो महेन्द्रो नाम पर्वतः
On this Jambudvipa, in a certain forested corner of the directions, there stands a great mountain crowned with wild woods, known as Mahendra.
कल्पद्रुमवनच्छायाविश्रान्तसुरकिन्नरः । शृङ्गैर् आततम् आकाशं जितवान् यस् समुन्नतैः
He, in whose shade—like that of the wish-fulfilling tree forest—gods and celestial musicians find rest, has conquered the sky with his lofty peaks.
ब्रह्मलोकान्तरप्राप्तैश् शृङ्गकन्दरचारिभिः । सामवेदं प्रतिध्वानघुङ्घुमैर् गायतीव यः
He, whose peaks, traversed by caves reaching even to the realm of Brahma, seem to sing the Sāma Veda with their deep, resonant echoes.
यः पयोमेदुरैर् मेघैर् लुलितैश् शृङ्गकोटिषु । लताकुसुमसम्प्रोतैः कुन्तलैर् इव राजते
He, whose summits, adorned by thick, milky clouds drifting about, shine as if with locks of hair interwoven with blossoming creepers.
यस् तटोड्डयनोत्कानां शरभाणां विजृम्भितैः । विस्फूर्जति गुहावक्त्रैः कल्पाभ्राणि हसन्न् इव
He, whose caves, gaping wide as the herds of wild beasts leap up along his slopes, seem to laugh aloud with the thunder of clouds.
येन निर्झरनिर्ह्रादैः कन्दरान्तरचारिभिः । समुद्रजलकल्लोलविलासो विजितो ऽभितः
He, whose mountain torrents, roaring through the inner gorges, surpass on every side the playful surges of the ocean's waters.
तस्यैकदेशे वितते रत्नसानौ मनोरमे । मुनिभिस् स्नानपानार्थं व्योमगङ्गावतारिता
In one delightful expanse of that jeweled mountain, sages brought down the celestial Ganges for their bathing and drinking.
तस्यास् त्रिपथगायास् तु तीरे विकसितद्रुमे । रत्नाद्रितटविद्योतकचत्कनकपङ्कजे
On the bank of that heavenly river, beneath blossoming trees, with golden lotuses shining along the jeweled mountain's shore—
आसीद् अभ्युदितज्ञानस् तपोराशिर् उदारधीः । मुनिर् दीर्घतपा नाम तपोमूर्तिम् इवास्थितः
There dwelled a sage of noble mind, a treasury of ascetic power, named Dīrghatapas, who seemed the very embodiment of austerity, his wisdom newly arisen.
मुनेर् बभूवतुस् तस्य द्वौ पुत्राव् इन्दुसुन्दरौ । पुण्यपावननामानौ द्वौ कचाव् इव वाक्पतेः
That sage had two sons, both as beautiful as the moon, named Puṇya and Pāvana, just as the god of speech has two locks of hair.
स ताभ्यां सह पुत्राभ्यां भार्यया सह चैकया । उवास सरितस् तीरे तस्मिन् सफलपादपे
With those two sons and his one wife, he dwelled on the riverbank beneath a fruitful tree.
अथ काले तयोस् तस्य पुत्रयोर् ज्ञानवान् अभूत् । पुण्यनामा वयोज्येष्ठो गुणज्येष्ठश् च राघव
In time, O Rāghava, the elder son Puṇya became wise—he was the eldest by age and the foremost in virtue.
पावनो ऽर्धप्रबुद्धो ऽभूत् पूर्वसन्ध्याम्बुजं यथा । मौर्ख्याद् अतिगतो नान्तः पदं लोलम् इवास्थितः
Pāvana was half-awakened, like a lotus at dawn; he had moved beyond ignorance, yet remained unsettled, as if standing on unsteady ground.
ततो वहत्य् अकलिते काले कलितकारणे । संवत्सरगणे क्षीणे दीने देहे गतायुषि
Then, when the appointed time arrived, after many years had passed and his body had grown frail and life was nearly spent,
अस्माद् भङ्गुरभूताढ्याद् वृत्तान्तभरभीषणात् । रतिम् उत्सृज्य संसाराज् जराजर्जरजीवितः
He abandoned all attachment to this fragile, burdened, and fearsome existence, weary of the world and of a life worn out by old age.
कलनापक्षिणीनीडं देहं दीर्घतपा मुनिः । जहौ गिरिगुहागेहे भारं वैवधिको यथा
The sage left his body—nest of fleeting thoughts—within his mountain-cave dwelling, just as a porter sets down a heavy load.
प्रशान्तकलनारम्भं चेत्यरिक्तचिदास्पदम् । पदं जगाम नीरागं पुष्पगन्ध इवाम्बरम्
He attained a state free from desire, a seat of pure consciousness devoid of objects, calm and without the stirrings of thought, like fragrance diffused in the sky.
अथ भार्या मुनेर् देहं प्राणापानविवर्जितम् । दृष्ट्वाविलुठितं भूमौ विनालम् इव पङ्कजम्
Then the sage's wife, seeing his body devoid of the life-breaths, lying tossed upon the ground like a lotus without its stalk,
चिरम् अभ्यस्तया योगयुक्त्या पतिवितीर्णया । तत्याज तनुम् अम्लानां षट्पदी पद्मिनीम् इव
Having long practiced the discipline of yoga and fulfilled her duty as a wife, she abandoned her withered body like a bee leaving a lotus.
भर्तारम् एवानुययौ जनस्यादृश्यतां गतम् । प्रभागगनकोशस्थम् अस्तं यातम् इवोडुपम्
She followed her husband, who had become invisible to people, just as a ray of light follows the moon as it sets into the sky's vault.
मातापित्रोस् तु गतयोर् और्ध्वदैहिककर्मणि । पुण्य एव स्थिते ऽव्यग्रे पावनो दुःखम् आययौ
When both parents had departed and the funeral rites were performed, Pāvana, though his mind was not distracted, was overcome by sorrow.
शोकोपहतचित्तो ऽसौ भ्रमन् काननवीथिषु । ज्यायांसम् अनवेक्ष्यैव पावनो विललाप ह
His mind afflicted by grief, Pāvana wandered along the forest paths, lamenting without even looking at his elder brother.
अथौर्ध्वदैहिकं कृत्वा मातापित्रोर् उदारधीः । आययौ विपिने पुण्यः पावनं शोकलालसम्
Then Puṇya, of noble mind, having performed the funeral rites for their parents, came into the forest to Pāvana, who was absorbed in sorrow.
किं पुत्र घनतां शोकं नयस्य् आन्ध्यैककारणम् । बाष्पधाराकरं घोरं प्रावृट्काल इवाम्बुदम्
Why, my son, do you let grief become so dense, the sole cause of blindness, a terrible mass of tears like a rain cloud in the monsoon season?
पिता तव महाप्राज्ञ गतस् सार्धं त्वदम्बया । स्वाम् एव परमां आत्मपदवीं मोक्षनामिकाम्
Your father, O wise one, together with your mother, has attained that supreme path of the Self, known as liberation.
तत् स्थानं सर्वजन्तूनां तद् रूपं विदितात्मनाम् । स्वं भावम् अभिसम्पन्ने किं पितर्य् अभिशोचसि
That state belongs to all beings; that form is of those who know the Self. When one's own nature is fully realized, why do you grieve for your father?