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?
किम् ईदृशी त्वया बद्धा भावनेह विमोहजा । संसारे यद् अशोच्यो ऽपि त्वया तातो ऽनुशोच्यते
Why have you formed such a notion here, born of delusion? In this world, though your father is not to be grieved for, you still lament him.
न सैव भवतो माता नासाव् एव पिता तव । न भवान् एव तनयस् तयोर् निस्सङ्ख्यपुत्रयोः
She is not truly your mother, nor is he truly your father; nor are you truly the son of those parents who have countless children.
मातापितृसहस्राणि समतीतानि ते सुत । बहून्य् अम्बुप्रवाहस्य निम्नानीव वने वने
Thousands of mothers and fathers have passed for you, O son, like the many hollows of a stream in forest after forest.
असङ्ख्यपुत्रयोर् नैव भवान् एव सुतस् तयोः । सरित्तरङ्गवत् पुत्र गताः पुत्रगणा नृणाम्
Of those parents with countless children, you are not truly their son; like the waves of a river, the groups of sons among people have passed away.
अस्मत्पित्रोर् अतीतानि पुत्रलक्षाण्य् अनेकशः । पत्त्रकोरकवृन्दानि लतापादपयोर् इव
For our parents, hundreds of thousands of sons have passed away, like clusters of leaves and shoots at the roots of a creeper.
मित्रबान्धववृन्दानि जन्तोर् जन्मनि जन्मनि । ऋताव् ऋताव् अतीतानि फलानीव महातरोः
Groups of friends and relatives have passed away for a being in every birth, like the fruits of a great tree in every season.
शोचनीया यदि स्नेहान् मातापितृसुतास् सुत । तद् अतीता न शोच्यन्ते किम् अजस्रं सहस्रशः
If mothers, fathers, and sons are to be grieved for out of affection, then those who have passed are not grieved for—why, then, grieve endlessly for the countless ones?
प्रपञ्चो ऽयं महाभाग दृश्यते जागतो भ्रमः । परमार्थेन तु प्राज्ञ नास्ति मित्रं न बान्धवः
This world, O noble one, appears as a projection, a delusion of waking; but in truth, O wise one, there is neither friend nor relative.
मनाग् अपीह हि भ्रातः परमार्थे न विद्यते । महत्य् अपि चिरात् तप्ते मराव् इव पयोलवः
Brother, even the slightest trace of reality does not exist here; even after a long time of intense effort, it is like a drop of water in the desert.
एता याः प्रेक्षसे लक्ष्मीश् छत्त्रचामरचञ्चलाः । स्वप्न एव महाबुद्धे दिनानि त्रीणि पञ्च वा
These luxuries you see—umbrellas, fans, and their flickering splendor—are, O great-minded one, like a dream lasting three or five days.