जगन्मायाप्रपञ्चस्य वैचित्र्यप्रतिपत्तये । इतिहासम् इमं वक्ष्ये शृणुष्वावहितो ऽनघ
To reveal the variety of this world’s illusory display, I will tell you this story—listen attentively, O sinless one.
अस्त्य् अस्मिन् वसुधापीठे कोसला नाम मण्डलम् । कल्पवृक्षवनं मेरोर् इव रत्नगणाकरम्
On this earth there is a region called Kosala, a land like a grove of wish-fulfilling trees, a treasury of jewels like Mount Meru.
तत्रासीद् ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् गुणी गाधिर् इति श्रुतः । परमश्रोत्रियो धीमान् वेदो मूर्तिम् इवाश्रितः
There lived a certain brahmin, renowned as Gadhi, a man of virtue, supremely learned, wise, as if the Veda itself had taken human form.
आ बाल्यात् प्रविरक्तेन चेतसा स व्यराजत । निष्कलङ्कावदातेन भुवनं नभसा यथा
From childhood, with a mind withdrawn, he shone forth, pure and spotless, like the sky illumining the world.
किम् अप्य् अभिमतं कार्यं विनिधाय स चेतसि । बन्धुवर्गाद् विनिष्क्रम्य तपस् तप्तुं वनं ययौ
Having fixed some cherished purpose in his mind, he left his circle of relatives and went to the forest to practice austerity.
उत्फुल्लकमलं तत्र सरः प्राप स विप्रराट् । चन्द्रः प्रसन्नविमलं ताराशारम् इवाम्बरम्
There, the kingly sage reached a lake blooming with lotuses, serene and clear like the moon in a sky adorned with stars.
आशौरिदर्शनं तस्मिंस् तपोऽर्थं सरसि द्विजः । आकण्ठम् अम्बुनिर्मग्नः प्रावृट्पद्म इवावसत्
In that lake, for the sake of austerity, the twice-born immersed himself up to the neck in water, dwelling like a lotus in the rainy season.
ययौ मासाष्टकं तस्य मग्नस्य सरसो ऽम्भसि । मांसपङ्कजशङ्कोत्कभृङ्गभग्नमुखच्छवेः
He spent eight months submerged in the lake's water, his face broken and colored like a bee-damaged lotus, muddy and flesh-hued.
अथैनं तपसा तप्तम् अजगमैकदा हरिः । निदाघार्तं घनश् श्यामः प्रावृषीव धरातलम्
Then, once, Hari approached him, heated by austerity, like a dark cloud coming to earth in the rainy season to relieve the scorched.
विप्रोत्तिष्ठ पयोमध्याद् गृहाणाभिमतम् वरम् । अभीप्सितफलोपेतो जातस् ते नियमद्रुमः
O Brahmin, rise from the midst of the water and accept your desired boon; your tree of discipline now bears the fruit you wished for.
असङ्ख्येयजगद्भूतहृत्पद्मकुहरालिने । जगत्त्रयैकनलिनीसरसे विष्णवे नमः
Salutations to Vishnu, the bee dwelling in the lotus cave of the hearts of countless beings, in the lake of the single lotus that is the three worlds.
मायाम् इमां त्वदुदितां भगवन् पारमात्मिकीम् । द्रष्टुम् इच्छामि संसारनाम्नीम् आश्चर्यकारिणीम्
O Lord, I wish to see this supreme māyā that you have revealed, known as saṃsāra, which is wondrous in its workings.
इमां द्रक्ष्यसि मायां त्वं ततस् त्यक्ष्यसि चेत्य् अजः । उक्त्वा ययाव् अदृश्यत्वं गान्धर्वम् इव पत्तनम्
You will see this māyā, and then you will abandon it—so said the unborn one, and departed, vanishing like a Gandharva city.
गते विष्णौ समुत्तस्थौ जलात् स ब्राह्मणेश्वरः । शीतलामलमूर्तित्वाद् इन्दुः क्षीरोदकाद् इव
When Viṣṇu had gone, that lordly brāhmaṇa rose from the water, shining with a cool and spotless form, like the moon emerging from the milky ocean.
बभूव परितुष्टात्मा दर्शनेन जगत्पतेः । दर्शनस्पर्शनैर् इन्दोर् उत्फुल्लम् इव कैरवम्
His soul became thoroughly satisfied by the sight of the Lord of the world, just as a lotus blooms from the touch and vision of the moon.
अथास्य कतिचित् तस्मिन् दिवसानि ययुर् वने । हरिसन्दर्शनानन्दवतो ब्राह्मणकर्मणा
Then, for several days in that forest, he remained absorbed in the joy of seeing Hari, performing the duties of a brāhmaṇa.
एकदारब्धवान् स्नानं सरस्य् उदितपङ्कजे । चिन्तयन् वैष्णवं वाक्यं महर्षिर् इव मानसे
One day, he began his bath in the lake, as the lotus had just opened, reflecting on the words of Viṣṇu like a great sage in contemplation.
अथ स्नानविधाव् अन्तर्जलम् एष चकार ह । सकलाघविघातार्थं परिवर्तनम् आत्मनः
During the bathing ritual, he immersed himself in the water, seeking to remove all sins and transform himself.
अन्तर्जलविधौ तस्मिन् विस्मृतध्यानमन्त्रधीः । पर्यस्तसंवित्प्रसरस् सो ऽपश्यज् जलमध्यगः
While performing the underwater ritual, his mind forgot its meditation and mantras; his awareness scattered, and he saw himself within the water.
मृतम् आत्मानम् आत्मीये सदने ऽसोम्यतां गतम् । पतितं वातवेगेन कन्दरान्तर् इव द्रुमम्
He saw his own self, dead, lying in his house, bereft of vitality, fallen by the force of the wind like a tree into a mountain cleft.
प्राणापानप्रवाहेण मुक्तम् अन्तम् उपागतम् । संशान्तावयवस्पन्दं निर्वात इव षण्डकम्
Released by the current of prāṇa and apāna, it had reached its end, its limbs utterly still, like a windless clump of reeds.
पाण्डुराननम् आम्लानं वृक्षपर्णम् इवारसम् । शवीभूतम् अनाह्लादं छिन्ननालम् इवाम्बुजम्
Its face was pale and withered, like a leaf drained of sap from a tree, lifeless and devoid of delight, like a lotus whose stalk has been cut.
विपर्यस्तेक्षणं प्रातर् मज्जत्तारम् इवाम्बरम् । सावग्रहम् इव ग्रामं सर्वतः पांसुधूसरम्
Its eyes were turned awry, like the sky at dawn sinking into darkness, covered all over with dust, like a village seized by calamity.
बाष्पक्लिन्नमुखैर् दीनैः करुणाक्रन्दकारिभिः । आवृतं बन्धुभिः खिन्नैः कुररैर् इव पादपम्
It was surrounded by sorrowful relatives, their faces wet with tears, raising cries of grief, like a tree encircled by distressed cranes.
सेतुभङ्गगलद्वारिम्लायमानमुखाब्जया । नलिन्या समधर्मिण्या भार्यया पादयोश् श्रितम्
At his feet rested his wife, her lotus-face faded and wilted, like a lotus pond whose bridge has collapsed and whose waters have ebbed, sharing in his fate.
ताराक्रन्दरणद्रूढप्रलापालापमुग्धया । मात्रा गृहीतं चिबुके नवव्यञ्जनलाञ्छिते
His mother, bewildered by the pain of her child's loss, held his chin, adorned with the marks of youth, uttering plaintive words in her grief.
अन्यैः पार्श्वगतैर् दीनैस् स्रवदस्रुमुखैर् जनैः । श्रितं गलदवश्यायैश् शुष्कपर्णैर् इव द्रुमम्
Other sorrowful people stood at his side, their faces streaming with tears, clinging to him in helplessness, like withered leaves to a tree.
वियोगभीत्या संयोगपरिहारपरैर् इव । दूरं प्रविसृतैर् अङ्गैर् अनात्मीयैर् इवावृतम्
As if out of fear of separation, its limbs were cast far apart, shrouded as though they no longer belonged to itself.
परस्परम् अलग्नाभ्याम् ओष्ठाभ्यां दशनैश् शनैः । सविरागम् इवाम्लानैर् हसन्तं स्वात्मजीवितम्
Its lips, not joined together, were gently touched by the teeth, as if faintly smiling with a lifeless, faded affection for its own self.
मौनं ध्यानम् इवापन्नं पङ्काद् इव विनिर्मितम् । अप्रबोधाय संसुप्तं विश्राम्यन्तम् इवोच्चकैः
It seemed to have entered a silence like meditation, as if fashioned from mud, deeply asleep and resting, unawakened.