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.
बान्धवाक्रन्दसंरम्भकोलाहलगता गिरः । स्नेहभावविचारार्थं शृण्वन्तम् इव यत्नतः
It listened intently, as if striving to discern the voices of relatives, tumultuous with wailing, seeking the meaning of their bonds of affection.
अथ तत्कालकल्लोलप्रलापाकुलचेष्टितैः । सोरस्ताडनम् उच्छूननेत्रवारिभिर् आप्लुतैः
Then, amid the agitated gestures and delirious words of that moment, it was drenched with tears streaming from eyes swollen by the blows of sorrow.
क्रमेण स्वजनैः क्षुब्धैस् ताराक्रन्दितघर्घरैः । निष्कालितम् अमङ्गल्यम् अपुनर्दर्शनाय तैः
Gradually, by its distraught kin, with star-like cries and hoarse wailing, it was carried away—unblessed, never to be seen again.
नीतं श्मशानम् आश्यानवसापङ्ककलङ्कितम् । शुष्काशुष्कजरत्क्लिन्नकङ्कालशतसङ्कुलम्
It was taken to the cremation ground, stained with fat and mud, crowded with hundreds of dry, decayed, and damp skeletons.
गृध्राभ्रच्छन्नसूर्यांशु चिताज्वलननिस्तमः । शिवाशतमुखज्वालाजालपल्लवितावनि
The sun’s rays were obscured by clouds of vultures; the darkness was pierced by the flames of the funeral pyre, the earth blossoming with the tongues of fire from the mouths of countless jackals.
वहद्रक्तसरित्स्नातमद्गुकङ्कोग्रवायसम् । रक्तार्द्रतन्त्रीप्रसरजालबद्धजरत्खगम्
The aged bird, bathed in the great river of blood, bound in a net of blood-soaked, moist sinews, is pecked by the maggot, the vulture, the crow, and the jackal.
तत्र ते ज्वलने दीप्ते चक्रुस् तं भस्मसाच् छवम् । बान्धवास् सलिलापूरं समुद्रा इव वाडवे
There, in the blazing fire, the relatives made that corpse into ashes, as the oceans fill with water from the rain clouds.
चितिश् चटचटास्फोटैश् शवम् आशु ददाह तम् । शुष्केन्धनवद् उच्छूनज्वालाजालजटावती
The funeral pyre, with crackling sounds, quickly burned that corpse, its flames rising like tangled locks, as dry fuel is consumed.
अत्युल्लसच्चटचटारवमुक्तगन्धव्याप्ताम्बुवाहपटलो ऽस्थिचयं हुताशः । दन्ती विरन्ध्रम् इव वेणुवनं समन्ताद् उद्वान्तमेदुररसं दलयां चकार
The roaring fire, releasing fragrances, enveloped the heap of bones in a sheet of smoke, and, like an elephant crushing a bamboo grove, scattered the marrow and juices all around.
अथापश्यद् असौ गाधिस् स्वाधिपीवरया धिया । अन्तर्जलस्थ एवान्तर् आत्मनात्मन्य् अनिर्मले
Then Gadhi, with his own noble mind, saw himself within himself, as if submerged in water, in a state of impurity.
हूनमण्डलपर्यन्तग्रामोपान्तनिवासिनाम् । श्वपचानां स्त्रियो गर्भे स्थितम् आत्मानम् आकुलम्
He saw his soul, troubled, residing in the womb of a woman among the outcastes living at the edge of the village, within the circle of the cremation ground.
गर्भवासभयाक्रान्तं पीडितं पेलवाङ्गकम् । श्वपचीहृदये सुप्तं श्वविष्ठायाम् इवाङ्कुरम्
He saw himself afflicted by the fear of dwelling in the womb, tormented, with a frail body, sleeping in the heart of a woman of the outcastes, like a sprout in dog excrement.
शनैः पक्वतया काले प्रसूतं मेचकच्छविम् । श्वपच्या प्रावृषेवाब्दं श्यावम् आवलितं मलैः
Gradually, as time ripened, he was born with a pale complexion, covered in filth, from the outcaste woman, like a rain cloud in autumn, dark and smeared with dirt.
सम्पन्नं श्वपचागारे शिशुं श्वपचवल्लभम् । इतश् चेतश् च गच्छन्तम् उत्पीडम् इव यामुनम्
In the dwelling of the outcaste, a child beloved by the outcaste, moving here and there, like the Yamuna agitated by waves.
द्वादशाब्ददशां यातं संस्थितं षोडशाब्दिकम् । पीवरांसम् उदाराङ्गं पयोदम् इव मेदुरम्
Having reached twelve years of age, then settled at sixteen, broad-shouldered, with a noble body, robust like a dense rain cloud.
सारमेयपरीवारं विहरन्तं वनाद् वनम् । निघ्नन्तं मृगलक्षाणि पौलिन्दीं स्थितिम् आस्थितम्
Surrounded by dogs, wandering from forest to forest, slaying herds of deer, established in the lifestyle of the tribal people.
तमालं लतयेवाथ श्रितं श्वपचकान्तया । स्तनस्तबकशालिन्या नवपल्लवहस्तया
Then, like a tamala tree embraced by a vine, he was joined by the outcaste's daughter, whose hands were like fresh shoots and whose breasts were like clusters.
श्यामया कलिकाजालदशनामलमालया । नववल्लभया भूरिविलासवलिताङ्गया
By a dark-skinned maiden, adorned with a garland of flower buds, whose teeth were pure, with a new lover, her limbs graceful with playful movements.
विलसन्तं वनान्तेषु तया सह नवेष्टया । श्यामलं श्यामया भृङ्गं भृङ्ग्येव कुसुमर्द्धिषु
Sporting at the edge of the forest with her, his new companion, the dark one with the dark maiden, like a black bee with a female bee among blossoming flowers.
नवपर्णलतापत्त्रवसनं व्यसनान्तरम् । विन्ध्यकान्तारम् आकारम् अभ्यागतम् इवोद्भटम्
Clad in garments of fresh leaves and creepers, with a different kind of hardship, appearing like a wild figure newly arrived in the Vindhya wilderness.