विश्रान्तं वनकुञ्जेषु सुप्तं गिरिदरीषु च । निलीनं पत्त्रकुञ्जेषु गुल्मकेषु कृतालयम्
Resting in the forest groves, sleeping in mountain caves, concealed in leafy bowers, making his home among thickets.
किङ्किरातावतंसाढ्यं यूथिकास्रग्विभूषितम् । केतकोत्तंससुभगं सहकारस्रगाकुलम्
Adorned with a garland of kinkirata flowers, decorated with a necklace of jasmine, charming with a ketaka blossom tucked in its hair, and crowded with a wreath of sahakara flowers.
लुलितं पुष्पशय्यासु भ्रान्तम् अब्धितटेषु च । तज्ज्ञं काननकोशेषु बहुज्ञं मृगमारणे
Tossed about on beds of flowers, wandering along riverbanks, knowledgeable in the secrets of the forest, and skilled in hunting animals.
प्रासूत सो ऽथ शैलेषु पुत्रान् निजकुलाङ्कुरान् । अत्यन्तविषमोदर्कान् खदिरः कण्टकान् इव
Then, in the mountains, he produced sons—shoots of his own lineage—who were exceedingly harsh in their outcome, like the thorns of the khadira tree.
कलत्रवन्तं सम्पन्नं स्थितं प्रक्षीणयौवनम् । शनैर् जर्जरतां यातं वृष्टिहीनम् इव स्थलम्
Possessing a wife, prosperous, settled with youth depleted, he gradually entered a state of decrepitude, like land deprived of rain.
ततो हूनहतग्रामं जन्मदेशम् उपेत्य तम् । संस्थितं मठिकां पर्णैः कृत्वा दूरे मुनीन्द्रवत्
Then, returning to his birthplace—a village ruined by plunder—he built a hut with leaves at a distance, like a great sage.
जराजरढतां यातं स्वदेहसमपुत्रकम् । जीर्णप्रायरसश्वभ्रतमालतरुसन्निभम्
Having entered the state of old age and decay, with his own body and sons, resembling a worn-out hollow in the ground or a withered māla tree.
प्रौढं श्वपचगार्हस्थ्यं कुर्वाणं बहुबान्धवम् । करञ्जकुञ्जवनवत् परां वृद्धिम् उपागतं
Having attained maturity in the household of outcasts, surrounded by many relatives, he reached the highest stage of old age, like a grove of karañja trees.
अथापश्यद् असौ गाधिर् यावत् तस्य कलत्रिणः । जरढश्वपचेशस्य स्वात्मनो भ्रमकारिणः
Then Gadhi saw, as long as that old outcaste with a wife lived, his own self wandering, causing confusion.
तत् कलत्रम् अशेषेण नीतम् आदृतमन्युना । आसारपवनेनाशु वनपर्णगणो यथा
His wife was completely carried away by the wind of misfortune, just as a cluster of forest leaves is swiftly swept away by a worthless breeze.
प्रलपत्य् एक एवासाव् अटव्यां दुःखकर्षितः । वियूथ इव सारङ्गो विगतास्थो ऽस्रुलोचनः
He wandered alone in the forest, tormented by sorrow, lamenting like a deer separated from its herd, his eyes filled with tears.
दिनानि कतिचित् तत्र नीत्वा शोकपरीतधीः । जहौ स्वदेशं संशुष्कपद्मं सर इवाण्डजः
After spending a few days there, his mind overwhelmed by grief, he abandoned his homeland like a waterfowl leaving a pond whose lotuses have withered.
विजहार बहून् देशान् अनास्थश् चिन्तयान्वितः । प्रेर्यमाण इवान्येन वातनुन्न इवाम्बुदः
He roamed through many lands, indifferent, absorbed in thought, as if driven by another, like a cloud pushed along by the wind.
एकदा प्राप कीराणां मण्डले श्रीमतीं पुरीम् । खे ऽनूरुर् विहरञ् शून्ये सद्विमानम् इवामरः
One day, wandering like a bird in the sky, he reached a splendid city encircled by flocks of parrots, empty as if an immortal were moving through a deserted celestial palace.
नृत्यद्रत्नांशुकच्छन्नमार्गवृक्षलताङ्गनाम् । आगुल्फं कीर्णकुसुमां नन्दनान्तरसुन्दरीम्
He saw streets adorned with dancing women, veiled in jeweled silks, lined with trees and creepers, their anklets scattered with flowers, beautiful as the inner groves of paradise.
सामन्तैर् ललनाभिश् च नागरैश् च निरन्तरम् । स्वर्गमार्गोपमं राजमार्गम् अस्याम् अवाप सः
There, he entered a royal road, ceaselessly crowded with nobles, women, and city-dwellers, resembling the path to heaven.
मणिरत्नकृतागारं तत्र मङ्गलहस्तिनम् । ददर्शामलशैलेन्द्रम् इव सञ्चारचञ्चलम्
In that place, he saw an auspicious elephant, its house made of gems and jewels, moving restlessly like a dark mountain in motion.
मृते राजनि राजार्थं विहरन्तम् इतस् ततः । रत्नज्ञम् इव रत्नोर्व्यां चिन्तामणिदिदृक्षया
After the king died, he wandered here and there for the sake of the kingdom, like a connoisseur of gems searching the earth for a wish-fulfilling jewel.
तम् असौ श्वपचो नागं कौतुकोदारया दृशा । चिरम् आलोकयाम् आस स्पन्दयुक्ताचलोपमम्
A Śvapaca, with eyes wide in curiosity, gazed at that elephant for a long time, as if he were a motionless mountain endowed with life.
आलोकयन्तम् आदाय तं करेण स वारणः । स्वकटे ऽयोजयन् मेरुस् तटे ऽर्कम् इव सादरम्
The elephant, seeing him gazing, gently took him with his trunk and seated him on his own back, just as Mount Meru would respectfully place the sun upon its summit.
तस्मिन् कटगते नेदुर् जयदुन्दुभयो ऽभितः । कल्पाम्बुद इवाकाशम् अधिरूढे महार्णवाः
As he sat upon the elephant's back, victory drums resounded all around, like great oceans thundering when a rain-cloud ascends the sky.
पूरिताशो बभौ राजा जयतीति जनस्वनः । उद्याने सम्प्रबुद्धानां विहगानाम् इवारवः
The king shone, his desires fulfilled, as the people's cries of 'Victory!' filled the air, like the calls of awakened birds in a garden.
उदभूद् वन्दिवृन्दानां घनकोलाहलस् ततः । वेलाविलुलिताम्बूनाम् अम्बुधीनाम् इव ध्वनिः
Then arose the tumultuous clamor of the bards, like the roar of oceans whose waters are stirred by the wind along the shore.
तं तत्रावारयाम् आसुर् मण्डनार्थं वराङ्गनाः । क्षीरोदगतम् उद्रत्ना लहर्य इव मन्दरम्
There, noble women gathered to adorn him, as waves bring up precious gems from the ocean to decorate Mount Mandara.
मानिन्यस् तं गुणप्रोतैर् नानारत्नैर् अपूरयन् । नानाप्रभाप्रभावाढ्यैर् वेला इव तटाचलम्
Proud women filled him with various jewels strung together with virtues, like the ocean's shore is adorned by mountains rich in many-colored radiance.
तुषारशिशिरस्पर्शैस् तास् तं हारैर् अभूषयन् । श्यामा नवनदीपूरैर् वर्षाश् शृङ्गम् इवोन्नतम्
They adorned him with garlands touched by the coolness of snow, and the dark women with the fullness of new rivers, like lofty peaks with the rains.
विचित्रवर्णसौगन्ध्यैः पुष्पैर् आवलयन् स्त्रियः । वनं मधुश्रिय इव तं लोलकरपल्लवाः
The women surrounded him with flowers of varied colors and fragrances, their restless hands like tender shoots, as bees encircle a honey-rich grove.
नानावर्णरसामोदैस् तास् तम् आशु विलेपनैः । अलेपयन् प्रभाजालैस् तट्यो ऽभ्रम् इव धातुजैः
With swift ointments of diverse colors, tastes, and scents, they anointed him, their radiant strokes like clouds painted by minerals along riverbanks.
रत्नकाञ्चनकान्तो ऽसाव् आददे छत्त्रम् आततम् । सन्ध्याभ्रतारेन्दुनदीव्याप्तं मेरुर् इवाम्बरम्
He, shining with jewels and gold, took up a broad umbrella, as Mount Meru appears to fill the sky, covered by rivers, stars, and evening clouds.
भूषितस् सविलासाभिर् बालवल्लीभिर् आवृतः । रत्नपुष्पांशुकाकीर्णः कल्पवृक्ष इवाबभौ
Adorned by playful young vines and surrounded by them, scattered with gems, flowers, and cloths, he shone like a wish-fulfilling tree.