तत्रापश्यद् असौ सर्वं विषण्णवदनं जनम् । जालं कुङ्कुमपुष्पाणां भुक्तमूलम् इवाखुना
There he saw all the people with downcast faces, like a cluster of saffron flowers whose roots have been eaten away by a rat.
मन्त्रिणो नागरा नार्यस् ततस् ते तं महीपतिम् । नास्प्राक्षुर् अपि तिष्ठन्तं गृह एव शवं यथा
The ministers, citizens, and women did not even speak to that king as he stood there, just as one would not address a corpse lying in the house.
भृत्याश् चाकृतसत्कारं दूर एव तम् अत्यजन् । दुःखयुक्ता घनस्नेहा अपि बालशवं यथा
Even his servants, though deeply attached, did not show him any honor and kept their distance, as people do with the corpse of a child, despite their great affection.
अनानन्दमुखं श्यामशरीरं श्रीविवर्जितम् । दग्धं स्थलम् इवैनं ते बह्व् अमन्यन्त नाकुलाः
Seeing his joyless face, darkened body, and bereft of splendor, they regarded him as one would a scorched field, without any concern.
धूमायमानदेहस्य परितापदशावती । नाढौकतास्य जनता पार्श्वम् अग्निगिरेर् इव
The people, distressed by the sight of his smoke-darkened body, stayed away from him as one would avoid the side of a burning mountain.
मन्दोत्साहसमुद्भूतास् तन्व्यस् सङ्घातवर्जिताः । एतदाज्ञाः परं प्रापुर् भस्मनीवाम्बुविप्रुषः
Those commands, arising from faint enthusiasm and lacking any real support, vanished utterly—like drops of water on hot ashes.
क्रूरकर्मकराकारात् सङ्गतो ऽशुभदायिनः । तस्माद् विशेषेण जना राक्षसाद् इव दुद्रुवुः
Because of his cruel deeds and harmful company, people fled from him in particular, just as one would run from a demon.
एक एव बभूवासौ जनमध्यगतो ऽपि सन् । अर्थादिगुणनिर्मुक्तः परदेश इवाध्वगः
He became utterly alone, though among people, stripped of all qualities like wealth and so on—like a traveler in a foreign land.
भृशम् आरटते ऽप्य् अस्मै नालापं नागरा ददुः । मुक्ताजालयुतायापि कीचकायाध्वगा इव
Even when he cried out loudly, the townspeople did not speak a word to him, just as travelers avoid the bamboo woman adorned with pearl garlands.
अथ सर्वे वयं दीर्घं कालं श्वपचदूषिताः । प्रायश्चित्तैर् न शुद्धास् स्मः प्रविशामो हुताशनम्
Then all of us, polluted for a long time by contact with a corpse, and not purified by any atonement, decided: 'Let us enter the fire.'
इति निर्णीय नगरे नागरा मन्त्रिणस् तथा । अभितो ज्वलयाम् आसुश् चिताश् शतसहस्रशः
Having resolved thus, the townspeople and ministers in the city kindled funeral pyres by the hundreds of thousands all around.
ज्वलितास्व् अभितस् तासु तारकास्व् इव खे तदा । बभूव नगरं सर्वम् आक्रन्दपरमानवम्
As those pyres blazed everywhere, the entire city became filled with the utmost wailing, like the sky crowded with stars.
करुणारावमुखरैः कलत्रैर् बाष्पवर्षिभिः । अवष्टब्धज्वलत्कुण्डपातसज्जजनव्रजम्
With wives weeping torrents of tears and crying out in grief, crowds of people clung to the burning pyres, ready to leap in.
अग्निकुण्डप्रविष्टानां मन्त्रिणां भृत्यरोदनैः । क्रन्दद्रथ्यं ध्वनद्गर्तम् अरण्यम् इव मारुतैः
As the ministers entered the fire-pit, the wailing of the servants made the streets resound with cries, like a forest echoing with winds.
चितिदीपितविप्रेन्द्रमांसमांसलगन्धया । जातनीहारम् उत्पातवात्ययावकरैर् धुतैः
With the smell of the flesh of learned priests, burned on the funeral pyre, spreading everywhere, and the ashes scattered by the stormy winds of disaster.
वातदीर्घवसागन्धधूतानीतखगोम्भितैः । अन्त्रैर् व्योमगतैश् छन्नं भास्करं जलदैर् इव
The air was filled with the stench of burnt fat carried by the wind, the sky crowded with birds drawn by the entrails, obscuring the sun like clouds.
वातोद्धूतचितावह्निप्रज्वलत्पुरमण्डलम् । उड्डीनाग्निकणव्रातताराक्रान्तदिगन्तरम्
The city circle blazed with funeral fires fanned by the wind, and the quarters of the sky were filled with swarms of flying sparks, resembling stars.
प्रमत्ततस्करं क्रन्दद्बालकान्तकुमारकम् । सन्त्रस्तनागरापास्तजीवितास्थम् असंस्थिति
There were drunken thieves, children and youths crying out, and terrified citizens abandoning their lives, with no stability remaining.
अरक्षितगृहं चौरलुण्ठिताखिलसञ्चयम् । त्यक्तपुत्रकलत्रं च मरणव्यग्रनागरम्
Houses were unprotected, all their wealth plundered by thieves, and the city was abandoned by its people, leaving behind children and wives, all intent on death.
तस्मिंस् तथा वर्तमाने कष्टे विधिविपर्यये । अशेषजनतानाशे कल्पान्तसदृशस्थितौ
In such a dire reversal of fate, with all people perishing, the situation resembled the end of an age.
राज्यसज्जनसम्पर्कपवित्रीकृतधीरधीः । गवलश् चिन्तयाम् आस शोकव्याकुलचेतनः
In that state, Gavala, whose mind had been purified by association with the virtuous in the kingdom, began to reflect, his heart overwhelmed by grief.
मदर्थम् अत्यनर्थो ऽयं देशे ऽस्मिन् स्थितिम् आगतः । अकालकल्पान्तसमस् सर्वनायकनाशनः
For my sake, this immense misfortune has come to abide in this place—like the end of an age arriving untimely, destroying all leaders.
किं मे दुःखितजीवेन मरणं मे महोत्सवः । लोकनिन्द्यस्य दुर्जन्तोर् जीवितान् मरणं वरम्
What use is there for me in a life filled with suffering? Death would be a great festival for me. For one despised by the world and wicked, death is better than life.
इति निश्चित्य गवलो ज्वलिते ज्वलने पुरः । पतङ्गवद् अनुद्वेगम् अकरोद् आहुतिं वपुः
Thus resolved, Gavala, without agitation, offered his body into the blazing fire before him, like a moth.
तस्मिन् बलाद् गवलनाम्नि हुताशराशौ देहे पतत्य् अवयवाकुलतां प्रयाते । स्वाङ्गावदाहदहनस्फुरणानुरोधाद् अन्तर्जले झगिति बोधम् अवाप गाधिः
As Gavala's body fell by force into the mass of fire called Gavala, and as his limbs became disordered, Gadhi instantly attained awareness in the water, in accordance with the sudden burning sensation from his own body.
इत्य् उक्तवत्य् अथ मुनौ दिवसो जगाम सायन्तनाय विधये ऽस्तम् इनो जगाम । स्नातुं सभा कृतनमस्करणा जगाम श्यामाक्षये रविकरैश् च सहाजगाम
When the sage had spoken thus, the day moved toward evening, and the sun set. The assembly, having offered their salutations, went to bathe at the riverbank, accompanied by the sun's rays.
मुहूर्तद्वितयेनाथ गाधेर् आधिभरभ्रमात् । प्रशशामाकुलीभावो वेलावत्त्वम् इवाम्बुधेः
Then, within two moments, Gadhi's agitation from the burden of distress subsided, like the ebbing of the tide in the ocean.
पयोनिर्माणसम्मोहात् तस्मात् स विरराम ह । कल्पान्तसमये ब्रह्मा जगद्विरचनाद् इव
Because of the bewilderment created by the water, he ceased from that state, just as Brahma ceases from creating the world at the end of an age.
बोधम् आप शनैश् शान्तस् स्वम् एवोन्निद्रधीरधीः । क्षीवतायां प्रशान्तायां यथा परिणतासवः
He gradually regained awareness, his own mind awakening peacefully, like a matured wine settling down when its fermentation is spent.
अयं सो ऽहम् इदं कार्यम् इदं नेति ददर्श ह । निशाव्यपगमे लोको यथा क्षीणतमःपटे
He saw clearly: 'This is myself, this is my task, this is not,' just as the world is seen when the darkness is dispelled at night’s end.