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.
स्मृतस्वरूपो वदनम् उद्दध्रे स जलान्तरात् । शिशिरान्ते प्रबुद्धात्मा सरोजम् इव माधवः
Remembering his true nature, he raised his face from the water, awakened in spirit at winter’s close, like a lotus at the coming of spring.
वनवारिककुब्व्योमवतीं वसुमतीम् इमाम् । अन्याम् एव पुरः पश्यन् परं विस्मयम् आययौ
Beholding this earth before him as if it were another, like the sky reflected in a forest pool, he was filled with profound wonder.
को ऽहं किम् इव पश्यामि किम् अकार्षम् अहं किल । एवं विचारयंश् चित्रं सभ्रूभङ्गम् अभूत् क्षणम्
Who am I? What is it that I see? What have I done?—thus he reflected, his brow furrowed in amazement for a moment.
एतन्मुहूर्तमात्रेण सम्भ्रमं दृष्टवान् अहम् । इति विज्ञाय सलिलाद् उदस्थाद् उदयार्कवत्
Within that brief instant, I saw confusion; realizing this, he rose from the water like the rising sun.
चिन्तयाम् आस च तटे क्व मे माता क्व मे प्रिया । यद् अहं मृतिम् आयातो मध्ये मातृमहेलयोः
Standing on the shore, he thought: Where is my mother, where is my beloved—since I came to death between my mother and stepmother?
बालस्य मातापितरौ नष्टौ किल ममामतेः । वातनीतस्य पत्त्रस्य वल्लीवृक्षाव् इवाग्निना
As a child, I lost both my parents, my mind confused—like two vines consumed by fire when a leaf is carried away by the wind.
अविवाहो ऽस्मि जानामि न स्वरूपम् अपि स्त्रियः । दुष्टायाः क्षोभकारिण्या मदिराया इव द्विजः
I am unmarried, I know not even the nature of a woman—like a twice-born man ignorant of the effects of wicked, agitating wine.
तस्माद् एतद् असद्भूतम् अहं किं नाम दृष्टवान् । विविधारम्भसंरम्भं गन्धर्वो नगरं यथा
Therefore, this is unreal—what have I truly seen? It is merely a flurry of various beginnings, like a city of gandharvas.
तद् आस्ताम् एतद् एषा हि बन्धुमध्यमृतस्थितिः । माया मोहे मनाग् अस्मिन् न सत्यम् उपलभ्यते
Let it be; this is merely a fleeting existence among relatives. In this illusion and confusion, not even a trace of truth is found.
नित्यम् एवम् अनन्तासु भ्रमदृष्टिषु देहिनाम् । चेतो भ्रमति शार्दूलो वनराजिष्व् इवोन्मदः
Always, in countless wandering perceptions of embodied beings, the mind roams like a wild tiger among forests, intoxicated.