तद् एतद् वृत्तम् अभ्यासाद् वर्तमानेन वर्णितम् । मया मुनीन्द्र बोधाय प्राग्जगत्साम्यदर्शिना
This account, through repeated recollection, I have described in the present, O chief of sages, for your understanding, as one who has seen the sameness of previous worlds.
अद्य मे फलितं पुण्यैश् चिरकालोपबृंहितैः । निर्विघ्नम् एवं पश्यामि यद् भवन्तं मुने ततः
Today, through merits accumulated over a long time, my wish has borne fruit; thus, without obstacle, I behold you, O sage.
इदं नीडम् इमाश् शाखा अयं चाहम् अयं द्रुमः । अद्य पावनतां प्राप्तान्य् एतानि तव दर्शनात्
This is the nest, these are the branches, this is myself, and this is the tree; today, all these have attained purity through your sight.
इदम् अर्घ्यम् इदं पाद्यं गृहीत्वा विभवार्पितम् । नूनं पावनतां नीत्वा शेषेणादिश मां मुने
Here is the offering of water, here is water for your feet, both presented with devotion; surely, having been purified, instruct me further, O sage.
इत्य् उक्त्वार्घ्यं च पाद्यं च भूयो दत्तवति स्वयम् । भुसुण्डविहगे तस्मिन्न् इदं रामाहम् उक्तवान्
Having thus spoken and again personally offered the water and foot-wash, I, Rama, said this to the bird Bhusunda.
भ्रातरस् ते विहङ्गेश तादृक्सत्त्वा महाधियः । इह कस्मान् न दृश्यन्ते त्वम् एवैको हि दृश्यसे
O lord of birds, your brothers were of such nature, great in wisdom and intellect; why are they not seen here, and only you are visible?
तिष्ठताम् इह नः कालो महान् अतिगतो मुने । युगानां पङ्क्तयः क्षीणा दिवसानाम् इवानघ
A vast expanse of time has passed here for us, O sage; the cycles of ages have been exhausted, like the days of the blameless.
एतावता च कालेन सर्व एव ममानुजाः । तनूस् तृणम् इव त्यक्त्वा शिवे परिणताः परे
In all this time, all my younger brothers, having cast off their bodies like blades of grass, have attained the supreme auspicious state.
दीर्घायुषो महान्तो ऽपि सन्तो ऽपि बलिनो ऽपि च । सर्व एव निगीर्यन्ते कालेनाकलितात्मना
Even those who are long-lived, great, virtuous, and strong are all devoured by time, which does not recognize the self.
स्कन्धरूढार्कशशिषु वहत्स्व् अविरतं जवात् । वातस्कन्धातिवातेषु कच्चित् तात न खिद्यसे
When the sun and moon, mounted on the shoulders of the sky, are swiftly carried by the ceaseless winds, dear one, are you not wearied?
दग्धोदयास्तशैलेन्द्रवनव्यूहै रवेः करैः । चिरम् अत्यन्तम् आसन्नैः कथं तात न खिद्यसे
O father, how is it that you do not feel distressed, though the forests and peaks of the mountains are scorched for a long time by the sun's rays, which are extremely close?
इन्दोर् अथ करैश् शीतैः पाषाणीकृतवारिभिः । आसन्नतरतां यातैः कच्चित् तात न खिद्यसे
O father, do you not feel troubled when the moon's rays, which are cold and have turned water to stone, come even closer?
अजस्रम् इह विश्रान्तैः कल्पजीमूतमण्डलैः । परशुच्छेद्यनीहारैः कथं तात न खिद्यसे
How is it, O father, that you do not feel afflicted by the ever-resting circles of clouds of the age, whose showers are cut off by axes?
विषमैर् जागतैः क्षोभैर् उच्चैस्तरपदस्थितः । कथं न क्षोभम् आयाति कल्पवृक्षो ऽयम् उन्नतः
How does this lofty wish-fulfilling tree, standing at a higher place, not become disturbed by the harsh awakenings and agitations?
निरालम्बास्पदा ब्रह्मन् सर्वलोकावधीरिता । तुच्छेयं सर्वभूतानां मध्ये विहगजीविका
O Brahman, this bird's life among all beings is utterly insignificant, having no support or place, disregarded by all worlds.
यद् ईदृशेषु दूरेषु निर्जनेषु वनेषु च । कल्पितास्यास् स्थितिर् धात्रा शून्ये वा व्योमधन्वनि
When the Creator has imagined its existence in such distant, deserted forests, or in the empty expanse of the sky, how is its position established?
कथम् अस्यां प्रभो जातौ जातस्य किल जीवतः । आशापाशनिबद्धस्य विहगस्य विशोकता
O Lord, how is it that, once born in this state, the bird living here, bound by the cords of hope, is free from sorrow?
वयं तु भगवन् नित्यं स्वात्मसन्तोषसंयुताः । न कदाचन नीरूपैर् मुह्यामो जागतैर् भ्रमैः
But, O Blessed One, we are always united with satisfaction in our own self, and never become deluded by the vain wanderings of the world.
स्वभावमात्रसन्तुष्टाः कष्टैर् मुक्ता विचेष्टितैः । क्षिपामः केवलं कालम् अस्मिन् ब्रह्मन् निजालये
Content with mere natural existence, freed from painful exertions, we simply pass time here, O Brahman, in our own abode.
न जीवितान् न मरणात् कुर्मो देहस्य रोधनम् । यथा स्थितेन तिष्ठामस् तथैवास्तङ्गतेहिताः
We neither cling to life nor resist death for the body; we remain as we are, indifferent to its rise or fall.
आलोकिता लोकदशा दृष्टा दृष्टान्तदृष्टयः । नूनं सन्त्यक्तम् अस्माकं मनसा चञ्चलं वपुः
The conditions of the world have been observed, various examples have been seen; surely, our restless mind and body have been abandoned.
अनारतनिजालोके नित्यं चापरितापिनि । कल्पागस्योपरि सदा वेद्मि कालकलागतिम्
In my own realm, ever free from sorrow and uninterrupted, I always perceive the movement of time above the span of ages.
रत्नगुच्छप्रकाशाढ्ये ब्रह्मन् कल्पलतागृहे । प्राणापानप्रवाहेण वेद्मि कालम् अखण्डितम्
In the house of the wish-fulfilling vine, radiant with clusters of gems, O Brahman, through the flow of breath I perceive time as unbroken.
अविज्ञातदिवारात्रे ऽप्य् अस्मिन्न् उच्चैश् शिलोच्चये । जानामि निजया बुद्ध्या लोककालक्रमस्थितिम्
Even when day and night are unknown in this lofty mountain peak, I know, by my own understanding, the order and progression of worldly time.
सारासारपरिच्छेदि बोधाद् विश्रान्तिम् आगतम् । निरस्तचापलं शान्तं जातम् एव मुने मनः
Through discernment that distinguishes essence from non-essence, the mind, O sage, has attained rest, become peaceful, and is free from restlessness.
संसारव्यवहारोत्थैर् आशापाशैर् असन्मयैः । उद्गालैर् इव भूकाको न वैवश्यं व्रजाम्य् अहम्
From the bonds of hope arising from worldly dealings, which are unreal, I do not fall into agitation, like an owl unaffected by the gusts of wind.
परोपशमधर्मिण्या वयम् आलोकशीतया । पश्यन्तो जागतीं मायां धिया धैर्यम् उपागताः
With minds inclined toward tranquility, we, cooled by the light of awareness, behold the world’s illusion and gain steadfastness through understanding.
भीमास्व् अपि महाबुद्धे दशास्व् अचलबुद्धयः । बिभिमो नोपलाकारास् सम्प्राप्तासु यथाक्रमम्
Even in dreadful circumstances, O great-minded one, our minds remain unmoved; we do not tremble or change form as these states arise in due course.
इयम् आरम्भसुभगा तरला जागती स्थितिः । भूयो भूयः परामृष्टा नेह किञ्चन सन्मयम्
This worldly existence, though delightful at its outset, is fickle; examined again and again, nothing here is found to be truly real.
सर्वाण्य् एव प्रयान्त्य् एव समायान्ति च वा न वा । भगवन् भूतजालानि भयम् अस्माकम् अत्र किम्
All beings, O venerable one, either depart or arrive—or perhaps not; what fear can there be for us in this multitude of living things?