प्रभ्रान्तं दिक्षु सर्वासु दृष्टा विबुधभूमयः । भवान् इव जगत्य् अस्मिन् न महान् अवलोकितः
I have wandered in all directions and seen the realms of the wise, but in this world, none as great as you has been found.
कथञ्चित् प्राप्यते कच्चिद् भ्रान्त्वेह हि महाजनः । न भवान् इव भव्यात्मा सुलभो जगति क्वचित्
Rarely does one encounter a great person here, even after much searching; nowhere in the world is a noble soul like you easily found.
वंशखण्डे हि कस्मिंश्चिज् जायते मौक्तिकं यथा । जगत्खण्डे हि कस्मिंश्चिज् जायते त्वादृशस् तथा
Just as a pearl is born in some fragment of bamboo, so in some fragment of the world, someone like you is born.
मया तु सुमहत् कार्यम् अद्य सम्पादितं शुभम् । पुण्यदेहो विमुक्तात्मा यद् भवान् अवलोकितः
Today, I have accomplished a most auspicious and great deed, for I have seen you, whose body is meritorious and whose soul is liberated.
तद् अस्तु तव कल्याणं प्रविशात्मगुहां शुभाम् । मध्याह्नसमयो ऽयं मे व्रजामि सुरमन्दिरम्
May blessings be upon you; enter the auspicious cave of the Self. It is midday, and I shall go to the temple of the gods.
इत्य् आकर्ण्य भुसुण्डो ऽसौ जग्राहोत्थाय पादपात् । सङ्कल्पिताभ्यां हस्ताभ्यां सुपात्रं हेमपल्लवम्
Hearing this, Bhusunda rose and, bowing, took up with both hands the golden leaf, a vessel he had prepared.
कल्पवृक्षलतापुष्पकेसरेण हिमत्विषा । तत् पात्रं मौक्तिकार्घेण पूरयाम् आस पूर्णधीः
With the icy radiance of the filaments from the flowers of the wish-fulfilling creeper, he, whose mind was full, filled that vessel with a pearl offering.
तेनार्घ्यपाद्यपात्रेण त्रिनेत्रम् इव माम् असौ । आपादमस्तकं भक्त्या पूजयाम् आस पूर्वजः
With that vessel for the ceremonial offering and washing of the feet, he, the elder, worshipped me from head to foot with devotion, as one would the three-eyed Lord.
अनुव्रज्याकदर्थेन खगेन्द्रालम् इति ब्रुवन् । विष्टराद् अहम् उत्थाय ततः खगवद् आप्लुतः
Saying, 'Enough of this following,' and 'Let the king of birds rest,' I rose from the seat and then leapt away like a bird.
व्योम्नि योजनमात्रेण मदनुव्रज्यया गतः । करं करेणावष्टभ्य बलात् संरोधितः खगः
He followed me through the sky for a distance of a yojana, grasping my hand with his own, forcibly restraining the bird.
मयि याते ततो दीर्घे गगनाध्वन्य् अदृश्यताम् । निवृत्तो ऽसौ विहङ्गेशो दुस्त्यजा सङ्गतिस् सताम्
When I had gone far along the path of the sky, he, the lord of birds, was no longer seen; such association with the virtuous is hard to abandon.
अन्योऽन्यं मयि तस्मिंश् च तरङ्गक इवाम्बुधौ । व्योमन्य् अदृश्यतां याते गतस् स्मृत्या मुनीन् अहम्
As I and he vanished into the sky, like waves in the ocean, I remembered the sages.
सप्तर्षिमण्डलं प्राप्य जायया परिपूजितः । विस्मयोत्फुल्लहृदयस् ततो ऽहं राघवावसम्
Reaching the circle of the Seven Sages, I was honored by my wife; my heart blossomed with wonder, and thus I remained with Raghava.
भुसुण्डो भव्यतुण्डो ऽसौ तस्मिन् कल्पलतालये । समश् शान्तमना मान्यस् स्वसमाधानवान् अभूत्
That Bhusunda, of auspicious beak, in that abode of the wish-fulfilling creeper, remained calm-minded, respected, and steadfast in his own absorption.
जीवत्य् अद्यापि मतिमांस् तस्मिन्न् एव लतादले । तत्रैव संस्थितो मेरोस् तथैव कनकद्रुमे
Even today, that wise one lives there on that very leaf of the creeper, remaining in the same place on the golden tree of Meru.
याते कृतयुगस्यादौ पुरा वर्षशतद्वये । सङ्गतो ऽहं भुसुण्डेन मेरौ शृङ्गद्रुमे ऽभवम्
When, long ago, two hundred years had passed at the beginning of the Krita Yuga, I met Bhusunda on Meru, on the tree at its summit.
अद्य राम कृते क्षीणे त्रेता सम्परिवर्तते । मध्ये त्रेतायुगस्यास्य जातस् त्वं रिपुसूदन
Now, O Rama, as the Krita Yuga has ended, the Treta Yuga is unfolding; in the middle of this Treta Yuga, you have been born, O destroyer of foes.
पुनर् अद्याष्टमं वर्षं तत्रैवोपरि भूभृतः । मिलितो ऽभूद् भुसुण्डो ऽसौ तथैवाजररूपवान्
Again, today, in the eighth year, on that very summit of the mountain, Bhusunda, still possessing the same ageless form, has come together with me.
इतीदं कथितं चित्रं भुसुण्डोदन्तम् उत्तमम् । श्रुत्वा विचार्य चैवान्तर् यद् युक्तं तत् समाचर
Thus, this marvelous and excellent account of Bhusunda has been told; having heard and reflected upon it, act as is appropriate.
इति सुमुनिभुसुण्डसङ्कथां यो विमलमतिः प्रविचारयिष्यतीह । भवभयबहलां कुसंसृतिं स प्रसभम् असत्सरितं तरिष्यतीति
Whoever, with pure intellect, will contemplate here the dialogue of the noble sage Bhusunda, will forcibly cross the dense, fearful, false river of worldly existence.
एवं भुसुण्डवृत्तान्तः कथितस् ते मयानघ । अनया प्रज्ञया तीर्णो भुसुण्डो मोहसङ्कटात्
Thus, O sinless one, I have related to you the story of Bhusunda; by this wisdom, Bhusunda crossed over the peril of delusion.
एतां दृष्टिम् अवष्टभ्य स्वप्राणाभ्यासपूर्विकाम् । भुसुण्डवन् महाबाहो भव तीर्णभवार्णवः
Relying on this vision, preceded by the practice of self-inquiry, O mighty-armed one, become like Bhusunda—one who has crossed the ocean of worldly existence.
यथा ज्ञानेन योगेन सन्तताभ्यासजन्मना । भुसुण्डो ऽवाप्तवान् प्राप्यं तथा साधय तत् पदम्
Just as Bhusunda attained what was to be attained through knowledge, yoga, and the practice born of constant repetition, in the same way, strive to realize that state.
असक्तबुद्धयस् सन्तो भुसुण्डवद् अवस्थितिम् । प्राप्नुवन्ति परे तत्त्वे प्राणापानावलोकिनः
The wise, whose minds are unattached, who observe the flow of breath, attain the state of Bhusunda, established in the supreme reality.
एता विचित्रा भवता श्रुता विज्ञानदृष्टयः । इदानीं धियम् आलम्ब्य यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
These various perspectives of knowledge have been heard by you; now, relying on your own understanding, act as you wish.
भगवन् भवता भूमिभास्वता ज्ञानरश्मिभिः । हार्दम् उद्दामदौरात्म्यं प्रमृष्टम् अखिलं तमः
O venerable one, by your radiance on earth and rays of knowledge, all the intense inner darkness of wickedness has been completely wiped away.
प्रबुद्धास् स्मः प्रहृष्टास् स्मः प्रविष्टास् स्मस् स्वम् आस्पदम् । स्थितास् स्मो ज्ञातविज्ञेया भवन्तो ह्य् अपरा इव
We are awakened, we are delighted, we have entered our own abode; we are established, having known what is to be known—indeed, we are like others altogether.
अहो भुसुण्डचरितं परं विस्मयकारकम् । भगवन् भवता प्रोक्तम् उत्तमार्थावबोधदम्
Ah, the story of Bhusunda is truly astonishing; O venerable one, as told by you, it imparts the highest understanding of meaning.
भुसुण्डचरिते ब्रह्मन्न् एतस्मिन् यत् त्वया विभो । तच् छरीरगृहं प्रोक्तं मांसचर्मास्थिनिर्मितम्
O Brahman, in this account of Bhusunda, what you have described as the house of the body is said to be made of flesh, skin, and bone.
तत् केन नाम रचितं कुतो वा तत् समुत्थितम् । कथं वा स्थितिम् आयातं को वा तत्रावतिष्ठते
By whom, indeed, was that constructed? From where did it arise? How did it come to exist, and who abides there?