तस्य चिन्तयतो जाता प्रतिभेयम् अथ स्वतः । भावयाम्य् आशु लीलार्थं सामान्यजनवृत्तिताम्
As he contemplated, there arose within him, of itself, a reflection: 'I shall quickly imagine, for sport, the ordinary course of human life.'
इति सञ्चिन्त्य चेतो ऽस्य स्थितं किञ्चिन् नरान्तरम् । स्पन्दसंस्थानसन्त्यागमात्रेणावर्तके ऽम्ब्व् इव
Thinking thus, his mind assumed the state of another man, just as water in a whirlpool changes form merely by the cessation of its motion.
तेन चित्तनरेणाथ कृतं नामात्मनीच्छया । जीवटो ऽस्मीति सहसा काकतालीयवत् स्थितम्
By that mind-man, then, through his own will, the notion 'I am a living being' suddenly arose, as if by a chance conjunction.
जीवटो विजहाराथ स स्वप्नपुरुषश् चिरम् । स्वप्ननिर्माणनगरे कस्मिंश्चित् पुरवीथिषु
Then that living being wandered for a long time, like a dream-person, in the city created by dream, along certain city streets.
तत्र पानं पपौ मत्तो भृङ्गः पद्मरसं यथा । शिलयेव दृढं पिष्टस् सुष्वाप घननिद्रया
There, intoxicated, he drank, like a bee the essence of a lotus; and, as if firmly ground on a stone, he slept in deep slumber.
स्वप्ने ददर्श विप्रत्वं पाठानुष्ठानतुष्टिमत् । प्रतिभामात्रसम्पन्नं चित्तदेशान्तराप्तिवत्
In that dream he saw himself as a Brahmin, content in the practice of recitation and ritual, possessed only of a reflection, as if he had reached another region of the mind.
कदाचित् स द्विजश्रेष्ठस् स्वाहर्व्यापारनिष्ठया । आजगाम घनां निद्रां बीजताम् इव पादपः
Once, that best of Brahmins, intent on his daily duties, entered a deep sleep, like a tree returning to its seed-state.
सो ऽप्य् अपश्यत् स्वयं स्वप्ने सामन्तत्वम् अथात्मनि । पताकारथहस्त्यश्वसेनाजलदमालितम्
He too saw himself in a dream as a feudal lord, surrounded by banners, chariots, elephants, horses, and a cloud-like army.
स सामन्तः कृताहारः कदाचिद् घननिद्रया । सुष्वापान्तर्व्यवहृतिर् बीजतायाम् इव द्रुमः
That vassal, having taken his meal, once, overcome by deep sleep, slept; his inner activity subsided, like a tree in its seed-state.
अपश्यद् राजतां स्वप्ने ककुब्वलयमालिनीम् । लालितां भोगपूगेन पुष्पौघेनर्तुताम् इव
In a dream, he saw himself as a king, encircled by a realm adorned, cherished by an abundance of enjoyments, flourishing with flowers as if in spring.
स कदाचिन् नृपस् स्वस्थस् सुष्वापास्तमितेहितः । पुरोभाविनिजाचारस् स्वं कार्यम् इव कारणे
Once, that king, being at ease, with all actions at rest in deep sleep, experienced in advance the conduct to come, as a cause contains its effect.
अपश्यद् आत्मनि स्वप्ने सुरस्त्रीत्वम् अनिन्दितम् । वृक्षः केसरसोल्लासो मञ्जरीत्वम् इवोदितम्
In a dream, he saw himself as an impeccable celestial woman, just as a tree, with its blossoming filaments, appears as a cluster of flowers.
सा रेमे सुरसेनासु देवोद्यानस्थलीषु च । क्षीराम्भोधितरङ्गेषु लोलेव हरिवल्लभा
She delighted among the celestial armies and in the gardens of the gods, on the waves of the milk ocean, like Lakshmi, beloved of Hari.
सुष्वाप सैकदा बाला मत्तोद्यानलतागृहे । संशान्तस्वमनस्स्पन्दं गन्धलेखेव पङ्कजे
Once, as a young girl, she slept in a bower of intoxicated garden creepers, her mind’s movements stilled, like a trace of fragrance in a lotus.
ददर्शात्मन्य् अथ स्वप्ने संसर्गवशतोदितम् । मृगीत्वम् आत्मनि स्वैरम् आवर्तत्वम् इवाम्बुता
Then, in a dream, as impelled by the force of association, she saw herself as a deer, freely revolving in herself, like water in the state of a whirlpool.
सा मृगी लोलनयना कदाचिन् निद्रयाहृता । स्वप्ने ददर्श वल्लीत्वं स्वाभ्यासाद् रूढम् आत्मनि
That doe, with restless eyes, once seized by sleep, saw herself in a dream as a creeper, firmly established in her own habit.
तिर्यञ्चो ऽपि प्रपश्यन्ति स्वप्नं चित्तस्वभावतः । दृष्टान्तो ऽत्र शुकाश्वेभसञ्ज्ञास्मरणम् अक्षतम्
Even animals perceive dreams, due to the very nature of the mind; the example here is the undiminished recollection of parrots, horses, and bees.
सा बभूव लता पुष्पफलपल्लवशालिनी । वनदेवीवनोद्यानलतागृहविलासिनी
She became a vine, adorned with flowers, fruits, and tender shoots, delighting in the groves and arbours of the forest goddess.
बीजान्तस्स्थाङ्कुराकाररूपयेहाधिरूढया । सापश्यद् अन्तस्संवित्त्या स्फुटं लवनम् आत्मनः
Having assumed the form of a sprout within a seed, she clearly perceived, through her inner awareness, the salty essence of her own being.
कञ्चित् कालं सुषुप्तस्थकलया जडतां घनम् । अनुभूय ददर्शाथ स्वात्मानं भ्रमरं स्थितम्
For some time, she experienced a deep stupor like dreamless sleep, and then saw herself as a bee, remaining there.
षट्पदो विजहाराथ वने वनलतास्व् असौ । पद्मिनीषु च फुल्लासु तरुणीष्व् इव वल्लभः
That bee then wandered in the forest among the forest vines, just as a lover among blooming lotuses and youthful maidens.
बिम्बाधरं विदलयन् स्वादयन् कौसुमं मधु । स्वपन् कुसुमशय्यासु भुक्त्वा वल्लीविलासिनीः
Tasting the honey of flowers, delighting in the lips of blossoms, he slept on beds of petals, having enjoyed the pleasures of the vine-maidens.
स बभूव सरोजिन्यां व्यसनी बिसनालवत् । क्वचिद् एव रतिं याति चेतो जडमतेर् अपि
He became infatuated with a lotus, like a fiber within its stalk; even the mind of the dull-witted sometimes finds delight somewhere.
ताम् आजगाम नलिनीं परिलोडयितुं गजः । रम्यवस्तुक्षयायैव मूढानां जृम्भते मनः
Then an elephant came to trample that lotus; for the destruction of delightful things, the mind of the deluded always stirs.
नलिनीमथनेनैव समं तेन स षट्पदः । गुणवत्तान्तरे रूढिर् इव चूर्णत्वम् आययौ
Just as the bee is crushed along with the lotus by the churning, so too, when qualities change, the body is reduced to powder like blood dries into dust.
भ्रमरो वारणालोकाद् वारणालोकभावनात् । ददर्शात्मानम् आलोलमत्तहस्तितयोदितम्
The bee, from seeing the elephant or from imagining the sight of the elephant, perceived itself as agitated, as if it had become a drunken elephant.
शुष्कसागरगम्भीरे गजः खाते पपात ह । तमोघनघने शून्ये संसार इव जीवकः
The elephant fell into a deep, dry pit—like a living being falls into the void of dense darkness, which is the emptiness of worldly existence.
बभूव वल्लभो राज्ञो महान् परबलान्तकः । सदा मदबलक्षीवो घूर्णन्न् इव निशाचरः
He became the beloved of the king, a great destroyer of enemies, always intoxicated by strength, reeling like a demon.
कदाचिद् अरिनिस्त्रिंशच्छिन्नस् सो ऽस्तम् उपाययौ । विवेकासिलतालूनरूपो जीव इवात्मनि
Once, struck down by the enemy’s sword, he met his end—just as the soul, when deprived of the rock of discernment, loses its form in the Self.
पश्यन् गजघटाकुम्भमणीन् प्रोच्छलितान् अलीन् । उत्क्रामन् स गजाज् जीवो भूयो द्रागित्य् अभूद् अलिः
Seeing the pearls scattered from the elephant’s headgear and jars, the soul departed from the elephant and quickly became a bee again.