कार्तवीर्यो गृहे तिष्ठन् ववर्षाम्बुधरो भवन् । विष्णुः क्षीरोदधौ तिष्ठञ् जायते पुरुषो भुवि
Kārtavīrya, remaining at home, brought forth rain from the clouds into his house; Viṣṇu, abiding in the ocean of milk, manifests as a person on earth.
पश्वर्थं यान्ति तिष्ठन्त्यो योगिन्यो योगिनीगणे । शक्रस् स्वर्गासने तिष्ठन् याति यज्ञार्थम् उर्वराम्
Yoginis, remaining among assemblies of yogis, go for the sake of cattle; Indra, seated on his heavenly throne, goes to the earth for the sake of sacrifice.
सहस्रम् एकं भवति तथास्मिञ् जगदात्मनि । नृणां शतानि भक्तानां यान्ति सायुज्यतां तनौ
One becomes a thousand in this Self of the universe; hundreds of devoted people attain union with that body.
एकस् सहस्रं भवति तथा चैष जनार्दनः । एकः कान्तासहस्राणि तुल्यकालं निषेवते
One becomes a thousand, and so too does Janārdana; a single being enjoys a thousand beloveds at the same time.
एवं ते भिक्षुसङ्कल्पजीवटब्राह्मणादयः । रुद्रविज्ञानवशतस् स्वसङ्कल्पपुरीर् गताः
In this way, those ascetics, the mendicants, the living skeletons, the Brahmins and others, by the power of Rudra’s knowledge, have gone to cities created by their own thought.
तत्र भुक्त्वा चिरं भोगान् प्राप्य रुद्रपुरं ततः । गणताम् आप्नुवन्तस् ते स्थास्यन्ति सपरिच्छदाः
There, after enjoying pleasures for a long time and then reaching Rudra’s city, they attain the status of his attendants and will remain there with their retinues.
नित्यप्रफुल्तनवकल्पलतालयेषु रुद्रेण सार्धम् उरुरत्नगुलुच्छकेषु । नानाजगत्सु च तदा पुरपत्तनेषु विद्याधरीष्व् अमलमौलिधरा रमन्ते
In the abodes where ever-fresh wish-fulfilling vines bloom, together with Rudra, amidst heaps of precious gems, and in the various worlds and cities of that realm, those bearing spotless crowns delight among the Vidyadharis.
एष दृष्टो यथानेन भिक्षुणा चेतनाभ्रमः । भूतं प्रत्येकम् एवैवं पृथङ् मृत्वा तु पश्यति
Just as this mendicant has perceived the confusion of consciousness, so too, after dying, each being individually perceives it in the same way.
सर्वस्य नाम जीवस्य मृतिजन्ममयी स्थितिः । भवत्य् एव चिदाकाशरूपिणो ऽप्य् आकृतिं गता
For every living being, existence is composed of birth and death; even one who has taken the form of the space of consciousness undergoes this condition.
पृथक् प्रत्येकम् अभ्येति खात्मा संसारषण्डकः । पृथग् आमोदसार्थस्य यथा कुसुमषण्डकः
Individually and separately, the self of space enters each cluster of worldly existence, just as the fragrance enters each cluster of flowers separately.
सर्व एव मृतो जन्तुः पृथक् स्वप्रतिभात्मकम् । पश्यत्य् एवं खरूपो ऽपि देही चामोक्षम् आकुलः
Every creature, upon death, perceives itself as a distinct, self-reflective being; thus, even one whose nature is space, if not liberated, remains agitated.
जीव एष मया तुभ्यं कथितः कथयानया । परात् प्रस्पन्दितात्मेति न भिक्षू राम केवलः
O Rama, I have explained to you this living being; by this account, the self is set in motion by the Supreme, and the mendicant is not the only one.
मोहान् मोहान्तरं याति जीवो जरढजीवितः । पर्वताग्रपरिभ्रष्टो ह्य् अधो ऽध उपलो यथा
The embodied soul, aged and worn by life, passes from one delusion into another, just as a stone falls ever downward after slipping from a mountain peak.
परमात्मपदभ्रष्टो जीवस् स्वप्नम् इमं दृढम् । पश्यत्य् अस्माद् अपि स्वप्नाद् याति स्वप्नान्तरं पुनः
Having fallen from the state of the Supreme Self, the soul perceives this firm dream; and from this dream, it again enters yet another dream.
स्वप्नात् स्वप्ने ऽपि निपतन् मृषैवेदं शिलादृढम् । परिपश्यति देहो ऽन्तर् मायया जर्जरीकृतः
Even as it falls from dream to dream, it sees this body—made fragile by illusion—as solid as a rock, though this is truly false.
क्वचित् केनचिद् एवैष कदाचिद् वा न वा स्वयम् । देहेन मोहनिद्रातो मुच्यते सम्प्रबुध्यते
Sometimes, by some means or at some time, or perhaps not at all, this soul awakens from the sleep of delusion and is freed from the body.
अहो नु विषमो मोहो जीवस्यास्योपजायते । पदाच् च्युतस्य स्तोकेन नानाकारविकारदः
Alas, what a difficult delusion arises for this soul! Having fallen from its true state, even a little, it undergoes countless forms and changes.
मिथ्याज्ञानोग्रयामिन्या मायया निपुणाद् इदम् । अहो नु खलु वैषम्यं भीमं निजपदच्युतेः
Indeed, how terrible is the disparity caused by this powerful night of false knowledge—by illusion—when one falls from one's own true state.
भगवन् सर्वदा सर्वं सर्वथैव जगत्स्थितौ । त्वया सम्भवतीत्य् उक्तं मया तच् चानुभूयते
O Lord, it is said by you—and I have experienced it—that always and in every way, all things in the existence of the world arise from you.
एवंगुणविशिष्टात्मा सुमहात्मन् स भिक्षुकः । क्वचिद् अस्ति न वेत्य् अन्तर् आलोक्य कथयाशु मे
That mendicant, possessed of such qualities and a great soul—does he exist somewhere or not? Please look within and tell me quickly.
अत्र रात्रौ समाधिस्थस् त्रिलोकीमठिकाम् इमाम् । भिक्षुर् एषो ऽस्ति नास्तीति प्रेक्ष्य प्रातर् वदाम्य् अहम्
Tonight, while absorbed in samadhi, this ascetic beheld this entire threefold world as both existent and nonexistent; in the morning, I shall speak of it.
मुनाव् एवं कथयति बहिर् मध्याह्नदिण्डिमः । उदभूत् प्रलयक्षुब्धघनगर्जितमांसलः
As the sage was thus speaking, outside, at midday, a drum sounded—a deep, thunderous roar, as if clouds churned by dissolution.
तत्यजुः पादयोस् तस्य पुष्पाञ्जलिपरम्पराः । नृपाः पौरा विटपिनः पुष्पं वातयुता इव
Kings, citizens, and courtiers, like flowers scattered by the wind, offered continuous handfuls of flowers at his feet.
पूजयित्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठान् उदतिष्ठत् स विष्टरात् । मुनिना सह भूपाल उदयाद्रेर् इवांशुमान्
After honoring the foremost sages, the king rose from his seat together with the sage, like the sun rising with Mount Meru.
सभा तदनु सोत्तस्थौ सप्रणामपरस्परम् । क्रमेण ह्यस्तनेनैव जग्मुः खेचरभूचराः
Then the assembly dispersed, exchanging mutual salutations; gradually, the sky-dwellers and earth-dwellers departed as they had come the previous day.
स्वास्पदेषु यथाशास्त्रम् अहर्व्यापारम् आदृताः । सर्वे सम्पादयाम् आसुर् निजधर्मक्रमोचितम्
All, devoted to their daily duties as prescribed by scripture, diligently performed their own proper actions in their respective abodes.
चिन्तयन्तो मुनिप्रोक्तं महीचरनभश्चराः । ज्ञानं क्षपां क्षणम् इव निन्युः कल्पम् इवापि च
Reflecting on the sage’s words, the earth-dwellers and sky-dwellers passed the night as if it were but a moment, or as if an age had elapsed.
प्रातः पुनः प्रसृतकार्यपरम्परे ऽस्मिञ् जाते जने खचरभूचरसिद्धसङ्घः । आस्थानलोकरचनेन तथैव तस्थाव् अन्योऽन्यसंवदनपूजितपूज्यलोकः
In the morning, as the succession of daily tasks resumed among the people, the assembly of sky-dwellers, earth-dwellers, and accomplished ones remained, their gathering adorned by their seats, each honoring and being honored by the others through mutual conversation.
वसिष्ठमुनिसंयुक्ता विश्वामित्रादिसंयुता । स्थितखेचरसिद्धौघा विश्रान्तनृपनायका
Accompanied by the sage Vasiṣṭha and joined by Viśvāmitra and others, with a host of accomplished beings moving in the sky, and leaders of kings at rest,
सरामलक्ष्मणा सैव तथैवाथ सभा बभौ । सोम्या समसमाभोगा शान्तवात्येव पद्मिनी
That very assembly, together with Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, shone forth; gentle and harmonious in its gathering, tranquil like a lotus pond undisturbed by winds.