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.
अनपेक्ष्यैव च प्रश्नम् उवाचाथ मुनीश्वरः । बोधयन्ति बलाद् एव सानुकम्पा हि साधवः
Without waiting for a question, the eminent sage spoke; for the virtuous, out of compassion, instruct others forcibly.
राजन् रघुकुलाकाशशशाङ्क रघुनन्दन । ह्यो मया ध्याननेत्रेण स भिक्षुः प्रेक्षितश् चिरम्
O king, moon of the Raghu lineage, delight of the Raghus, yesterday with the eye of meditation I observed that mendicant for a long time.
ध्यानेनाहं चिरं भ्रान्तस् तादृग्भिक्षुदिदृक्षया । द्वीपानि सप्त विपुलांस् तथैव कुलपर्वतान्
Through meditation, I wandered for long, desiring to see such a mendicant; I traversed the seven vast continents and likewise the principal mountains.
यावत् कुतश्चिद् अप्य् एव भिक्षुर् लब्धो न तादृशः । कथं किल मनोराज्यं बहिर् अप्य् उपलभ्यते
Yet, nowhere did I find such a mendicant; how indeed can the kingdom of the mind be found externally?
ततस् त्रिभागशेषायां रात्रौ पुनर् अहं धिया । उत्तराशान्तरं यातो वेलावात इवार्णवम्
Then, in the night with only a third remaining, again with my mind I went toward the northern direction, like the shore wind toward the ocean.
चीननामाथ तत्रास्ति श्रीमाञ् जनपदो महान् । वल्मीकोपरि तत्रास्ति विहारो जिनसंश्रयः
There, in a great and prosperous land called China, upon an anthill stands a monastery dedicated to the Jina.
तस्मिन् विहारे स्वकुटीकोशे कपिलमूर्धजः । भिक्षुर् दीर्घशया नाम स्थित एवंपरोदयः
In that dwelling, within his own hut, the ascetic with tawny hair, a mendicant named Dīrghaśayā, remained established in such a state.
एकविंशतिरात्रं च तस्यैवंस्थितिशालिनः । दृढार्गडं गृहं ध्यानभङ्गभीता विशन्ति नो
For twenty-one nights, while he maintained this state, even the sturdy house, fearing disturbance of his meditation, was not entered.
भृत्याः प्रायः किल तथा स तिष्ठति सुभिक्षुकः । अद्यैवं तस्य सम्पन्नं नियतेर् ईदृशी स्थितिः
His attendants, it is said, generally left him thus; he, the fortunate mendicant, today attained such a state by the decree of fate.
रात्रयो ध्याननिष्ठस्य गतास् तस्यैकविंशतिः । स तु वर्षसहस्राणि तथा चित्ते ऽनुभूतवान्
For him, absorbed in meditation, twenty-one nights passed; yet in his mind, he experienced it as a thousand years.