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.
कस्मिंश्चित् प्राक्तने कल्पे भिक्षुर् एवं पुराभवत् । अद्य त्व् इह द्वितीयो ऽस्ति तृतीयो नोपलभ्यते
In some previous age, the mendicant was thus before; but now, here, there is a second—no third is found.
मया तु पुनर् अन्विष्टश् चेतसा चतुरात्मना । तादृग् भिक्षुस् तृतीयो ऽन्यो जगत्पद्मोदरालिना
But I, searching again with my fourfold mind, found another, a third such mendicant, in the world-lotus’s womb.
अस्मात् सर्गात् तु नो लब्धस् तृतीयस् तादृगाशयः । अथान्ये लीलया सर्गा मया सम्प्रेक्षितास् ततः
From this creation, no third with such a disposition was found; then, for sport, I surveyed other creations.
यावत् कस्मिंश्चिद् आकाशकोशशायिनि सर्गके । तृतीयो विद्यते भिक्षुर् ब्राह्मणश् चेदृशक्रमः
Until, in some creation, lying within the space of the etheric womb, a third mendicant, a brāhmaṇa, was found in this sequence.
एवं तेनैव तेनैव सन्निवेशेन भूरिशः । भविष्यन्त्य् अभवन् सन्ति पदार्थास् सर्गसन्ततौ
In this very manner, with this very arrangement, countless entities have come to be, have ceased, and exist in the succession of creation.
अस्यां सभायाम् अपि ये मुनयो ब्राह्मणा नृपाः । भाव्यम् एवंसमाचारैस् तैर् अन्यैर् अप्य् अनेकशः
Even in this assembly, the sages, brahmins, and kings—many others as well—will act in just such ways, repeatedly, as is destined.
नारदेनामुना भाव्यं पुनर् अन्येन चानघ । एवम् एवात्रिणा भाव्यं पुनर् अन्येन चाधुना
O sinless one, it is destined to be so with this very Nārada, and again with another; likewise, it is destined to be so with Atri, and now again with another.
एवं कलत्रकर्मभ्यां युक्तेनानेन भूरिशः । एवंजन्मादिना भाव्यं व्यासेन च शुकेन च
Thus, through union with spouse and action, and through such births and beginnings, it is destined to be so with Vyāsa and with Śuka, many times over.
जनकेन पुनर् भाव्यं क्रतुना पुलहेन च । अगस्त्येन पुलस्त्येन भृगुणाङ्गिरसापि च
Again, it is destined to be so with Janaka, with Kratu, with Pulaha, with Agastya, with Pulastya, with Bhṛgu, and also with Aṅgiras.
एत एव तथान्ये च एवंरूपक्रियास्पदम् । चिराच् चिराद् भविष्यन्ति मायेयं वितता यतः
These very ones, and others as well, will become the seat of such forms and actions, again and again over long ages, for this illusion is widespread.