न केचन तथा भावाश् चेतश् शीतलयन्ति मे । राज्यलाभादयो ऽप्य् एते यथा साधुसमागमः
No experiences cool my mind as much as the company of the virtuous, not even gaining a kingdom or similar achievements.
निरर्गलतया यत्र साम्यम् एव विजृम्भते । मुक्तरागादिमननं तन् न कस्य सुखावहम्
Where pure equanimity expands without obstruction, contemplation free from attachment and passion brings happiness to none.
एवंवादिन एवास्य वाक्यम् आक्षिप्य भूपतेः । भूयः प्रोवाच चूडाला मुनिदारकरूपिणी
As he was speaking thus, the king’s words were interrupted, and Cudāla, disguised as a young sage, spoke again.
आस्ताम् एषा कथा तावत् सर्वं ते वर्णितं मया । त्वं मे कथय हे साधो कस् त्वम् अद्रौ करोषि किम्
Let this story rest for now; I have described everything to you. Tell me, O noble one, who are you and what are you doing in the mountains?
कियत्पर्यवसानेयं तव वा वनवासिता । सत्यं कथय नासत्यं वक्तुं जानाति तापसः
How long has your dwelling in the forest lasted? Speak the truth, for an ascetic knows not to utter falsehood.
देवपुत्रो ऽसि जानासि सर्वम् एव यथास्थितम् । लोकवृत्तान्ततज्ज्ञो ऽसि किम् अन्यत् कथयाम्य् अहम्
You are a divine being; you know everything as it truly is. You are aware of the world’s events—what else should I tell you?
संसारभयभीतत्वान् निवसामि वनान्तरे । जानतो ऽपि हि हासाय कथयाम्य् एव ते मनाक्
Out of fear of the dangers of worldly existence, I dwell in the forest. Though you already know, I tell you this for the sake of conversation.
शिखिध्वजो ऽहं भूपालस् त्यक्त्वा राज्यम् इह स्थितः । भृशं भीतो ऽस्मि तत्त्वज्ञ संसृतौ जन्मनः पुनः
I am Śikhidhvaja, a king who has abandoned his kingdom and resides here. I am greatly afraid, O knower of truth, of rebirth in the cycle of existence.
पुनस् सुखं पुनर् दुःखं पुनर् मरणजन्मनी । भवतस् तेन तप्ये ऽहं सर्वज्ञ वनवीथिषु
Again happiness, again sorrow, again birth and death—thus I wander, and for this I am tormented, O all-knowing one, in the forest paths.
भ्रमन्न् अपि दिगन्तांश् च चरन्न् अपि परं तपः । नासादयामि विश्रान्तिम् एकां निधिम् इवाधनः
Though I roam to the ends of the directions, though I practice the highest austerity, I do not attain any rest, like a poor man unable to find a single treasure.
अपत्त्रो ऽप्य् अफलो ऽप्य् एको नीरसो ऽप्य् अस्तसङ्गतिः । शुष्याम्य् एव वने साधो घुणक्षुण्ण इव द्रुमः
Without leaves, without fruit, alone, sapless, and without any connection, I dry up here in the forest, O holy one, like a tree gnawed by worms.
इमाम् अखण्डितां सम्यक् क्रियां सम्पादयन्न् अपि । दुःखाद् गच्छामि दुःखौघम् अमृतं मे विषं स्थितम्
Even while perfectly performing this unbroken practice, I go from one wave of suffering to another; for me, nectar has become poison.
पितामहम् अहं पूर्वं कदाचित् पृष्टवान् इदम् । यत् क्रियाज्ञानयोर् एकं श्रेयस् तद् ब्रूहि मे विभो
Once, I asked the Grandsire (Brahma) this question: which is superior—action or knowledge? Tell me that, O Lord.
ज्ञानं हि परमं श्रेयः क इवैतन् न वेत्त्य् अलम् । कालातिवाहनायैव विनोदायोचिता क्रिया
Knowledge is indeed the highest good—who does not know this well? Action is suitable only for passing time or diversion.
अलब्धज्ञानदृष्टीनां क्रियामुत्र परायणम् । यस्य नास्त्य् अम्बरं पट्टं कम्बलं किं त्यजत्य् असौ
For those who have not attained the vision of knowledge, action is the highest aim here and hereafter; but if one has neither cloth, silk, nor blanket, what does he have to renounce?
वासनामात्रसारत्वाद् अज्ञस्य सफलाः क्रियाः । सर्वा एवाफला ज्ञस्य वासनामात्रसङ्क्षयात्
Because the ignorant are sustained only by latent tendencies, their actions bear fruit; but for the knower, all actions are fruitless, for his tendencies are entirely destroyed.
सर्वा हि वासनाभावे प्रयान्त्य् अफलतां क्रियाः । सुशुभाः फलवत्यो ऽपि सेकाभावे लता इव
All actions, when devoid of latent tendencies, become fruitless—even the most auspicious and fruitful ones, like vines without water.
ऋत्वन्तरे यथा याति विलयं पूर्वम् आर्तवम् । तथैव वासनानाशे नाशम् एति क्रियाफलम्
Just as, with the change of season, the previous season's flowers wither away, so too, when latent tendencies are destroyed, the fruits of actions perish.
न स्वभावेन फलति यथा शरलता फलम् । क्रिया निर्वासनामुत्र फलं फलति नो तथा
Just as a tree does not bear fruit by its nature alone, so too, action without latent tendencies does not yield results in this world.
सयक्षवासनो बालो यक्षं पश्यति नान्यथा । सदुःखवासनो मूढो दुःखं पश्यति नान्यथा
A child with a tendency toward spirits sees a spirit, not otherwise; one deluded by a tendency toward suffering sees only suffering, not otherwise.
आकारभासुराप्य् उच्चैर् न ददाति फलं क्रिया । शुभाशुभा च तज्ज्ञस्य फुल्ला शरलता यथा
Even if an action appears splendid in form, it does not bear fruit; whether good or bad, to one who knows the truth, it is like a blossoming tree that bears no fruit.
वासना चेह नास्त्य् एव स्वाहङ्कारादिरुपिणी । असत्यैवोदिता मौर्ख्यान् मरुभूमाव् इवाम्बुधीः
Here, latent tendencies, which take the form of ego and the like, do not truly exist; they arise falsely from ignorance, like oceans appearing in a desert.
यस्य मौर्ख्यं क्षयं यातं सर्वं ब्रह्मेति भावनात् । नोदेति वासना तस्य प्राज्ञस्येवाम्बुधीर् मरौ
For one whose ignorance has been destroyed by the contemplation that all is Brahman, no latent tendency arises—just as, for the wise, oceans do not arise in the desert.
वासनामात्रसन्त्यागाज् जरामरणवर्जितम् । पदं प्राप्नोति जीवो ऽन्तर् भूयोजन्मविवर्जितम्
By the mere abandonment of latent tendencies, the soul attains a state free from old age and death, and within, reaches a condition beyond further birth.
सवासनं मनो ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं निर्वासनं मनः । ज्ञानेन ज्ञेयताम् एत्य पुनर् जीवो न जायते
The mind with latent impressions is knowledge; the mind without impressions is the knowable. When the knowable is attained by knowledge, the individual soul is not born again.
ज्ञानम् एव परं श्रेय इति ब्रह्मादयो ऽपि ते । प्राहुर् महान्तो राजर्षे त्वं किम् अज्ञानवान् स्थितः
Even Brahma and the great ones have declared that knowledge alone is the highest good. O royal sage, why do you remain as if ignorant?
इतः कमण्डलुर् इतो दण्डकाष्ठम् इतो बृसी । इत्य् अनर्थविलासे ऽस्मिन् रमसे किं महीपते
Here is the water pot, there is the staff, and there is the mat—why do you delight, O king, in such meaningless diversions?
को ऽहं कथम् इदं जातं कथं शाम्यति चेति भोः । राजन् नावेक्षसे कस्मात् किम् अज्ञ इव तिष्ठसि
Who am I? How did this arise? How does it subside? O king, why do you not inquire into this? Why do you stand as if ignorant?
कथं बन्धः कथं मोक्ष इति प्रश्नान् उदाहरन् । परावरविदां पादान् कस्माद् अङ्ग न सेवसे
Why, O dear one, do you not serve the feet of those who know the higher and lower truths, asking questions such as: How is bondage? How is liberation?
दुस्स्पन्दसंविदा शैलकोटरे क्रिययानया । जीवितं क्षपयन् किं त्वं शिलाकीटवद् आस्थितः
Why do you, dull in understanding, waste your life in a mountain cave with such actions, remaining like a rock-insect?