तस्यावच्छिन्नपाशस्य मूर्ध्नि तालतरो रिपुः । पपाताक्रमतस् स्वर्गं हरिर् मेरोर् बडेर् इव
The enemy, whose bonds had been severed, fell from the top of the palm tree, just as Hari fell from Meru or Baḍa, striving for heaven.
स पतन् पादपान् मोहाद् अप्राप्य करिणश् शिरः । पपातोर्ध्व्यां फलं पक्वं वाताहतम् इवाकुलः
As he fell, blinded by delusion, he did not reach the elephant's head, but tumbled down in confusion, like a ripe fruit struck by the wind.
तं पुरः पतितं दृष्ट्वा महेभः करुणां ययौ । स्फुरत्स्फारगुणास् सन्तस् सन्ति तिर्यग्गताव् अपि
Seeing him fallen before him, the great elephant was moved to compassion; for even the noble, whose virtues are abundant, feel pity for those who have fallen low.
पतितं दलयामीति किं नाम मम पौरुषम् । वारणो ऽपीति कलयन् न जघान च तं रिपुम्
He thought, 'What strength is there in crushing one who has already fallen? It is not fitting for me, an elephant, to strike this enemy,' and so he did not kill him.
केवलं निगडव्यूहं विदार्याशु जगाम ह । विततं सेतुम् उत्सार्य विपुलौघ इवाम्भसः
He merely broke through the array of chains and swiftly departed, scattering the broad barrier like a mighty flood dispersing a dam.
तम् अनादृत्य मातङ्गो भङ्क्त्वा जालं जवाद् ययौ । विदार्य मेघसङ्घातं नभसीव दिवाकरः
Disregarding him, the elephant broke the net and hurried away, parting the mass of clouds in the sky like the sun.
गते गजे समुत्तस्थौ हस्तिपस् स्वस्थदेहधीः । गजेनैव समं तस्य व्यथा दूरतरं गता
When the elephant had gone, the mahout rose up, his body and mind restored; with the elephant's departure, his pain too had gone far away.
प्रोत्तालतालविटपात् स तथा पतितो ऽपि सन् । न भेदम् आप दुर्भेदा मन्ये देहा दुरात्मनाम्
Though he had fallen from the tall palm tree, he suffered no injury; I think the bodies of the wicked are indeed hard to break.
वर्धते प्रावृषीवाब्दः कुकार्येष्व् असतां बलम् । अतीवासीत् समुत्साही स गजाक्रमणे तदा
Just as the river swells in the rainy season, so does the strength of the wicked increase in wrongful deeds; at that time, he was exceedingly eager to attack the elephant.
वारणारिर् असिंहो ऽसौ गतेभो दुःखम् आययौ । आगत्योपगते ऽन्तर्धिं निधान इव निर्धनः
That enemy of the elephant, the lion, became distressed when the elephant departed; coming and finding him gone, he vanished like a poor man at an empty treasury.
सो ऽन्वियेष गजं यत्नाद् गुल्मकान्तरितं वने । पयोदपिहितं भोक्तुं राहुर् इन्दुम् इवाम्बरे
He searched diligently for the elephant, hidden among the thickets in the forest, just as Rāhu seeks to devour the moon concealed by clouds in the sky.
चिरेणालभतेभेन्द्रं कस्मिंश्चित् कानने स्थितम् । विश्राम्यन्तं तरुतले समराद् इव निर्गतम्
After a long time, he found the lord of elephants resting beneath a tree in some part of the forest, as if withdrawn from battle.
अथ यत्र स्थितो नागस् तत्र तद्बन्धनक्षमम् । परया राजसामग्र्या गजलम्पटरूपया
Then, at the place where the elephant stood, he prepared a suitable trap with supreme royal skill, taking on the form of one greedy for elephants.
स खातवलयं चक्रे हस्तिपः कानने नवम् । सर्वदिक्कं विधिर् भूमौ समुद्रवलयं यथा
In the forest, the hunter made a new pit encircled by a trench, arranging it all around on the ground like the encircling ocean.
उपर्य् अस्थगयज् जीर्णलतौघेन स तं शठः । शून्यं तन्वभ्रजालेन शरत्काल इवाम्बरम्
Above, that cunning one covered it with a mass of withered creepers, making it appear empty with a thin web, like the autumn sky.
दिनैः कतिपयैर् एव वारणो विहरन् वने । तस्मिन् निपतितः खाते शुष्काब्धाव् इव पर्वतः
Within just a few days, as the elephant wandered in the forest, he fell into that pit, like a mountain into a dried-up ocean.
व्रजन् सर्पाकृतौ कूपे पातालतलभीषणे । खाते शुष्काब्धिखाताभे गजरत्नसमुद्गके
Proceeding, the elephant fell into a well shaped like a serpent, dreadful as the netherworld, hollowed out like a pit of a dried-up ocean, a casket for elephant-jewels.
इति भूयो दृढं बद्धस् तेन हस्तिपकेन सः । तिष्ठत्य् अद्यापि दुःखेन भूसद्मनि यथा बडिः
Thus, firmly bound again by that elephant-catcher, he remains even now in misery, like a fish on dry land.
अहनिष्यत् पुरैवासौ यद्य् अग्रोपगतं रिपुम् । तन् नालप्स्यत तद् दुःखं गजः खातनिबन्धनम्
Had he destroyed the approaching enemy at the very outset, the elephant would not have suffered that misery of being bound in the pit.
मौर्ख्याद् आगामिनं कालं वर्तमानक्रियाक्रमैः । अशोधयन् नरो दुःखं याति विन्ध्यगजो यथा
Through folly, a man who does not examine the future by means of present actions goes to suffering, like the Vindhya elephant.
मुक्तो ऽस्मि शस्त्रनिगडाद् इति तुष्टो ऽपि वारणः । दूरस्थो ऽपि पुनर् बद्धो मौर्ख्यं क्वेव न बाधते
Even if the elephant, pleased, thinks 'I am freed from the fetter of the weapon,' he is bound again from afar; where does folly not cause trouble?
मौर्ख्यं निबन्धनम् अवैहि परं महात्मन् बन्धो न बन्ध इह चेतसि तद्वियुक्ते । आत्मोदये त्रिजगद् आत्ममयं समस्तम् अश्वे स्थितस्य सहया ननु सर्वभूमिः
Know that folly alone is the true bondage, O great soul; bondage is not bondage here if the mind is free from it. When the self has arisen, the entire three worlds are seen as the Self, just as for one mounted on a horse, the whole land is accessible.
मणिसाधनवन्येभबन्धनाद्य् अमरात्मज । सूचितं सत्कथाजालं पुनर् मे प्रकटीकुरु
O son of the immortal, you have indicated the tale of the jewel, the means, the wild elephant, and the bondage; now make clear to me again this network of noble stories.
वाक्यार्थदृष्टेर् निष्पत्त्या हृद्गृहे चित्तभित्तिषु । शृणुष्व सत्कथाचित्रं चित्रम् उन्मीलयामि ते
From the perspective of the meaning of the words, and their outcome, in the inner house of the heart, on the walls of the mind—listen, I shall unfold for you this wondrous noble tale.
यो ऽसौ शास्त्रार्थकुशलस् तत्त्वज्ञाने त्व् अपण्डितः । रत्नसंसाधने प्रोक्तस् स त्वम् एव महीपते
He who is skilled in the meaning of the scriptures but not learned in the knowledge of truth is said to be engaged in gathering jewels; O King, that is you.
तज्ज्ञो भवसि शास्त्रेषु रविर् मेरुतटेष्व् इव । तत्त्वज्ञाने तु विश्रान्तो न त्वं दृषद् इवाम्बरे
You are an expert in the scriptures, like the sun on the peaks of Meru; but in the knowledge of truth, you do not abide, like a stone in the sky.
विद्धि चिन्तामणिं साधो सर्वत्यागम् अकृत्रिमम् । तम् अन्तं सर्वदुःखानां संसाधयसि शुद्धधीः
Know, O noble one, that the philosopher's stone is the complete and unfeigned renunciation of all; with a pure mind, you attain the end of all suffering.
सर्वत्यागेन शुद्धेन सर्वम् आसाद्यते ऽनघ । सर्वत्यागो हि साम्राज्यं किं चिन्तामणिना भवेत्
By pure renunciation of all, everything is attained, O sinless one; for the sovereignty of complete renunciation—what could the philosopher's stone accomplish?
सिद्धस् स सर्वसन्त्यागस् साधो संसाधितस् तव । खर्वीकुर्वञ् जगद्भूतिं विन्ध्यस्यात्मोदयो यथा
You have accomplished complete renunciation, O noble one, and are perfected; diminishing the grandeur of the world, as the rising of the Vindhya subdues its own height.
सन्त्यक्तं भवता राज्यं सदारधनबान्धवम् । ब्रह्मणेव जगत्सर्गव्यापारस् स्वनिशागमे
You have renounced kingdom, wife, wealth, and kin; just as Brahman, at the end of night, ceases the activity of creating the world.