यदा विवेकी पुरुषो भोगान् सन्त्यज्य तिष्ठति । तदा पलायते ऽज्ञानं छिन्नवृक्षपिशाचवत्
When a discerning person stands firm, having abandoned enjoyments, then ignorance flees like a demon from a tree that has been cut down.
भोगौघे नूनम् उन्मुक्ते पतत्य् अज्ञानम् अस्थिति । पादपे क्रकचच्छिन्ने कुलायस् तद्गतो यथा
Surely, when the flood of enjoyments is turned away, ignorance falls, just as a nest falls when the tree it rests on is cut down.
यदा वनं प्रयातस् त्वं तदाज्ञानं क्षतं त्वया । पतितं सन् न विहतं मनस्त्यागमहासिना
When you went to the forest, then ignorance was wounded by you; though fallen, it was not destroyed by the great sword of renunciation of the mind.
तेन भूयस् समुत्थाय स्मृत्वा परिभवः कृतः । तपःप्रपञ्चखाते ऽस्मिन् गहने त्वं नियोजितः
Therefore, rising again and remembering the insult done, you were engaged in this dense thicket of ascetic practice.
तदैवाघातयिष्यस् त्वं यद्य् अज्ञानं यदा पतत् । राज्यत्यागविधौ तत् त्वां नाहनिष्यत् क्षयं गतम्
If, at that very moment, you had destroyed ignorance when it arose, then, at the time of renouncing the kingdom, that ignorance, already perished, would not have harmed you.
यत् खातवलयस् तेन वैरिणा हस्तिनः कृतः । तत् तपोदुःखम् अतुलम् अज्ञानेन तवार्पितम्
That suffering of austerity, which the enemy—the elephant—inflicted with the ring of the pit, was imposed upon you by ignorance, and is incomparable.
यां तस्य राजसामग्रीं गजारेर् आहरन् नृपः । सा त्वदज्ञाननृपतेश् चित्तभूतिर् विसारिणी
The royal wealth that the king brought from the elephant's lair was, in truth, the manifestation of the mind of the king of your ignorance, spreading outward.
त्वं गजेन्द्रस् तपःखाते दीर्घे वनगतो ऽपि सन् । अज्ञानवैरिणा तेन निक्षिप्तस् तरसाचिति
You, though dwelling in the forest for a long time in the pit of austerity like the lord of elephants, were forcefully cast there by that enemy—ignorance.
यत् खातवलयो बाललताभिर् अवगुण्ठितः । आवृतं तत् तपोदुःखम् ईषत्सज्जनवृत्तिभिः
That suffering of austerity, veiled by the tender creepers of childhood, was slightly covered by the conduct of good people.
इत्य् अद्यापि तपःखाते दुःखे ह्य् अस्मिन् सुदारुणे । स्थितो ऽसि पातालतले नृप बद्धो यथा बडिः
Thus, even now, you remain in this pit of austerity, in this exceedingly harsh suffering, O king, bound at the nethermost level like a fish on a hook.
गजस् त्वम् आशा निगडानि वैरी मोहो निखातः पुनर् उग्रबन्धः । महीतलं विन्ध्य उदन्त इत्थं त्वदीय उक्तः कुरु यत् करोषि
You are the elephant; hope is the chain; the enemy is delusion; the pit is a fierce bondage; the earth is the Vindhya mountain—thus your story has been told. Do as you will.
यद् उक्तं नयशालिन्या तया विदितवेद्यया । तदा चूडालया ज्ञानं तत् कस्मान् नोररीकृतम्
That knowledge which was spoken by her, Cūḍālā, skilled in discernment and knowing what is to be known—why was it not embraced at that time?
सा हि तत्त्वविदां मुख्या यद् यद् वक्ति करोति च । तत् सर्वं सत्यम् एवाङ्ग तद् अनुष्ठेयम् आदरात्
She is indeed foremost among those who know the truth; whatever she speaks or does, O dear one, all of it is truly so and should be followed with reverence.
अथ चेद् वचनं तस्यास् त्वया नानुष्ठितं नृप । तत् स सर्वपरित्यागः कस्मान् न निपुणीकृतः
But if her words have not been carried out by you, O king, then why has this complete renunciation not been made thoroughly?
राज्यं त्यक्तं गृहं त्यक्तं देशस् त्यक्तस् तथाविधः । दारास् त्यक्तास् तथाप्य् अङ्ग सर्वत्यागो न किं कृतः
The kingdom has been abandoned, the home has been abandoned, the land likewise has been abandoned; the wife has been abandoned—yet, O dear one, why has complete renunciation not been accomplished?
धनं दारा गृहं राज्यं भूमिश् छत्त्रं च बान्धवाः । इति सर्वं न ते राजन् सर्वत्यागो ऽत्र कस् तव
Wealth, wife, home, kingdom, land, umbrella, and relatives—all this, O king, is not yours; then what is your complete renunciation here?
तवास्त्य् एवापरित्यक्तस् सर्वस्माद् भाग उत्तमः । तं परित्यज्य निश्शेषं पराम् आयास्य् अशोकताम्
There remains for you, indeed, an unsurpassed portion not yet renounced from everything; by abandoning that completely, you will attain supreme freedom from sorrow.
राज्यं चेन् मम नो सर्वं तत् सर्वं वनम् एव मे । सालवृक्षादिगुल्माढ्यं तद् अप्य् एतत् त्यजाम्य् अहम्
If the kingdom is not all mine, then all this forest is mine; filled with sal trees and other thickets—this too I now abandon.
इति राम वदन्न् एव कुम्भवाक्यप्रचोदितः । निमेषान्तरमात्रेण वशी वीरश् शिखिध्वजः
Thus, as Rama spoke, prompted by Kumbha’s words, the self-controlled and heroic Sikhidhvaja, in but a moment’s time—
प्रममार्ज वनास्थां तां हृदस् सुदृढनिश्चयः । प्रावृड्वातस् तटगतां रजोरेखाम् इवात्मनः
With firm resolve in his heart, he wiped away his attachment to forest-dwelling, as the monsoon wind erases a line of dust on the riverbank.
सवृक्षादिवनश्वभ्राद् विपिनाद् अपि वासना । परित्यक्ता मया नूनं सर्वत्यागस् स्थितो मम
Indeed, I have abandoned all desires even for forests with trees, caves, and wilderness; I have established myself in complete renunciation.
अद्रेस् तटवनं श्वभ्रं सलिलं पादपास् स्थलम् । इत्यादि तव नो सर्वं सर्वत्यागः कथं तव
The mountain, the forest on its slopes, the cave, the water, the ground beneath the trees—if all this remains for you, how can you claim complete renunciation?
तवास्त्य् एवापरित्यक्तस् सर्वस्माद् भाग उत्तमः । तं परित्यज्य निश्शेषं पराम् आयास्य् अशोकताम्
There still remains for you an excellent portion that has not been renounced; by abandoning that entirely, you will attain supreme, sorrowless peace.
एतच् चेन् मम नो सर्वं तत् सर्वं स्वाश्रमो मुने । वापीस्थलोटजयुतस् तम् एवाशु त्यजाम्य् अहम्
If, O sage, all this is not mine, then my hermitage—together with its well, ground, and hut—I shall at once abandon that as well.
इति राम वदन्न् एव कुम्भवाक्यप्रचोदितः । निमेषध्यानमात्रेण वशी वीरश् शिखिध्वजः
Thus speaking to Rama, prompted by Kumbha’s words, the self-controlled and heroic Shikhidhvaja, in the span of a single meditative blink,
प्रममार्जाश्रमास्थां तां संविदा शुद्धया हृदि । स्फुरन्तीं स्फुरणेनैव रजोरेखाम् इवानिलः
With pure awareness in his heart, he swept away his attachment to the hermitage, as the wind erases a line of dust by its mere movement.
सवृक्षोटजवीरुत्काद् वासना स्वाश्रमाद् अपि । परित्यक्ता मया नूनं सर्वत्यागस् स्थितो मम
Indeed, I have abandoned all desires for trees, huts, creepers, and even my own hermitage; I have established myself in complete renunciation.
वृक्षो वापी स्थलं गुल्म उटजं व्रततीवृतिः । इति किञ्चिन् न ते सर्वं सर्वत्यागः कुतस् तव
Tree, well, ground, bush, hut, ascetic observance, or any such thing—if any of these remain for you, how can you claim complete renunciation?
तवास्त्य् अन्यो ऽपरित्यक्तस् सर्वस्माद् भाग उत्तमः । तं परित्यज्य निश्शेषं पराम् आयास्य् अशोकताम्
You possess another supreme portion, not yet relinquished from everything; abandon it completely and attain the highest state free from sorrow.
एतच् चेन् मम नो सर्वं तत् सर्वं भाजनादि मे । चर्मकुट्यक्षसूत्रादि तत् तावत् सन्त्यजाम्य् अहम्
If all this is not mine, then all these vessels and such belong to me; leather pouch, rosary, thread and so on—I now renounce them all.