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.
इत्य् उक्त्वा स समुत्तस्थाव् अविक्षुब्धमनाश् शमी । विष्टराद् अवदातात्मा शृङ्गाद् इव शरद्घनः
Having spoken thus, he rose up with a mind undisturbed, tranquil; from his seat, his pure self shone forth like a cloud in autumn from a mountain peak.
कुम्भस् त्व् आलोकयन्न् एव तत्क्रियां संस्थितस् समाम् । आसने लोककार्येषु स्वे स्यन्दन इवांशुमान्
Kumbha, simply observing that act, remained steady in his seat, engaged in worldly duties like the sun in his chariot.
यत् करोति करोत्व् एतद् अस्यैतत् पावनं परम् । इति तूष्णीं स्थितः कुम्भश् शिखिध्वजम् अवैक्षत
Let him do whatever he does, for this is his supreme purification; thus, Kumbha stood silently, watching Śikhidhvaja.
शिखिध्वजस् तु तत् सर्वं भाण्डोपस्करम् आश्रमात् । एकत्रैवानयाम् आस भुवो वार्य् अब्धिभूर् इव
Śikhidhvaja gathered all the vessels and implements from the hermitage together in one place, as the ocean brings water to the earth.
तत् संस्थाप्येन्धनैश् शुष्कैर् ज्वलयाम् आस पावकम् । करसञ्चारवान् अर्कस् सूर्यकान्ततटं यथा
He arranged dry fuel and kindled the fire, moving his hands like the sun’s rays touching the edge of a crystal.
भाण्डोपस्करजातं तद् अग्नौ त्यक्तुं विवेश सः । बृसिकायां जगद् दग्धुं मेरुशृङ्गे यथा रविः
He entered the fire to cast away all the vessels and implements, as the sun on Mount Meru would burn the world in a blade of grass.
एतावन्तं मया कालं वृतो यत् त्वं व्रतिप्रिय । अजातबुद्धिभेदेन तेनैवानृण्यम् अस्तु ते
For all this time, O lover of vows, you have been kept by me, with an undivided mind; by this, may you be free from any obligation.
भ्रान्तौ तु विनिवर्तिन्यां नाधुनोपकरोषि मे । देवपुत्रप्रसादेन दण्डकाष्ठ नमो ऽस्तु ते
But now, as delusion has been dispelled, you no longer serve me; by the grace of the divine child, O staff of vows, salutations to you.
इत्य् उक्त्वा वैणवं दण्डं चिक्षेपाग्नौ शिखिध्वजः । गाङ्गं प्रवाहम् आदीर्घं वडवाग्नाव् इवार्णवः
Having spoken thus, Śikhidhvaja cast the Vaiṣṇava staff into the fire, as the ocean pours the long-flowing Ganges into the submarine fire.
प्रसङ्ख्यातान्य् असङ्ख्यानि जन्मानीव त्वया मया । सखि मन्त्रपदान्य् अद्य याहि नोपकरोषि मे
Countless mantra-words have been recited by you and me, like innumerable births, O friend; now go, you no longer serve me.