शिखिध्वजदृशाम् अन्ते व्योम्नि कुम्भवपुर् जहौ । सानावर्तेव वारिश्रीर् मुग्धा स्वं रूपम् आययौ
At the end of Shikhidhvaja's gaze, Kumbha's form vanished in the sky, like the beauty of water slipping from a mountain slope, and his own true form appeared.
प्राप मञ्जरिताकारकल्पवृक्षोपमं पुरम् । स्फुरत्पताकम् आत्मीयं स्वर्गरम्यं दिवः पथा
He reached his own city, splendid with banners, delightful as heaven, resembling a wish-fulfilling tree adorned with flower clusters, by the path of the sky.
अन्तःपुरम् अदृश्यैव विवेश ललनाकुलम् । मधुमासमहालक्ष्मीर् लसल्लतम् इव द्रुमम्
He entered the inner palace unseen, crowded with women, like the great goddess of spring entering a blossoming tree.
राजकार्याण्य् अशेषाणि तत्र सम्पाद्य सत्वरम् । शिखिध्वजवनं गन्तुं पुनर् आपुप्लुवे नभः
There, he swiftly accomplished all royal duties, and then soared again into the sky to return to Shikhidhvaja's forest.
उल्लङ्घ्य गगनाध्वानं समं दिनकरांशुभिः । शिखिध्वजवनं शैले ददर्श गगने स्थिता
Surpassing the path of the sky, alongside the rays of the sun, she beheld the peacock-bannered hermitage on the mountain, standing in the sky.
तं दृष्ट्वा कुम्भरूपं तत् पुनर् जग्राह सत्वरम् । शिखिध्वजस्य पुरतः पपात च खपुष्पवत्
Seeing that form of Kumbha, she swiftly regained it, and, like a flower falling from the sky, descended before Śikhidhvaja.
तत्र म्लानद्युति मुखं चकाराखिन्नमानसम् । इन्दुं सनीहारम् इव यामा खिन्नम् इवाम्बुजम्
There, her face became pale and its radiance faded, her mind weary—like the moon with its halo dimmed, or a lotus exhausted at night.
तं दृष्ट्वा तादृगाकारं समुत्तस्थौ शिखिध्वजः । बभूव खिन्नचेताश् च समुवाचेदम् आदृतः
Seeing him in such a state, Śikhidhvaja rose up, his heart troubled, and respectfully spoke these words:
देवपुत्र नमस् ते ऽस्तु विमना इव लक्ष्यसे । कुम्भस् त्वं त्यज संरम्भम् इदम् आसनम् आस्यताम्
Salutations to you, divine youth; you appear as if disheartened. Kumbha, abandon your agitation and please take this seat.
सन्तो विदितवेद्या ये ते हि हर्षविषादजाम् । नाश्रयन्ति स्थितिं स्वस्थाः पद्मा इव जलार्द्रताम्
Those who truly know what is to be known do not remain affected by joy or sorrow; they are at ease, like lotuses untouched by water.
तेन स्मोपविशेत्य् उक्ते कुम्भ आहासने विशन् । गिरा विषण्णया शीर्णवंशस्वनसमानया
When he said, 'Please be seated,' Kumbha sat down, his voice dejected, resembling the sound of a broken bamboo flute.
यावद्देहम् अवस्थासु समचित्ततयैव ये । कर्मेन्द्रियैर् न तिष्ठन्ति न ते तत्त्वधियश् शठाः
Those who, in all conditions, remain even-minded and do not act through the organs of action—such knowers of truth are not hypocrites.
ये ह्य् अतत्त्वविदो मूढा राजन् बालतयैव ते । अवस्थाभ्यः पलायन्ते गृहीताभ्यस् स्वभावतः
O King, those who are ignorant of the truth, being deluded like children, flee from circumstances that arise, though these are naturally bound to them.
यावत्तिलं यथा तैलं यावद्देहं दशा तथा । यो न देहदशाम् एति स च्छिनत्त्य् असिनाम्बरम्
Just as oil remains in sesame seeds, so long does the state of the body persist; one who does not attain the state beyond the body severs only the covering, like cutting a garment with a sword.
एष देहदशादुःखपरिहारो ह्य् अनुत्तमः । यत् साम्यं चेतसो योगान् न तु कर्मेन्द्रियस्थितेः
The supreme relief from the suffering of bodily conditions is the equanimity of the mind through yoga, not merely the restraint of the organs of action.
यावद्देहं यथाचारं दशास्व् अङ्ग विजानता । कर्मेन्द्रियैर् हि स्थातव्यं न तु बुद्धीन्द्रियैः क्वचित्
O dear one, as long as the body endures and according to its ways, one should act with the organs of action, but never with the organs of knowledge in any circumstance.
परमेष्ठिप्रभृतयस् सर्व एवोदिताशयाः । देहावस्थासु तिष्ठन्ति नियतेर् एष निश्चयः
All, from Brahma downwards, remain in bodily states according to their destined intentions; this is the certainty of fate.
अज्ञतत्त्वज्ञभूतादि दृश्यजातम् इदं हि यत् । तत् सर्वम् एव नियतिं धावत्य् अम्बु यथाम्बुधिम्
Indeed, all this—ignorant, wise, animate, and inanimate, whatever is seen—moves according to destiny, just as water flows toward the ocean.
तज्ज्ञा बुद्ध्यादिसाम्येन पाण्यादिचलनेन च । नियतिं यापयन्तीमां यावद्देहम् अखण्डिताः
Those who know that, by the evenness of intellect and the movement of hands and so on, maintain destiny unbroken as long as the body lasts.
अज्ञास् तु सर्वक्षोभेण सुखदुःखदशाहताः । नियतिं यापयन्त्य् अङ्ग देहलक्षैर् विखण्डिताः
But the ignorant, agitated by all disturbances and struck by pleasure and pain, live out their destiny, O dear one, with bodies fragmented by countless afflictions.
इत्थं सुखेषु ननु दुःखदशासु चेत्थं स्थातव्यम् इत्य् अधिगतं यद् इहाङ्ग जीवैः । तज्ज्ञाज्ञभूतनिचयस् स्फुरितस् तद् एव दुर्लङ्घ्य एष नियतो नियतेर् विलासः
O dear one, whatever understanding living beings have gained here—that in happiness or in suffering, one must remain thus—this is the manifestation of knowledge and ignorance together. This alone is insurmountable; it is the inevitable play of destiny.
एवं स्थिते महाभाग कथम् उद्वेगम् ईदृशम् । लब्धवान् असि देवो ऽपि स्वर्गाद् अपि सुखास्पदात्
In this situation, O noble one, how is it that you, even as a god, have come to experience such agitation, though you possess happiness greater than that of heaven?
शृणु कार्यम् इदं चित्रं मदीयं वसुधाधिप । कथयामि तवाशेषं स्वर्गे यद् वृत्तम् अद्य मे
Listen, lord of the earth, to this remarkable event of mine; I will tell you everything that happened to me today in heaven.
सुहृद्य् आवेदितं दुःखं परम् आयाति तानवम् । घनं जडं कृष्णम् अपि मुक्तवृष्टिर् इवाम्बुदः
When a friend confides his sorrow, its intensity gradually lessens, just as a dense, dark, heavy cloud is lightened by releasing its rain.
सुहृदा पृच्छता साधु चेतो याति प्रसन्नताम् । स्निह्यतोपगतेनाशु कतकेन जलं यथा
When a friend kindly inquires, the mind quickly becomes clear, just as water is purified at once by the addition of kataka nut.
अहं तावद् इतो यातो भवते पुष्पमञ्जरीम् । दत्त्वा गगनम् उल्लङ्घ्य सम्प्राप्तश् च त्रिविष्टपम्
I, for my part, after giving you a cluster of flowers, departed from here, crossed the sky, and reached heaven.
तत्र पित्रा सहेन्द्रस्य सभास्थाने यथाक्रमम् । स्थित्वोत्थाय तथोत्थानकाले पित्रा विसर्जितः
There, in the assembly hall of Indra, I stood with my father according to custom; then, at the proper time for rising, my father dismissed me.
इहागन्तुम् अहं स्वर्गं त्यक्त्वा सम्प्राप्तवान् नभः । दिवाकरहयैस् सार्धं वहाम्य् अनिलवर्त्मनि
Leaving heaven, I came here, traveling through the sky along the path of the wind, together with the rays of the sun.
अथैकत्र गतो भानुर् एकेनान्येन वर्त्मना । आगच्छाम्य् अहम् आकाशसागरात् पतिताकृतिः
Then, having gone to one place, the sun by one path and I by another, I came, appearing as if fallen from the ocean of the sky.
अथाग्रे वारिपूर्णानां मेघानां मध्यवर्त्मना । अपश्यं मुनिम् आयान्तम् अहं दुर्वाससं जवात्
Then, proceeding through the midst of clouds filled with water, I saw the sage Durvasa swiftly approaching.