अन्य आधारतां धत्ते पर आधेयताम् अपि । प्रयच्छत्य् आर्तवम् ऋतुकालश् चेद् ऋतुतां वहन्
One becomes the support, another the supported; just as the season of fertility bestows its own nature when the proper time arrives.
एवं क्रमे विकसिते वस्तुसत्तानियामके । नियतिस् स्थिरताम् एति स्वयं निम्ने यथा पयः
In this way, when manifestation unfolds in sequence, the controller of the existence of things, order itself, attains stability, just as water naturally flows downward.
वेदा इत्य् एव नियतेस् ततस् ते नाम तद्गताः । भावयन्त्य् अर्थरूपेण नियन्त्रितजगत्स्थितेः
That order is called 'the Vedas'; thus, those Vedas, bearing that name, sustain the world in the form of meaning, regulating its existence.
जगत्स्थितेर् अथाकल्पं ज्ञानायापि च सिद्धये । स्थैर्याय चाशु नियतिं ते वेदा इति कल्पिताम्
For the sake of the world's stability, for the attainment of knowledge, and for firmness, that order is swiftly conceived as 'the Vedas.'
शब्दराशिमयीं कृत्वा ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः । धारयन्ति चिरारूढां हृद्य् अर्थगणनाम् इव
Having made a mass of words, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others sustain it, firmly established in the heart, just as one maintains a reckoning of meanings.
तस्या वेदाभिधानायास् स्थितेर् अवयवा इमे । पिण्डदानादयस् तेन सैव रूढिम् उपागता
These are the components of the state called 'Veda'; rites such as funeral offerings are its limbs, and thus it has attained its established form.
भावितास् ते यथाभावं फलन्ति मनसि स्थिताः । पक्षीवाण्डरसाच् चित्त्वात् कालेनोद्यन्ति सन्ति च
When cultivated, they yield results according to their nature, remaining in the mind; like eggs in a bird's nest, thoughts arise and exist in due time.
श्रुतिस्मृत्यर्थभावात्मा मृतो भावितम् अग्रगम् । सर्वं पश्यति सद्रूपं तच् च तस्य फलप्रदम्
One whose mind is shaped by the essence of scripture and memory, upon death, perceives all in its true form, and that brings him its proper result.
श्रुतिस्मृतिगतिर् येन न मनाग् अपि भाविता । स मृतो मोहम् आयाति घनम् आत्मज्ञतां विना
He whose mind has not been shaped, even slightly, by scripture or memory, upon death, falls into deep delusion, lacking self-knowledge.
मनाग् अपि च सा येन भाविता स मृतḫ पुमान् । तावन्मात्रफलं भुक्त्वा पुनर्जन्मनि जायते
But if even a little has been cultivated, then upon death, a person enjoys only that limited result, and is born again in a future life.
श्रुतिस्मृतिगतिर् येन भाविता वा न भाविता । भाविता चात्मसत्तासौ मुक्त एव न संशयः
Whether the mind has been shaped by scripture and memory or not, if it has been shaped by the essence of the self, he is liberated, without doubt.
यच् चित्तभूमौ पतितं बीजम् आशु मनाग् अपि । तद् अवश्यं हि कालेन फलत्य् अविकलं फलम्
Whatever seed falls, even slightly, upon the ground of the mind, will certainly, in time, yield its full and undiminished fruit.
पिण्डादिदानस्य फलानि लोके श्रुत्वा मृतस् सन् पुरुषḫ पुरस्तात् । प्राप्नोति तान्य् अन्तर् अवश्यम् एव भुङ्क्ते यथाभावितम् एव चेतः
Having heard of the results of offerings such as food and so on in this world, when a person dies, he certainly attains those results ahead and experiences them according to the disposition of his mind.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीमम् इतिहासं पुरातनम् । संवादं दैत्यनाथस्य तथा देवगुरोḫ पुरा
Here they recount this ancient story—a dialogue that once took place between the lord of the Daityas and the teacher of the gods.
अतीतषष्ठकल्पस्य पूर्वम् एकादशे मनौ । चतुर्युगे पञ्चदशे त्रेतायां वसुधातले
Long ago, in the eleventh Manu of the past sixth kalpa, during the fifteenth Treta Yuga on earth,
आसिद् दैत्यो बलो नाम साक्षाद् बलम् इवोद्धतम् । लसद्दर्पावदलितदैत्यदानवराक्षसः
There was a Daitya named Bali, who was like strength itself, fierce and proud, having subdued the arrogance of all Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas.
उत्सादिताशेषपुरो भुक्ताशेषजनव्रजः । आक्रान्ताशेषभुवनो जिताशेषसुरेश्वरः
He destroyed all enemy cities, consumed all groups of people, conquered all worlds, and subdued all the lords of the gods.
त्रैलोक्यं तेन निर्जित्य स्वीकृता वासवस्थितिः । क्षुण्णग्रामटिकेवैका देशे ऽराजनि दस्युना
Having conquered the three worlds, he assumed the position of Indra; like a lone bandit in a land without a king, he seized everything.
शक्रस् सपरिवारो ऽस्य भृत्यताम् अनुजग्मिवान् । लोकपालाप्सरस्सिद्धविद्याधरगणैस् सह
Śakra, along with his retinue, became his servant, together with the guardians of the worlds, apsarases, siddhas, and hosts of vidyādharas.
स पालयञ् जगद्राज्यं हृत्वेन्द्रत्वं शचीपतेः । यथावद् अखिलं सम्यगाचारम् अनुतस्थिवान्
Ruling the kingdom of the worlds, having taken Indra’s position from the lord of Śacī, he properly maintained all conduct in every way.
स कदाचित् सभासंस्थẖ कथाप्रस्तावतः क्वचित् । नरमृत्युकथामध्ये गुरुं पप्रच्छ वाक्पतिम्
Once, while seated in an assembly, during a discussion, he asked the eloquent teacher about the topic of human death.
भस्मीभूतस्य शान्तस्य पुनर् आगमनं कुतः । परलोकोपलम्भश् च शरीरेण विना कुतः
How can one who has become ashes and is at peace return again? And how is experience of the other world possible without a body?
मृगतृष्णाम्बुवद् देहो जीवस्य प्रतिभासते । असत्यात्मा स्वसंवित्तेḫ पयसीव तरङ्गकः
The body appears to the living being like a mirage; its essence is unreal in one's own awareness, like a wave in water.
न तत्त्वतो दह्यते ऽसौ जायते न च तत्त्वतः । न तत्त्वतश् च म्रियते दुẖखं चानुभवत्य् अति
It is not truly burned, nor is it truly born; nor does it truly die, yet it experiences intense suffering.
यादृग्भावो भवत्य् एष जीवस् तत् फलम् अश्नुते । नासत्यत्वं न सत्यत्वं किञ्चिद् अस्योपयुज्यते
Whatever disposition arises, the living being experiences its result; neither unreality nor reality is of any use to it.
यया कयाचिद् युक्त्यैव राजन् भावनभावने । विनिवृत्ते क्व जीवत्वं बन्धमोक्षदृशौ क्व च
By whatever reasoning or contemplation, O king, when imagination ceases, where is livingness, and where are the views of bondage and liberation?
सदेहो ऽहं हि जीवामि चिरम् अप्य् उपलभ्य ह । चेतत्य् अहं मृतो ऽस्मीति जीवस् स्वप्न इवावपुः
With a body, I live for a long time, perceiving thus; when dead, I think 'I am dead,' and the living being is like a form in a dream.
पिण्डदानादिना भूयो भावितेनाशु पश्यति । जातो ऽस्मीति ततẖ कर्मभोक्तास्मीति च चेतति
Through offerings like piṇḍa and other rites, quickly, by contemplation, one sees again; then thinks 'I am born,' and 'I am the enjoyer of actions.'
इयं मृतिर् अयं व्याधिर् इदं मरणम् आगतम् । इदं जीवितम् एता मे योनयस् सुखदुẖखदाः
This is death, this is disease, this is the arrival of mortality; this is life—these are the sources for me that bring pleasure and pain.
इत्य् अन्तश् चेतति पुमाञ् जलद्रवविवृत्तिवत् । अभावितं भावितं च स्वचमत्कारजं च तत्
Thus, a person reflects inwardly, as water flows and changes form; whether unformed or formed, it is all born from one's own sense of wonder.