तत्र कस्मिंश्चिद् एकस्मिन् कोणापवरकोदरे । शैललोष्टतले ऽस्त्य् एको गिरिग्रामकगर्तकः
There, in the hollow of a certain corner, on a mountain stone, there is a small pit belonging to a mountain village.
अस्मिन् नदीशैलवनोपगूढे साग्निस् सदारस् सुतवान् अरोगः । गोक्षीरवान् राजभयाद् विमुक्तः सर्वातिथिर् धर्मपरो द्विजो ऽभूत्
In this place, surrounded by rivers, mountains, and forests, there lived a brahmin, always with his wife and sons, healthy, possessing cows and milk, free from fear of kings, hospitable to all, and devoted to righteousness.
वित्तवेशवयःकर्मविद्याविभवचेष्टितैः । वसिष्ठस्येव सदृशो न तु वासिष्ठचेतनः
In wealth, appearance, age, actions, learning, and grandeur, one may resemble Vasiṣṭha, but not possess the consciousness of Vasiṣṭha.
वसिष्ठ इति नाम्नाभूत् तस्याभूद् इन्दुसुन्दरी । नाम्ना त्व् अरुन्धती भार्या भूमिव्योमन्य् अरुन्धती
He was called Vasiṣṭha by name; his wife was Indusundarī by name, but on earth and in the heavens, she was known as Arundhatī.
वित्तवेशवयःकर्मविद्याविभवचेष्टितैः । समेव साप्य् अरुन्धत्या न तु चेतनसत्तया
In wealth, appearance, age, actions, learning, and grandeur, she too was like Arundhatī, but not in the essence of her consciousness.
अकृत्रिमप्रेमरसा विलासालसगामिनी । सास्य संसारसर्वस्वम् आसीत् कुमुदहासिनी
She moved with the playful grace of unfeigned love, her beauty radiant; she was his entire world, seated like a lotus.
स विप्रस् तस्य शैलस्य सानौ सरसशाद्वले । कदाचिद् उपविष्टस् सन् ददर्शाधो महीपतिम्
Once, that sage sat on the grassy slope of a mountain near a lake, and saw a king below.
समग्रपरिवारेण यान्तम् आखेटकेच्छया । महता सैन्यघोषेण मेरोर् इव बिभित्सया
The king was traveling with his entire retinue, seeking the pleasure of the hunt, with a great clamor of his army, as if intending to conquer Mount Meru.
चामरैः कीर्णचन्द्रांशु पताकाभिर् लतावनम् । कुर्वाणं खं सितच्छत्रमण्डलै रौप्यकुट्टिमम्
With yak-tail fans, moon-bright banners, and garlands of creepers, he made the sky appear as if adorned with a circle of white parasols, like a silver pavement.
अश्वीयाग्निपृषत्पूरपूर्णरेण्वभ्रवर्णवत् । हास्तिकोत्तम्भितकरवाटाट्टालकगोपितम्
The dust raised by horses and the multitude of chariots resembled clouds; the city was hidden by tall mansions and gateways, raised by elephants.
महाकलकलावर्तद्रवद्दिग्भूतमण्डलम् । कचत्काञ्चनमाणिक्यहारकेयूरकुण्डलम्
The region, whirling with great tumult and flowing swiftly in all directions, was adorned with clinking golden and ruby necklaces, armlets, and earrings.
तम् आलोक्य महीपालम् इदं चिन्तितवान् असौ । अहो नु रम्या नृपता सर्वसौभाग्यभासिता
Beholding that king, he thought to himself: 'Ah, how delightful is kingship, resplendent with every kind of good fortune!'
पदातिरथहस्त्यश्वपताकाच्छत्रचामरैः । कदा स्यां दशदिक्कुञ्जपूरको ऽहं महीपतिः
When will I become a king, filling the ten directions with foot soldiers, chariots, elephants, horses, banners, parasols, and fans?
कदा मे वायवः कुन्दमकरन्दसुगन्धयः । पास्यन्त्य् अन्तःपुरस्त्रीणां सुरतश्रमशीकरान्
When will the winds, fragrant with the pollen of jasmine, carry to me the sweat of exhaustion from the amorous play of the women of my inner chambers?
कर्पूरेण पुरन्ध्रीणां कीर्णेन यशसा दिशाम् । इन्दूदयावदातानि कदा कुर्यां मुखान्य् अहम्
When will I make the faces of noble women, sprinkled with camphor and renowned throughout the quarters, as radiant as the rising moon?
इत्थं ततःप्रभृत्य् एव विप्रस् सङ्कल्पवान् अभूत् । स्वधर्मनिरतो नित्यं यावज्जीवम् अतन्द्रितः
From that time onward, the brahmin became filled with such desires, ever devoted to his own duty, diligent throughout his life.
हिमाशनिर् इवाम्भोजं जर्जरीकर्तुम् आदृता । जरा हार्दान्वितेवैनं जवाद् द्विजम् उपाययौ
Just as frost eagerly hastens to wither a lotus, so old age, having entered his heart, swiftly approached the brahmin.
आसन्नमरणस्यात्र भार्या म्लानिम् उपाययौ । तस्य शाम्यति पुष्पर्तौ लतेव ग्रीष्मभीतितः
As his death drew near, his wife became withered, like a creeper whose flowers fade when struck by the heat of summer.
माम् अथाराधितवती सा ततस् त्वम् इवाङ्गना । अमरत्वं सुदुष्प्रापं बुद्ध्वेमं सावृणोद् वरम्
She worshipped me then, O lady, just as you have, and, realizing that immortality is exceedingly hard to attain, she requested this boon from me.
देवि स्वमण्डपाद् एव जीवो भर्तुर् मृतस्य मे । मा यासीद् इत्य् अतस् तस्यास् स एवाङ्गीकृतो मया
From her own pavilion, the goddess asked that the soul of her deceased husband should not depart; thus, I granted her that very wish.
अथ कालवशाद् विप्रस् स पञ्चत्वम् उपाययौ । तस्मिन्न् एव गृहाकाशे जीवाकाशतया स्थितः
Then, by the force of time, that brahmin met his end, yet in that very house-space, he remained as a presence in the space of the soul.
सम्पन्नः प्राक्तनानल्पसङ्कल्पवशतस् स्वयम् । आकाशवपुर् एवोर्वीपतिः परमशक्तिमान्
By the power of his many past intentions, the lord of the earth, possessing supreme might, himself became manifest in a form of space.
प्रभावाज् जितभूपीठः प्रतापाक्रान्तविष्टपः । कृपापालितपातालस् त्रिलोकविजयी नृपः
By his influence, he conquered royal thrones, his might pervaded the worlds, he protected the underworlds with compassion, and as a king, he triumphed over the three worlds.
कालाग्निर् अरिपक्षाणां स्त्रीणां मकरकेतनः । मेरुर् विषयवायूनां साध्वब्जानां दिवाकरः
He was the fire of time to his enemies, the god of love to women, Mount Meru to the winds of sense-objects, and the sun to the lotuses of virtuous women.
आदर्शस् सर्वशास्त्राणाम् अर्थिनां कल्पपादपः । पादपीठं द्विजाग्र्याणां राका धर्मामृतत्विषः
He was a mirror for all the scriptures, a wish-fulfilling tree for those who sought, a footstool for the foremost twice-born, and the full moon to the radiance of the nectar of righteousness.
स्वगृहाभ्यन्तराकाशे चित्ताकाशमयात्मनि । तस्मिन् द्विजे शवीभूते भूताकाशशरीरिणि
Within the inner space of his own house, in the self made of the space of mind, that brahmin, having become a corpse, dwelled as one whose body was made of the space of elements.
सा तस्य ब्राह्मणी भार्या शोकेणात्यन्तकर्षिता । शुष्केव माषशिमिका हृदयेन द्विधागमत्
His wife, the Brahmin lady, was utterly wasted by grief; like a dried-up bean pod, her heart was split in two.
भर्त्रा सह शवीभूता देहम् उत्सृज्य दूरतः । आतिवाहिकदेहेन भर्तारं समुपाययौ
Having become lifeless along with her husband, she abandoned her body at a distance and, with her subtle body, approached her husband.
नदी निखातम् इव तं भर्तारम् अनुसृत्य सा । आजगाम विशोकत्वं सवसन्तेव मञ्जरी
Following her husband, as a river follows its channel, she attained freedom from sorrow, like a cluster of blossoms with the wind.
तत्रास्य विप्रस्य सुता गृहाणि भूस्थावरादीनि घनानि सन्ति । अद्याष्टमं वासरम् आप्तमृत्योर् जीवो गिरिग्रामकमन्दिरस्थः
There, the Brahmin's daughter possesses houses, land, and other wealth; today is the eighth day since her death, and her soul remains in the house in the mountain village.