उत्सङ्गे वत्स तिष्ठेति वदत्य् अथ महीपतौ । भूमौ परिजनास्तीर्णे सो ऽंशुके ऽथ न्यविक्षत
Then, as the king said, 'Sit on my lap, child,' he instead spread out a cloth on the ground, covered by attendants, and seated him there.
पुत्र प्राप्तविवेकस् त्वं कल्याणानां च भाजनम् । जनवज् जीर्णया बुद्ध्या खेदायात्मा न दीयते
Son, you have attained discernment and are a vessel of virtues; with a mind matured like that of the wise, you do not let yourself be afflicted by sorrow.
वृद्धविप्रगुरुप्रोक्तं त्वादृशेनानुतिष्ठता । पदम् आसाद्यते पुण्यं न मोहम् अनुधावता
By following the teachings spoken by elders, sages, and teachers, one attains a blessed state, not by pursuing delusion.
तावद् एवापदो दूरे तिष्ठन्ति परिपेलवाः । यावद् एव न मोहस्य प्रसरः पुत्र दीयते
Calamities, though formidable, remain distant, my son, as long as the mind does not yield to the spread of delusion.
राजपुत्र महाबाहो शूरस् त्वं विजितास् त्वया । दुरुच्छेदा दुरारम्भा अप्य् अमी विषयारयः
Prince, mighty-armed one, you are a hero; by you these enemies—sense-objects—difficult to cut off and hard to overcome, have been conquered.
किम् अतज्ज्ञ इवाज्ञानां योग्ये वा मोहसागरे । विनिमज्जसि कल्लोलगहने जाड्यशालिनि
Why, as if ignorant, do you sink into the ocean of delusion, full of dense waves and sluggishness, though you are fit for knowledge?
चलन्नीलोत्पलव्यूहसमलोचन लोलताम् । ब्रूहि चेतःकृतां त्यक्त्वा हेतुना केन मुह्यसि
With eyes like moving clusters of blue lotuses, tell me, having abandoned the cause created by the mind, by what reason are you bewildered?
किंनिष्ठाः कियता केन कियन्तः कारणेन ते । आधयो नु विलुम्पन्ति मनो गेहम् इवाखवः
On what are your sorrows based, how many are they, by whom, and for what reason do they assail your mind like thieves plundering a house?
मन्ये नानुचितानां त्वम् आधीनां पदम् उत्तमः । आपत्सु चाप्तो यो धीरो निर्जितास् तेन चाधयः
I consider you to be the highest refuge for those troubled by afflictions; for when a steadfast person is attained in adversity, those afflictions are conquered.
यथाभिमतम् आशु त्वं ब्रूहि प्राप्स्यसि चानघम् । सर्वम् एव पुनर् येन तव भेत्स्यन्ति नाधयः
Speak swiftly whatever you desire, O sinless one, and you shall obtain it; by that, all your afflictions will again be shattered.
इत्य् उत्तमस्य स मुने रघुवंशकेतुर् आकर्ण्य वाक्यम् उचितार्थविलासगर्भम् । तत्याज खेदम् अभिगर्जति वारिवाहे बर्ही यथाभ्यनुमिताभिमतार्थसिद्धिः
Hearing these words of the sage—full of appropriate meaning and noble intent—the scion of Raghu’s line cast off his distress, like a peacock roars joyfully at the approach of rain, assured of the fulfillment of his cherished aim.
इति पृष्टो मुनीन्द्रेण समाश्वास्य च राघवः । उवाच वचनं चारु धीरपूर्णार्थमन्थरम्
Thus questioned by the chief of sages and reassured, Rāghava spoke gentle words, measured and filled with steadfast meaning.
भगवन् भवता पृष्टो यथावद् अधुना किल । कथयाम्य् अहम् अज्ञो ऽपि को लङ्घयति सद्वचः
Revered one, since you have now asked, I shall speak as best I can, though ignorant; for who would disregard the words of the virtuous?
अहं तावद् अयं जातो निजे ऽस्मिन् पितृसद्मनि । क्रमेण वृद्धिं सम्प्राप्तः प्राप्तविद्यश् च संस्थितः
I was born here in my father’s house, gradually attained growth, and, having acquired knowledge, am now established.
ततस् सदाचारपरो भूत्वाहं मुनिनायक । विहृतस् तीर्थयात्रार्थम् उर्वीम् अम्बुधिमेखलाम्
Then, devoted to good conduct, O leader of sages, I traveled over the earth girdled by the ocean, undertaking pilgrimages.
एतावताथ कालेन संसारास्थाम् इमां मम । स्वविवेको जहारान्तर् ओघस् तटलताम् इव
After this period, my own discernment swept away my attachment to worldly existence, just as a flood erodes the riverbank.
विवेकेन परीतात्मा तेनाहं तदनु स्वयम् । भोगनीरसया बुद्ध्या प्रविचारितवान् इदम्
My mind, filled with discernment, then reflected on this with an intellect that had lost all taste for enjoyment.
किं नामेदं वत सुखं यो ऽयं संसारसंसृतिः । जायते मृतये लोको म्रियते जननाय च
What is this so-called happiness, truly, in this cycle of worldly existence? People are born only to die, and die only to be born again.
स्वस्थितास् सर्व एवेमे सचराचरचेष्टिताः । आपदां पतयः पापा भावा विभवभूमयः
All these moving and unmoving activities remain in their own state; the lords of calamities, sinful thoughts, and the sources of prosperity all abide in their respective domains.
अयश्शलाकासदृशाः परस्परम् असङ्गिनः । श्लिष्यन्ते केवलं भावा मनःकल्पनया स्वया
Like sticks of dishonor, mutually unconnected, thoughts come together only through the mind’s own imagination.
मनस्समायत्तम् इदं जगद् आभोगि दृश्यते । मनश् चासद् इहाभाति केन स्मः परिमोहिताः
This world, dependent on the mind, appears as an object of enjoyment; yet the mind itself here seems unreal—by what are we so thoroughly deluded?
असतैव वयं कष्टं विक्रीता मूढबुद्धयः । मृगतृष्णाम्भसा दूरे वने मुग्धमृगा इव
Alas, we are truly wretched, sold into unreality with deluded minds, like bewildered deer wandering in a distant forest, chasing the water of a mirage.
न केनचिच् च विक्रीता विक्रीता इव संस्थिताः । वत मूढा वयं सर्वे जानाना अपि शम्बरम्
We have not been sold by anyone, yet we stand as if sold; indeed, we are all deluded, even though we know the truth.
किम् एतेषु प्रपञ्चेषु भोगा नाम सुदुर्भगाः । मुधैव हि वयं मोहात् संस्थिता बद्धभावनाः
Are these so-called enjoyments in the world truly so rare? In vain, out of delusion, we remain bound by our own fixed notions.
अज्ञाते बहुकालेन व्यर्थ एव वयं घने । मोहे निपतिता मुग्धाश् श्वभ्रे मुग्धमृगा इव
Unknowing for a long time, we have wasted our lives, fallen into deep delusion, bewildered like innocent animals trapped in a pit.
किं मे राज्येन किं भोगैः को ऽहं किम् इदम् आगतम् । यन् मिथ्यैवास्तु तन् मिथ्या कस्य नाम किम् आगतम्
What use is kingship to me, what use are pleasures? Who am I, and what is all this that has come to be? Let whatever is false remain false—who indeed has truly gained anything?
एवं विमृशतो ब्रह्मन् सर्वेष्व् एव ततो मम । भावेष्व् अरतिर् आयाता पथिकस्य मरुष्व् इव
Thinking in this way, O Brahman, I have lost all interest in every state of being, just as a traveler loses desire for deserts.
तद् एतद् भगवन् ब्रूहि किम् इदं परिनश्यति । किम् इदं जायते भूयः किम् इदं परिवर्धते
Therefore, venerable one, tell me: what is it that perishes, what is it that is born again, and what is it that grows and changes?
जरामरणम् आपच् च जननं सम्पदस् तथा । आविर्भावतिरोभावैर् विवर्तन्ते पुनः पुनः
Old age, death, birth, and also prosperity—all these revolve again and again through appearances and disappearances.
भावैस् तैर् एव तैर् एव तुच्छैर् वयम् इमे किल । पश्य जर्जरतां नीता वातैर् इव गिरिद्रुमाः
By these fleeting states, we and others are worn down—see how we are brought to decay, like mountain trees battered by the wind.