केन मार्गेण देवेशि यान्त्यौ वै शवमण्डपम् । एनम् एवाशु पशन्त्याव् आवां गच्छाव उत्तमे
By which path, O goddess of the gods, do these two go to the funeral pavilion? Let us quickly observe this very one and proceed to the highest.
मनुष्यवासनान्तस्स्थं मार्गम् आश्रित्य गच्छति । एषो ऽहम् अपरं लोकं दूरं यामीति चिन्मयम्
He proceeds by the path that lies within the residue of human tendencies, thinking, 'I am going to another world, far away,' his mind made of consciousness.
मार्गेणावासनेनैव या वस् तेनैव सम्मतम् । परस्परेच्छा संवित्तिर् न हि सौहार्दबन्धिनी
By whatever path one goes, it is agreed that it is only by one's own latent tendencies; mutual desire and awareness are not truly bonds of affection.
इति विहितकथाशमक्रमायां परमदृशि प्रसृते प्रबोधभानौ । नृपतिवरसुतामनस्य् उदारे विगलितविज् जरढो विदूरथो ऽभूत्
Thus, as the discourse, which brings about the cessation of stories, unfolded and the supreme vision spread forth in the light of awakening, the noble-minded Viduratha, freed from delusion, became as if lifeless before the princess.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे राजा परिवृत्ताक्षितारकः । बभूवैकतनुप्राणस् सद्यश् शुष्कसिताधरः
Meanwhile, the king, with his eyes turned upward, became as if his life had merged into one; at once, his lips turned dry and white.
जीर्णपर्णसवर्णाभः क्षीणपाण्डुमुखच्छविः । भृङ्गकूजितसच्छायाश्वासकूटाविकूणितः
His complexion resembled withered leaves, his face pale and emaciated; his breath, like the hum of bees, came forth unevenly from his chest.
महामरणमूर्छान्धकूपे निपतिताशयः । अन्तर्निलीननिश्शेषनेत्रादीन्द्रियवृत्तिमान्
His intent had fallen into the deep pit of the great swoon of death, with all the activities of his senses—eyes and others—withdrawn completely within.
चित्रन्यस्त इवाकारमात्रदृश्यो विचेतनः । निस्स्पन्दसर्वावयवस् समुत्कीर्ण इवोपले
He appeared like a painted figure, visible only in form, devoid of consciousness, motionless in every limb, as if cast upon a stone.
बहुनात्र किम् उक्तेन तालुदेशेन तं जहौ । प्राणः पिपतिषुं वृक्षं सुपक्षीवान्तरिक्षगः
What more need be said? Through the region of the palate, his life-breath departed, like a well-winged bird leaving a tree for the sky.
तं ते ददृशतुर् बाले दिव्यदृष्टी नभोगतम् । जीवं प्राणमयं संविद्गन्धलेशम् इवानिले
With divine vision, the two maidens saw the vital being—composed of life-breath and awareness—rising into the sky, like a trace of fragrance in the wind.
सा जीवसंविद् गगनवातेनावलिता सती । खे दूरं गन्तुम् आरेभे वासनानुविधायिनी
That living awareness, carried by the wind of space, began to travel far through the sky, following the momentum of its own tendencies.
ताम् एवानुससाराथ स्त्रीद्वयं जीवसंविदम् । भ्रमरीयुगलं वातलग्नां गन्धकलाम् इव
Then those two women followed that living awareness, just as a pair of bees pursue a wisp of fragrance borne on the wind.
ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण शान्ते मरणमूर्छने । साम्बरे बुबुधे संविद् गन्धलेखेव वयुना
After a brief moment, when the swoon of death had subsided, that awareness regained consciousness in the intermediate state, like a streak of scent stirred by the breeze.
अपश्यत् पुरुषान् याम्यान् नीयमानं च तैर् वपुः । बन्धुपिण्डप्रदानेन शरीरं जातम् आत्मनः
He saw the servants of Yama and his own body being carried away by them, while his relatives performed the funeral rites for the body that had belonged to him.
मार्गे कर्मफलोल्लासवति दूरतरे स्थितम् । वैवस्वतपुरं गन्तुं प्रवृत्तम् अनिवारितम्
On the path, where the fruits of actions shine from afar, he set forth, unstoppable, to reach the city of Vaivasvata.
प्राप्तं वैवस्वतपुरम् आदिष्टं च ततो यथा । अस्य कर्माण्य् अशुभ्राणि नैव सन्ति कदाचन
Having reached the city of Vaivasvata, it was then declared: this one never has any impure actions at all.
नित्यम् एवावदातानां कर्तायं शुभकर्मणाम् । भगवत्यास् सरस्वत्या वरेणायं विवर्धितः
He is always the doer of pure deeds; by the boon of the blessed Sarasvati, he has been elevated.
प्राक्तनो ऽस्य शवीभूतो देहो ऽस्ति कुसुमाम्बरः । प्रविशत्व् एष तं गत्वा त्यज्यताम् इत्य् अवेक्ष्य सः
His previous body, now lifeless, lies clothed in flowers; let him enter it, go there, and abandon it—so was he instructed.
ततस् त्यक्तो नभोमार्गं यन्त्रोपल इव प्लुतः । अथ जीवकला लीला ज्ञप्तिश् चेति त्रयं नभः
Then, leaving it, he soared along the sky-path like a machine-propelled stone; and the three—life-force, play, and knowledge—entered the sky.
पुप्लुवे जीवलेखा त्व् अरूपिण्य् एते न पश्यति । तम् एवानुसरन्त्यौ ते समुल्लङ्घ्य नभस्तलम्
The thread of life soared; these two, being formless, are not seen, but they followed him, surpassing the expanse of the sky.
लोकान्तराण्य् अतीत्याथ विनिर्गत्य जगद्गृहात् । द्वितीयं जगद् आसाद्य भूमण्डलम् उपेत्य च
Passing beyond other worlds and departing from the house of the universe, they reached a second world and entered the earth-circle.
कान्ते सङ्कल्परूपिण्यौ सङ्गते जीवलेखया । पद्मराजपुरं प्राप्य लीलान्तःपुरमण्डपम्
There, with the wish-formed beloved united with the thread of life, they reached Padmaraja's city and the inner pavilion of Lila.
क्षणाद् विविशतुस् स्वैरं वायुलेखे यथाम्बुदम् । सूर्यातपो यथाम्भोजं सुगन्धः पवनं यथा
In an instant, they entered freely, as wind enters the sky, as sunlight enters a lotus, as fragrance enters the air.
ब्रह्मन् प्राप्तः कथम् असौ शवस्य निकटं गृहम् । कथं तेन परिज्ञातो मार्गो मृतशरीरिणा
O Brahman, how did he arrive at the house near the corpse? How did he discern the path of the one whose body had died?
तस्य स्ववासनान्तस्स्थम् अवश्यं किल राघव । तत् सर्वं हृद्गतं तस्मान् मासौ प्राप्नोतु तत् कथम्
Raghava, whatever is established within his own tendencies must certainly be there; therefore, all of that resides in the heart—how did he attain it in a month?
भ्रान्तिमात्रम् असङ्ख्येयं जगज्जीवकणोदरे । बीजे वटतरुम् इव स्थितं को वै न पश्यति
This immeasurable confusion exists within the atom of life in the world, just as a banyan tree exists within its seed—who does not see this?
स्वभावभूतं चिदणुस् त्रैलोक्यनिचयं तथा । नरो यथैकदेशस्थो दूरदेशान्तरस्थितम्
The atomic consciousness, which is its own nature, contains the three worlds; just as a person situated in one place perceives something located far away.
संपश्यति निधानं स्वं मनसानारतं सदा । यथा जीवद्वपुर् जीवमकुरं हृदि पश्यति
He always perceives his own treasure through the mind, ceaselessly; just as a living body perceives the living soul in the heart as its reflection.
तथा स्ववासनान्तस्स्थम् अभीष्ठं परिपश्यति । जीवो जातिशताढ्यो ऽपि भ्रमे परिगतो ऽपि वा
In the same way, the soul perceives its desired object established within its own tendencies, whether it is endowed with hundreds of births or caught in delusion.
भगवन् पिण्डदानादिवासनारहिताकृतिः । कीदृक् संपद्यते देहः पिण्डो यस्मै न दीयते
O Lord, what form does the body take when it is devoid of the tendency for offerings such as piṇḍa? For whom is the piṇḍa not given?