अथ चण्डालकन्यायां विश्रान्तायां तरोस् तले । सुप्तायां शीतलच्छाये द्वौ समालिङ्ग्य दारकौ
Then, as the daughter of a caṇḍāla rested beneath the tree, sleeping in the cool shade, two children embraced her.
थुत्थको नाम तनयो ममैकः पुरतस् स्थितः । अत्यन्तवल्लभो ऽस्माकं कनीयान् कान्तिमान् इति
A son of mine named Thutthaka stood before me; he was our youngest, exceedingly dear to us, and radiant in appearance.
स माम् उवाच दीनात्मा बाष्पपूर्णविलोचनः । आप्त देह्य् आशु मे मांसं पानं च रुधिरं क्षणात्
He, with a sorrowful heart and eyes brimming with tears, said to me: 'Give me flesh quickly, and let me drink blood at once.'
पुनः पुनर् वदन्न् एवं स बालस् तनयो मम । प्राणान्तिकीं दशां प्राप्तस् साक्रन्दो हि पुनः क्षुधा
Again and again, my young son kept saying this, and, crying out from hunger, he reached a state near death.
तस्योक्तं हि मया पुत्र मांसं नास्तीति भूरिशः । तथापि मांसं देहीति वदत्य् एव सुदुर्मतिः
I told him repeatedly, 'Son, there is no flesh,' but still, in his great folly, he kept insisting, 'Give me flesh from your body.'
अथ वात्सल्यमूढेन मया दुःखातिभारिणा । तस्योक्तं पुत्र मन्मांसं पक्वं सम्भुज्यताम् इति
Then, overwhelmed by affection and weighed down by intense sorrow, I said to him, 'Son, eat my cooked flesh.'
तद् अप्य् अङ्गीकृतं तेन देहीति वदता पुनः । मन्मांसभक्षणं क्षीणवृत्तिना श्लथकृत्तिना
Even that he accepted, again saying, 'Give me your flesh,' and, with his strength exhausted and limbs slack, he ate my flesh.
सर्वदुःखापनोदाय स्नेहकारुण्यमोहितः । मरणायात्तमित्राय ततो ऽहं सहसोत्थितः
Desiring to remove all suffering, deluded by love and compassion, I then quickly rose for the sake of my son, who was near death.
ग्रीष्मतापोपतप्तानि काष्ठान्य् आहृत्य जङ्गलात् । मरणायात्मनस् तत्र चिता विरचिता मया
Bringing wood from the forest, scorched by the heat of summer, I built a funeral pyre there for myself, intending to die.
लेलिहानानलज्वाला चिता प्रज्वालिताथ सा । क्षणाच् चटचटास्फोटैस् स्थिता मदभिकाङ्क्षिणी
Then the funeral pyre was kindled, its flames licking upward, and in a moment it stood there, crackling and snapping, eager for my body.
मयोक्तं तनयास्यां तु चितायां पतितात् पुनः । उत्कृत्योत्कृत्य भोक्तव्यं मत्तो मांसं क्षणात् त्वया
My daughter said to me: 'When you fall upon this pyre, you must quickly tear off and eat your own flesh, piece by piece.'
इत्य् उक्त्वा यावद् आत्मानं स्वं चितायां क्षिपाम्य् अहम् । लुठितो ऽस्मि जवात् तावद् अस्मात् सिंहासनान् नृपः
Having said this, as I was about to throw myself onto the pyre, I suddenly tumbled down from this very throne, O King.
ततस् तूर्यनिनादेन जयशब्देन चाभितः । भृशम् एव प्रबुद्धो ऽहं स्मृत्या च वलितस् स्थितः
Then, surrounded by the sound of drums and cries of victory, I awoke abruptly, regaining my senses and awareness.
इति शाम्बरिकेणेह मोह उत्पादितो मम । अज्ञानेनेव जीवस्य दशाशतसमन्वितः
Thus, by the power of Shambarika, I was plunged into delusion, just as a living being is enveloped by ignorance, experiencing countless states.
आत्मोदन्तं भवत्स्व् इत्थम् एनं कथितवान् अहम् । मार्काण्डेय इवानन्तं कल्पदुःखं सुराजसु
In this way, I have recounted to you the story of my own self, just as Markandeya once told the endless suffering of a cosmic age to the kings of the gods.
इत्य् उक्तवति राजेन्द्रे लवणे भूरितेजसि । अन्तर्धानं जगामासौ तत्र शाम्बरिकः क्षणात्
When the illustrious King Lavana had spoken thus, Shambarika instantly vanished from that place.
अथेदम् ऊचुस् ते सभ्या विस्मयाकुलचेतसः । अन्योऽन्यालोकनव्यग्रपद्मपत्त्रनिभेक्षणाः
Then those assembled there, their minds filled with astonishment, looked at one another with eyes wide as lotus petals and spoke these words:
अहो नु खलु चित्रेयं माया ननु विलक्षणा । को नु शाम्बरिको नाम क्व चासाव् अग्रतो गतः
Ah, truly, how marvelous and extraordinary is this illusion! Who indeed is this so-called Shambarika, and where has he gone ahead?
सर्वशक्तेर् विचित्रा हि शक्तयश् शतशो विधेः । यद् विवेकिमनो ऽप्य् एष विमोहयति मायया
Indeed, the powers of the Creator are wondrous and manifold; for even a discerning mind is bewildered by this illusion.
विज्ञातलोकवृत्तान्तः क्व नामायं महीपतिः । क्व सामान्यमनोवृत्तियोग्या विपुलसम्भ्रमाः
This king, who knows the affairs of the world—where is he now? And where are those great confusions fit only for ordinary minds?
न च शाम्बरिकोत्थेयं माया मनसि मोहनी । अर्थस्य गृध्नवो ह्य् एते नित्यं शाम्बरिकाः किल
Nor is this illusion, arising from Shambarika, a delusion in the mind; for these so-called Shambarikas are always intent on gain.
यत्नेन प्रार्थयन्ते ऽर्थं नान्तर्धानं व्रजन्ति ते । इति सन्देहदोलायां संस्थितौ लुठिता वयम्
They strive earnestly for wealth and do not vanish; thus, we are tossed about, standing in the swing of doubt.
सभायाम् अवसं तस्याम् अहं राम तदा किल । तेन प्रत्यक्षतो दृष्टं मयैतन् नाप्ततश् श्रूतम्
O Rama, at that time I was present in that assembly; what I saw then was witnessed directly by me, not merely heard from another.
अतिबहुकलनाविवर्धिताङ्गं नय निजचित्तम् इदं शमं महात्मन् । शमम् उपगमिते परं स्वभावे परमम् उपैष्यसि पावनं पदं तत्
Direct your own mind, which has grown through excessive imagination, toward tranquility, O great-souled one; when tranquility is attained in your true nature, you will reach that supreme, pure state.
परस्मात् कारणाद् आदौ चिच् चेत्यपदपातिनी । कलनापदम् आसाद्य कलङ्ककलनान्तरम्
In the beginning, due to a cause beyond, consciousness, falling into the state of subject and object, attains the realm of imagination, and from there, further imaginations of impurity arise.
असत्स्व् एव विमोहेषु रामैवम्प्रायवृत्तिषु । घनेषु तुच्छताम् एत्य चिराय परिमज्जति
Indeed, Rama, in the delusions of unreal things, the mind, behaving in such ways, attains insignificance amidst dense illusions and remains so for a long time.
असद् एव मनोवृत्तिर् म्लाना विस्तारयत्य् अलम् । दुःखं दोषसहस्रेण वेतालम् इव बालकः
The mind's tendency toward what is unreal becomes feeble, yet it spreads extensively, bringing suffering with a thousand faults, like a child with a Vetala.
सद् एव हि महादुःखम् असत्तां नयति क्षणम् । निष्कलङ्का मनोवृत्तिर् अन्धकारम् इवार्करुक्
Even what is real, for a moment, leads to great suffering by causing unreality; a pure mental tendency dispels darkness like the sun.
नयद् अभ्याशतां दूरम् अभ्याशं दूरतां नयत् । मनो वल्गति भूतेषु बालो बालखगेष्व् इव
Bringing what is near to a distance and what is distant to nearness, the mind leaps among beings like a child among young birds.
अभयं भयम् अज्ञस्य चेतसो वासनावतः । दूरतो मुग्धपान्थस्य स्थाणुर् याति पिशाचताम्
For the ignorant one whose mind is filled with tendencies, fear arises from what is fearless; from afar, the bewildered traveler sees a tree as a demon.