पुनर् हास्यमयीं नृत्तलीलां सर्वस्वरूपिणीम् । तनोतीमां जरादुःखशोकाभिनयभूषिताम्
Again, she enacts a play of laughter and dance, taking on every form, adorned with the gestures of old age, suffering, and sorrow.
भूयः करोति भुवनानि वनान्तराणि लोकान्तराणि जनजालककल्पनां च । आचारचारुकलनां च चलाचलां च पङ्काद् यथार्भकजनो रचनाम् अखिन्नः
Once more, she creates worlds, forests, other realms, and the web of people; she fashions the varied conduct of beings, both moving and unmoving, just as a child tirelessly builds shapes from mud.
वृत्ते ऽस्मिन्न् एव चैतेषां कालादीनां महामुने । संसारनाम्नि कैवास्था मादृशानां भवत्व् इह
In this ongoing cycle of time and the rest, O great sage, what steadfastness can there be for people like me in what is called saṃsāra here?
विक्रीता इव तिष्ठाम एतैर् दैवादिभिर् वयम् । धूर्तैः प्रपञ्चचतुरैर् मुग्धा वनमृगा इव
We stand as if sold by these forces of fate and the like—deceived by the cunning tricks of the world, like bewildered forest animals.
एषो ऽनार्यसमाचारः कालः कवलनोन्मुखः । जगत्य् अविरतं लोकं पातयत्य् आपदर्णवे
This time, with its ignoble ways and ever-hungry to devour, relentlessly casts the world into the ocean of calamity.
दहत्य् अन्ते दुराशाभिर् दैवो दारुणचेष्टया । लोकं पुष्पनिकाशाभिर् ज्वालाभिर् दहनो यथा
In the end, fate burns the world with cruel acts and false hopes, just as fire scorches with its blazing, flower-like flames.
धृतिं विधुरयत्य् एकामयदा रूपवल्लभा । स्त्रीत्वात् स्वभावचपला नियतिर् नियमोन्मुखी
Destiny, fickle by nature and fond of forms, undermines resolve with a single affliction, ever inclined to impose its own order, like a woman by her own nature.
ग्रसते ऽविरतं भूतजालं सर्प इवानिलम् । कृतान्तः कर्कशाचारो जरां नीत्वा जगद्वपुः
Death, harsh in conduct, endlessly consumes the multitude of beings like a serpent swallowing the wind, after leading the body of the world into old age.
यमनिर्घृणराजेन्द्रो नार्तं नामानुकम्पते । सर्वभूतदयाचारो जनो दुर्लभतां गतः
Yama, the merciless king, does not show compassion to the suffering; people who practice universal kindness have become exceedingly rare.
सर्वा एव मुने फल्गुविभवा भूतजातयः । दुःखायैव दुरन्ताय दारुणा लोभभूमयः
All living beings, O sage, possess only meager wealth; they are sources of endless, harsh suffering, rooted in greed.
आयुर् अत्यन्ततरलं मृत्युर् एकस् तु निष्ठुरः । तारुण्यं चातितरलं बाल्यं जडतया हृतम्
Life is extremely fleeting, and death alone is relentless; youth is also very transient, and childhood is lost in dullness.
कलाकलङ्कितो लोको बन्धवो भवबन्धनम् । भोगा भवमहारोगास् तृष्णा च मृगतृष्णिका
The world is stained with faults; relatives are bonds in the cycle of becoming; pleasures are the great diseases of existence, and craving is like a mirage.
शत्रवश् चेन्द्रियाण्य् एव सत्यं यातम् असत्यताम् । प्रहरत्य् आत्मनैवात्मा मन एव मनोरिपुः
Indeed, the senses themselves are enemies; truth has turned into untruth; the self strikes itself, and the mind is its own adversary.
अहङ्कारः कलङ्काय बुद्धयः परिपेलवाः । क्रिया दुष्फलदायिन्यो लीलास् स्त्रीनिष्ठतां गताः
Ego is a blemish, intellects are unstable, actions yield poor results, and pastimes have become fixated on women.
वाञ्छाविषयशालिन्यस् सचमत्कृतयः कृताः । नार्यो दोषपताकिन्यो रसा नीरसतां गताः
Desires are attached to their objects, even when they seem delightful; women are banners of faults, and pleasures have become tasteless.
वस्त्व् अवस्तुतया चात्तं दत्तं चित्तम् अहङ्कृतौ । अभावरोधिता भावा भवान्तो नाधिगम्यते
Reality is taken as unreality, and the mind is absorbed in ego; existences are blocked by non-existence, and the end of becoming is not attained.
तप्यते केवलं साधो मतिर् आकुलितान्तरा । रागोरगो विलसति विरागं नोपगच्छति
O noble one, the mind, inwardly agitated, is tormented; the color of passion shines forth, but dispassion is never attained.
रजोगुणाहता दृष्टिस् तमस् सम्परिवर्धते । न चाधिगम्यते सत्त्वं तत्त्वम् अत्यन्तदूरतः
Perception, struck by the quality of rajas, is increasingly enveloped by tamas; and sattva, the true essence, cannot be reached, for it is exceedingly distant.
स्थितिर् अस्थिरतां याता मृतिर् आगमनोन्मुखी । धृतिर् वैधुर्यम् आयाति रतिर् नित्यम् अवस्तुनि
Stability turns into instability, death is ever approaching; firmness becomes confusion, and attachment is always to the unreal.
मतिर् मान्द्येन मलिना पातैकपरमं वपुः । ज्वलतीव जरा देहे प्रविस्फूर्जति दुष्कृतम्
The mind, dulled by sluggishness, is tainted; the body is intent only on decline; old age seems to blaze in the body, and wrongdoing stirs up violently.
यत्नेन याति युवता दूरे सज्जनसङ्गतिः । गतिर् न विद्यते काचित् क्वचिन् नोदेति सत्यता
In youth, even with effort, the company of the virtuous is far away; there is no clear path anywhere, and truth does not arise.
मनो विमुह्यतीवान्तर् मुदिता दूरतो गता । नोज्ज्वला करुणोदेति दूराद् आयाति नीचता
The mind seems bewildered within, happiness has gone far away; compassion does not shine forth, but baseness draws near from afar.
धीरताधीरताम् एति पातोत्पातपरो जनः । सुलभो दुर्जनाश्लेषो दुर्लभस् साधुसङ्गमः
Courage turns into cowardice, people are intent on downfall and disaster; the embrace of the wicked is easy, but the company of the good is hard to find.
आगमापायिनो भावा भावना भवबन्धनी । नीयते केवलं क्वापि नित्यं भूतपरम्परा
States of being come and go, imagination binds one to existence; the endless succession of beings is carried on somewhere, always.
दिशो ऽपि हि न दृश्यन्ते देशो ऽप्य् अव्यपदेशभाक् । शैला अपि हि शीर्यन्ते कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even the directions are no longer seen, and the land has lost all distinction; even mountains crumble away—what hope is there for someone like me?
द्रवन्त्य् अपि समुद्राश् च शीर्यन्ते तारका अपि । सिद्धा अपि न सिध्यन्ति कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even the oceans are drying up, and the stars are fading away; even the perfected beings do not remain perfected—what hope is there for someone like me?
अद्यते ऽसत्तयापि द्यौर् भुवनं चापि भज्यते । धरापि याति वैधुर्यं कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even the sky is consumed by non-being, and the world itself is breaking apart; even the earth becomes unstable—what hope is there for someone like me?
दानवा अपि दीर्यन्ते ध्रुवो ऽप्य् अध्रुवजीवितः । अमरा अपि मार्यन्ते कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even the demons are destroyed, and even the constant one has an impermanent life; even the immortals die—what hope is there for someone like me?
शक्रो ऽप्य् आक्रम्यते शक्रैर् यमो ऽपि हि नियम्यते । वायोर् अप्य् अस्त्य् अवायुत्वं कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even Indra is overpowered by other Indras, and even Yama is restrained; even the wind can lose its motion—what hope is there for someone like me?
सोमो ऽपि व्योमताम् एति मार्ताण्डो ऽप्य् एति खण्डनाम् । रुग्णताम् अग्निर् अप्य् एति कैवास्था मादृशे जने
Even the moon becomes like the sky, and the sun is shattered; even fire becomes weak—what hope is there for someone like me?