पुनस् सर्गसमारम्भः पुनः प्रलयसम्भवः । सर्वं पुनर् इदं राम चक्रवत् परिवर्तते
Again there is the beginning of creation, again the occurrence of dissolution; all this, O Rama, revolves repeatedly like a wheel.
किम् एतस्मिन् महामायाडम्बरे दीर्घशम्बरे । राम सत्यम् असत्यं वा निर्णीय यद् इहोच्यते
In this grand spectacle of great illusion, with its long display, O Rama, what here can truly be called real or unreal, once it is examined?
दाशूराख्यायिकेवेयं राम संसारचक्रिका । कल्पनारचिताकारा वस्तुशून्या तु वस्तुतः
O Rama, this cycle of worldly existence is like a tale about a servant; its forms are fashioned by imagination, but in reality, it is devoid of substance.
अविरलम् इदम् आततं विकल्पैर् असदुदिताकृतिभिर् द्विचन्द्रकल्पैः । विरचितम् असता तु यन् न सत् तज् जगद् इह तेन विमूढता किमुत्था
This, spread out without interruption, is made by imaginations—forms conjured by what is unreal, like the illusion of two moons; what is created by unreality is not real—so why should there be confusion about this world?
क्रियाविशेषबहुला भोगैश्वर्यहताशयाः । नावेक्षन्ते यदा सत्यं न पश्यन्ति शठास् तदा
When people are absorbed in various actions and their minds are clouded by enjoyment and the pursuit of power, they do not perceive the truth; at that time, the deceitful do not see it.
ये तु पारं गता बुद्धेर् इन्द्रियैर् न वशीकृताः । त एतां जागतीं मायां पश्यन्ति करबिल्ववत्
But those who have crossed beyond the intellect and are not controlled by the senses, they see this worldly illusion as one sees a fruit in the hand.
ननु तां जागतीं मायां जीवो दृष्ट्वा विचारवान् । अहङ्कारमयीं आस्थां त्यजत्य् अहिर् इव त्वचम्
Indeed, when the embodied soul, endowed with discernment, perceives this worldly illusion, he abandons the identification with ego, just as a serpent sheds its skin.
असक्ततां ततो ऽभ्येत्य पुनर् नाम न जायते । क्षेत्रे ऽपि सुचिरं तिष्ठद् बीजं दग्धम् इवाग्निना
Having thus attained detachment, he is not born again; even if he remains long in the body, he is like a seed scorched by fire in a field.
आधिव्याधिपरीताय प्रातर् वाद्य विनाशिने । प्रयतन्ते शरीराय हितम् अज्ञास् तु नात्मने
The ignorant strive for the welfare of the body, afflicted by ailments and destined for destruction, but not for the Self.
त्वम् अप्य् अज्ञवद् अज्ञस्य शरीरस्य समीहितम् । मा सम्पादय दुःखाय भवात्मैकपरायणः
You too, do not, like the ignorant, labor for the aims of the body, which brings suffering; be devoted solely to the Self.
दाशूराख्यायिकेवेयं नाम संसारचक्रिका । कल्पनारचिताकारा वस्तुशून्येति किं प्रभो
This cycle of worldly existence is like the tale of Dāśūra—constructed by imagination, devoid of substance; what more need be said, O Lord?
जगन्मायास्वरूपस्य वर्णनाव्यपदेशतः । दाशूराख्यायिकां राम वर्ण्यमानां मया शृणु
Now, Rāma, listen as I narrate to you the story called Dāśūra, as an illustration and description of the true nature of the world's illusion.
अस्त्य् अस्मिन् वसुधापीठे विचित्रकुसुमद्रुमः । मगधा नाम विख्यातश् श्रीमाञ् जनपदो महान्
On this earth, there is a great and renowned land called Magadha, adorned with wondrous trees and flowers.
कदम्बवनविस्तारी तालावलितजङ्गलः । विचित्रविहगव्यूहस् सर्वाश्चर्यमनोहरः
Expansive with kadamba groves, interspersed with palm-covered wilderness, adorned by flocks of wondrous birds, it was a marvel, delightful to behold.
सस्यसङ्कटसीमान्तः पुरोपवनमण्डितः । कमलोत्पलकल्हारपूर्णसर्वसरित्तटः
Bordered by fields thick with crops, embellished with city gardens, and with every riverbank filled with lotuses, blue lilies, and water-lilies.
उद्यानदोलाविलसल्ललनागेयघुङ्घुमी । निशोपभुक्तकुसुमनीरन्ध्रविशिखावनिः
Resounding with the jingling of women's ornaments as they played on garden swings, and with the fragrance of night-blooming flowers enjoyed in the moonlit groves.
तत्रैकस्मिन् गिरितटे कर्णिकारसमाकुले । कदलीषण्डनीरन्ध्रे नीपगुल्मविराजिते
There, on the slope of a certain mountain, thick with karṇikāra trees, in the shade of banana clusters and radiant with nīpa shrubs.
कूजच्चकोरचमरे ध्वनन्निर्झरवारिणि । फुल्लचूतलताजाले प्रगीतकलकोकिले
Where partridges cooed in the thickets, the water of waterfalls resounded, mango creepers bloomed, and cuckoos sang melodious songs.
पुलिन्दलीलालुलिते तालावृतनभस्तले । उत्फुल्लपद्मिनीशारे जीवजीवकजीविते
Where wild tribal women played, the sky was covered by palm leaves, and the ponds, filled with blooming lotuses, teemed with living creatures.
पुष्पौघस्फूर्जदनिले केसरारुणधूलिनि । कारण्डवकृतारावे सरत्सरससारसे
Where the wind, stirring clouds of pollen from masses of flowers, was tinged with saffron dust, and the cries of waterfowl echoed over the autumnal lakes.
तस्मिन् नगवरे पुण्ये विचित्रविहगद्रुमे । कश्चित् परमधर्मात्मा मुनिर् आसीन् महातपाः
In that noble and sacred mountain, amidst wondrous bird-filled trees, there dwelled a certain sage of supreme righteousness and great austerity.
दाशूरनामा महता तपोयोगेन संयुतः । कदम्बपृष्ठवास्तव्यो वीतरागो महामतिः
There was a sage named Dashura, endowed with great ascetic discipline, who lived on the branch of a kadamba tree, free from passion and of great intellect.
ऋषिस् तपस्वी भगवन् विपिने केन हेतुना । कथं वाप्य् अवसत् पृष्ठे कदम्बस्य महातरोः
O venerable one, for what reason did this ascetic sage dwell in the forest, and how did he come to reside on the branch of the great kadamba tree?
शरलोमेति विख्यातः पिता तस्य बभूव ह । नाम्नापर इव ब्रह्मा तस्मिन्न् एवावसद् गिरौ
His father was known as Sharaloma, and was renowned by that name; he was like another Brahma, and lived on that very mountain.
तस्यासाव् एकपुत्रो ऽभूत् कचो देवगुरोर् इव । तेन सार्धं स पुत्रेण नीतवाञ् जीवितं वने
He had only one son, just as Kacha was to the preceptor of the gods; with that son, he spent his life in the forest.
अथासौ शरलोमात्र भुक्त्वा युगगणं ययौ । त्यक्तदेहस् सुरागारं त्यक्तनीडः खगो यथा
Then, after passing many ages, Sharaloma departed, having abandoned his body, to the abode of the gods, like a bird leaving its nest.
एक एव वने तस्मिन् दाशूरः प्ररुरोद ह । दशापनीतपितृकः करुणं कुररो यथा
In that forest, Dashura wept alone, bereft of his father, lamenting pitifully like a kurara bird deprived of its parent.
मातापितृवियोगेन शोकसन्तापिताशयः । म्लानिम् अभ्याययौ नूनं हेमन्त इव पङ्कजम्
Afflicted in his heart by the sorrow of losing his parents, he withered away, just as a lotus fades in the winter.
बालो ऽसाव् अथ दीनात्मा वनदेवतया वने । इत्थम् आश्वासितो राम तदादृश्यशरीरया
Then, that boy, his spirit dejected, was thus comforted in the forest by a forest deity, whose body was not visible, O Rama.
ऋषिपुत्र महाप्राज्ञ किम् अज्ञ इव रोदिषि । संसारस्य न कस्मात् त्वं स्वरूपं वेत्सि चञ्चलम्
O son of a sage, great in wisdom, why do you weep like one ignorant? Do you not know the restless nature of worldly existence?