24. Chapter 24

श्रीराम उवाच । अस्योड्डामरलीलस्य दूरास्तसकलापदः । संसारे राजपुत्रस्य कालस्याकलितौजसः ॥ १ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | asyoḍḍāmaralīlasya dūrāstasakalāpadaḥ | saṃsāre rājaputrasya kālasyākalitaujasaḥ || 1 ||

Rama rejoined:—Time is a self-willed sportsman as a prince, who is inaccessible to dangers and whose powers are unlimited.

अस्यैवाचरतो दीनैर्मुग्धैर्भूतमृगब्रजैः । आखेटकं जर्जरिते जगज्जङ्गलजालके ॥ २ ॥

asyaivācarato dīnairmugdhairbhūtamṛgabrajaiḥ | ākheṭakaṃ jarjarite jagajjaṅgalajālake || 2 ||

This world is as it were a forest and sporting ground of time, wherein the poor deluded worldlings are caught in his snare like bodies of wounded stags.

एकदेशोल्लसच्चारुवडवानलपङ्कजा । क्रीडापुष्करिणी रम्या कल्पकालमहार्णवः ॥ ३ ॥

ekadeśollasaccāruvaḍavānalapaṅkajā | krīḍāpuṣkariṇī ramyā kalpakālamahārṇavaḥ || 3 ||

The ocean of universal deluge is a pleasure-pond of time, and the submarine fires bursting therein as lotus flowers.

कटुतिक्ताम्लभूताद्यैः सदधिक्षीरसागरैः । तैरेव तैः पर्युषितैर्जगद्भिः कल्ववर्तनम् ॥ ४ ॥

kaṭutiktāmlabhūtādyaiḥ sadadhikṣīrasāgaraiḥ | taireva taiḥ paryuṣitairjagadbhiḥ kalvavartanam || 4 ||

Time makes his breakfast of this vapid and stale earth, flavoured with the milk and curd of the seas of those names.

चण्डी चतुरसंचारा सर्वमातृगणान्विता । संसारवनविन्यस्ता व्याघ्री भूतौघघातिनी ॥ ५ ॥

caṇḍī caturasaṃcārā sarvamātṛgaṇānvitā | saṃsāravanavinyastā vyāghrī bhūtaughaghātinī || 5 ||

His wife Chandi (Hecate) with her train of Matris (furies), ranges all about this wide world as a ferocious tigress.

ज्ञध्वी करतले ज्ञथ्वी पानपात्री रसान्विता । कमलोत्पलकह्लारलोलजालकमालिता ॥ ६ ॥

jñadhvī karatale jñathvī pānapātrī rasānvitā | kamalotpalakahlāralolajālakamālitā || 6 ||

The earth with her waters is like a bowl of wine in the hand of time, dressed and flavoured with all sorts of lilies and lotuses.

विरावी विकटास्फोटो नृसिंहो भुजपञ्जरे । सटाविकटपीनांसः कृतः क्रीडाशकुन्तकः ॥ ७ ॥

virāvī vikaṭāsphoṭo nṛsiṃho bhujapañjare | saṭāvikaṭapīnāṃsaḥ kṛtaḥ krīḍāśakuntakaḥ || 7 ||

The lion with his huge body and startling mane, his loud roaring and tremendous groans, seems as a caged bird of sport in the hand of time.

अलाबुवीणामधुरः शरद्व्योमलसच्छविः । देवः किल महाकालो लीलाकोकिलबालकः ॥ ८ ॥

alābuvīṇāmadhuraḥ śaradvyomalasacchaviḥ | devaḥ kila mahākālo līlākokilabālakaḥ || 8 ||

The Mahakala like a playful young Kokila (cuckoo), appears in the figure of the blue autumnal sky, and warbling as sweet as the notes of a lute of gourd.

अजस्रस्फूर्जिताकारो वान्तदुःखशरावलिः । अभावनामकोदण्डः परिस्फुरति सर्वतः ॥ ९ ॥

ajasrasphūrjitākāro vāntaduḥkhaśarāvaliḥ | abhāvanāmakodaṇḍaḥ parisphurati sarvataḥ || 9 ||

The restless bow of death is found flinging its woeful arrows (darts of death) with ceaseless thunder claps on all sides.

अनुत्तमस्त्वधिकविलासपण्डितो भ्रमच्चलन्परिविलसन्विदारयन् । जरज्जगज्जनितविलोलमर्कटः परिस्फुरद्वपुरिह काल ईहते ॥ १० ॥

anuttamastvadhikavilāsapaṇḍito bhramaccalanparivilasanvidārayan | jarajjagajjanitavilolamarkaṭaḥ parisphuradvapuriha kāla īhate || 10 ||

This world is like a forest, wherein sorrows are ranging about as playful apes, and time like a sportive prince in this forest, is now roving, now walking, now playing and now killing his game.