108. Chapter 108

राजोवाच । अथ गच्छति कालेऽत्र जराजर्जरितायुषि । तुषारपूर्णशष्पौघसमश्मश्रुभृते मयि ॥ १ ॥

rājovāca | atha gacchati kāle'tra jarājarjaritāyuṣi | tuṣārapūrṇaśaṣpaughasamaśmaśrubhṛte mayi || 1 ||

The king continued to say said:—Time passed away, and old age overtook me, and turned my beard to blades of grass covered with hoar frost.

कर्मवातापनुन्नेषु सरसेष्वरसेष्वपि । पतत्सु वासरौघेषु शीर्णपर्णगणेष्विव ॥ २ ॥

karmavātāpanunneṣu saraseṣvaraseṣvapi | patatsu vāsaraugheṣu śīrṇaparṇagaṇeṣviva || 2 ||

My days glided away in alternate joy and grief, brought on by my fate and acts; just as a river flows on with the green and dried leaves, which the winds scatter over it.

आजाविव शरौघेषु सुखदुःखेष्वनारतम् । कलहेष्वप्यकार्येषु चागच्छत्सु पतत्सु च ॥ ३ ॥

ājāviva śaraugheṣu sukhaduḥkheṣvanāratam | kalaheṣvapyakāryeṣu cāgacchatsu patatsu ca || 3 ||

Quarrels and broils, misfortunes and mischances, befell on me every moment; and beset me as thickly and as fastly as the arrows of woe flying in a warfare.

विकल्पकल्पनावर्तवर्तिनि द्विजगे जडे । समुद्र इव कल्लोलभरे भ्रमितचेतसि ॥ ४ ॥

vikalpakalpanāvartavartini dvijage jaḍe | samudra iva kallolabhare bhramitacetasi || 4 ||

My foolish mind kept fluttering like a bird, in the maze of my wishes and fancies; and my heart was perturbed by passions, like the sea by its raging waves.

चलच्चिन्ताचितं चक्रमारूढे भ्रान्त आत्मनि । प्रोह्यमाने तृण इव सावर्तं कालसागरे ॥ ५ ॥

calaccintācitaṃ cakramārūḍhe bhrānta ātmani | prohyamāne tṛṇa iva sāvartaṃ kālasāgare || 5 ||

My soul was revolving on the vehicle of my wandering thoughts; and I was borne away by them like a floating straw, to the whirlpool of the eventful ocean of time.

विन्ध्योर्वीवनकीटस्य ग्रासैकशरणस्य मे । द्विबाहोर्गर्दभस्यात्र क्षीण इत्थं समागणे ॥ ६ ॥

vindhyorvīvanakīṭasya grāsaikaśaraṇasya me | dvibāhorgardabhasyātra kṣīṇa itthaṃ samāgaṇe || 6 ||

I that moved about like a worm amidst the woodlands of Vindhya, for my simple supportance, felt myself in the process of years, to be weakened and pulled down in my frame, like a biped beast of burthen.

विस्मृते मम भूपत्वे शवस्येव महाजवे । चाण्डालत्वे स्थिरीभूते पक्षच्छिन्न इवाचले ॥ ७ ॥

vismṛte mama bhūpatve śavasyeva mahājave | cāṇḍālatve sthirībhūte pakṣacchinna ivācale || 7 ||

I forgot my royalty like a dead man, in that state of my wretchedness, and was confirmed in my belief of a Chandala, and bound to that hilly spot like a wingless bird.

संसारमिव कल्पान्तो दावाग्निरिव काननम् । सागरोर्मिस्तटमिव शुष्कवृक्षमिवाशनिः ॥ ८ ॥

saṃsāramiva kalpānto dāvāgniriva kānanam | sāgarormistaṭamiva śuṣkavṛkṣamivāśaniḥ || 8 ||

The world appeared to me, as desolate as at its final desolation; and as a forest consumed by a conflagration; it seemed as the sea-shore lashed by huge surges; and as a withered tree struck by a lightning.

अकाण्डे मरणोड्डीनं चण्डचण्डालमण्डलम् । निरन्नतृणपत्राम्बु विन्ध्यकच्छं तदाययौ ॥ ९ ॥

akāṇḍe maraṇoḍḍīnaṃ caṇḍacaṇḍālamaṇḍalam | nirannatṛṇapatrāmbu vindhyakacchaṃ tadāyayau || 9 ||

The marshy ground at the foot of Vindhya was all dried up, and left no corn nor vegetable, nor any water for food or drink; and the whole group of Chandalas, was about to die in dearth and dryness.

न वर्षति घनव्राते दृष्टनष्टे क्वचित्स्थिते । पूतांगारकणोन्मिश्रगतौ वहति मारुते ॥ १० ॥

na varṣati ghanavrāte dṛṣṭanaṣṭe kvacitsthite | pūtāṃgārakaṇonmiśragatau vahati mārute || 10 ||

The clouds ceased to rain, and disappeared from sight; and the winds blew with sparks of fire in them.

शीर्णमर्मरपर्णासु दावाग्निवलितासु च । वनस्थलीषु शून्यासु चिरप्रव्रजितास्विव ॥ ११ ॥

śīrṇamarmaraparṇāsu dāvāgnivalitāsu ca | vanasthalīṣu śūnyāsu cirapravrajitāsviva || 11 ||

The forest trees were bare and leafless, and the withered leaves were strewn over the ground; wild fires were raging here and there, and the wood-lands became as desolate, as the abodes of austere ascetics.

अकाण्डमभवद्भीममुद्दामदवपावकम् । शोषिताशेषगहनं भस्मशेषतृणोलपम् ॥ १२ ॥

akāṇḍamabhavadbhīmamuddāmadavapāvakam | śoṣitāśeṣagahanaṃ bhasmaśeṣatṛṇolapam || 12 ||

There ensued a formidable famine, and a furious flame of wildfire spread all around;it burnt down the whole forest, and reduced the grass and gravels all to ashes.

पांसुधूसरसर्वाङ्गं क्षुधिताशेषमानवम् । निरन्नतृणपानीयं देशाद्युद्दावमण्डलम् ॥ १३ ॥

pāṃsudhūsarasarvāṅgaṃ kṣudhitāśeṣamānavam | nirannatṛṇapānīyaṃ deśādyuddāvamaṇḍalam || 13 ||

The people were daubed with ashes all over their bodies, and were famishing for want of food and drink; because the land was without any article of food or even grass or water in it, and had turned to a dreary desert.

कचन्मरुमरीच्यम्बुमज्जन्महिषमण्डलम् । वातोत्थसीकरव्यूहापरिवाहवनाम्बरम् ॥ १४ ॥

kacanmarumarīcyambumajjanmahiṣamaṇḍalam | vātotthasīkaravyūhāparivāhavanāmbaram || 14 ||

The mirage of the desert glistened as water, and deluded the dry buffaloes to roll in it (as in a pool); and there was no current of breeze to cool the desert air.

पानीयशब्दमात्रैकश्रवणोत्कनरव्रजम् । आतपाततिसंशोषसीदत्सकलमानवम् ॥ १५ ॥

pānīyaśabdamātraikaśravaṇotkanaravrajam | ātapātatisaṃśoṣasīdatsakalamānavam || 15 ||

The call and cry for water, came only to the ears of men; who were parching under the burning rays of the torrid sun.

पत्रग्रसनसंरब्धक्षुधितोत्थितजीवितम् । स्वाङ्गचर्वणसंरम्भलुठद्दशनमण्डलम् ॥ १६ ॥

patragrasanasaṃrabdhakṣudhitotthitajīvitam | svāṅgacarvaṇasaṃrambhaluṭhaddaśanamaṇḍalam || 16 ||

The hungry mob, hurrying to browse the branches and herbs, yielded their lives in those acts; while others sharpened their teeth, in their acts of tearing and devouring one another.

मांसशङ्कानिगीर्णोग्रखदिराग्निकणोत्करम् । मण्डकासारसंग्रस्तवनपाषाणखण्डकम् ॥ १७ ॥

māṃsaśaṅkānigīrṇograkhadirāgnikaṇotkaram | maṇḍakāsārasaṃgrastavanapāṣāṇakhaṇḍakam || 17 ||

Some ran to bite the gum of catechu, thinking it to be a bit of flesh; while others were swallowing the stones, as if they were cakes lying on the ground before them.

अन्योन्यभूतसंसक्तमातृपुत्रपितृव्रजम् । गृध्रोदररटत्सारनिगीर्णवरसारिकम् ॥ १८ ॥

anyonyabhūtasaṃsaktamātṛputrapitṛvrajam | gṛdhrodararaṭatsāranigīrṇavarasārikam || 18 ||

परस्पराङ्गविच्छेदरक्तसिक्तधरातलम् । हरिग्रसनसंरब्धमत्तक्षुधितवारणम् ॥ १९ ॥

parasparāṅgavicchedaraktasiktadharātalam | harigrasanasaṃrabdhamattakṣudhitavāraṇam || 19 ||

The ground was sprinkled with blood, by the mutual biting and tearing of men; as when blood is spilt in profusion, by the lion's killing a big and starving elephant.

दरीनिगरणैकैकसिंहभ्रमणभीषणम् । अन्योन्यग्रसनोद्युक्तलोकमल्लकृतं वहत् ॥ २० ॥

darīnigaraṇaikaikasiṃhabhramaṇabhīṣaṇam | anyonyagrasanodyuktalokamallakṛtaṃ vahat || 20 ||

Every one was as ferocious as a lion, in his attempt to devour another as his prey; and men mutually fought with one another, as wrestlers do in their contest.

निष्पत्रपादपोड्डीनप्रौढाङ्गारमयानिलम् । रक्तपानोत्कमार्जारलीढधातुतटावनि ॥ २१ ॥

niṣpatrapādapoḍḍīnaprauḍhāṅgāramayānilam | raktapānotkamārjāralīḍhadhātutaṭāvani || 21 ||

The trees were leafless, and the hot winds were blowing as fire-brands on all sides; and wild cats were licking the human blood, that was spilt on the rocky ground.

ज्वालाघनघटाटोपसावर्तसवनानिलम् । सर्वस्थलरसद्वह्निपुञ्जपिञ्जरजङ्गलम् ॥ २२ ॥

jvālāghanaghaṭāṭopasāvartasavanānilam | sarvasthalarasadvahnipuñjapiñjarajaṅgalam || 22 ||

The flame of the wild fire rose high in the air, with clouds of smoke whirling with the howling winds of the forest; it growled aloud in every place, and filled the forest-land with heaps of brown cinders and burning fire brands.

दग्धाजगरकुञ्जोत्थधूममांसलगुल्मकम् । मारुतावलितज्वालासंध्याभ्रवलिताम्बरम् ॥ २३ ॥

dagdhājagarakuñjotthadhūmamāṃsalagulmakam | mārutāvalitajvālāsaṃdhyābhravalitāmbaram || 23 ||

Huge serpents were burnt in their caves, and the fumes rising from these burning bodies, served to grow the poisonous plants on the spot;while the flame stretching aloft with the winds, gave the sky an appearance of the glory of the setting sun.

उद्दामरवमुद्भान्तभस्मनाऽस्तम्भमण्डलम् । साक्रन्दनरदाराग्रदीनार्भककृतारवम् ॥ २४ ॥

uddāmaravamudbhāntabhasmanā'stambhamaṇḍalam | sākrandanaradārāgradīnārbhakakṛtāravam || 24 ||

Heaps of ashes were lifted like dust, by the high howling winds, and stood as domes unsupported by pillars in the open sky; and the little children stood crying for fear of them, beside their weeping parents.

संभ्रान्तपुरुषव्यूहदन्तकृत्तमहाशवम् । मांसगन्धजवग्रस्तरक्तारक्तनिजाङ्गुलि ॥ २५ ॥

saṃbhrāntapuruṣavyūhadantakṛttamahāśavam | māṃsagandhajavagrastaraktāraktanijāṅguli || 25 ||

There were some men who tore a dead body with their teeth, and in their great haste to devour the flesh, bit their own hands and fingers, which were besmeared in their own blood.

नीलपत्रलताशङ्कापीतधूमघनच्छवि । भ्रमद्गृध्रनिगीर्णोग्रनभोभ्रान्तोल्मुकामिषम् ॥ २६ ॥

nīlapatralatāśaṅkāpītadhūmaghanacchavi | bhramadgṛdhranigīrṇogranabhobhrāntolmukāmiṣam || 26 ||

The vultures flying in the air, darted upon the smoke, thinking it a turret of trees, and pounced upon the fire brands, taking them for bits of raw flesh.

इतरेतरभिन्नाङ्गलोकविद्रवणाकुलम् । ज्वलिताग्निटणत्कारविदीर्णहृदयोदरम् ॥ २७ ॥

itaretarabhinnāṅgalokavidravaṇākulam | jvalitāgniṭaṇatkāravidīrṇahṛdayodaram || 27 ||

Men biting and tearing one another, were flying in all directions;when the splitting of the burning wood hit upon their breasts and bellies, and made them gory with blood gushing out of them.

गर्तमारुतक्राङ्कारभीमदावाग्निवल्गनम् । भीताजगरफूत्कारपतदङ्गारपादपम् ॥ २८ ॥

gartamārutakrāṅkārabhīmadāvāgnivalganam | bhītājagaraphūtkārapatadaṅgārapādapam || 28 ||

The winds were howling in the hollow caves, and the flames of the wild fire flashing with fury; the snakes were hissing for fear of these, and the burnt woods were falling down with hideous noise.

सदकाण्डस्फुटद्देशं प्राप्य तच्छुष्ककोटरम् । द्वादशार्काग्निदग्धस्य जगतोऽनुकृतिं ययौ ॥ २९ ॥

sadakāṇḍasphuṭaddeśaṃ prāpya tacchuṣkakoṭaram | dvādaśārkāgnidagdhasya jagato'nukṛtiṃ yayau || 29 ||

Thus beset by dangers and horrors, with no other shelter than the rugged hollows of rocks, this place presented a picture of this world, with its circumambient flames, burning as the twelve zodiacal suns on high.

ज्वलदनलजटालवृक्षखण्डप्रसरमरुत्प्रसरावनुन्नलोकः । ज्वलनतपनभास्करात्मजानां रमणगृहानुकृतिं जगाम देशः ॥ ३० ॥

jvaladanalajaṭālavṛkṣakhaṇḍaprasaramarutprasarāvanunnalokaḥ | jvalanatapanabhāskarātmajānāṃ ramaṇagṛhānukṛtiṃ jagāma deśaḥ || 30 ||

The winds were blowing hot amidst the burning woods and rocks, and drying up all things; and the heat of the fire below and the sunbeams above, together with the domestic calamities caused by influence of the planet Saturn, made this place a counterpart of this woeful world.