83. Chapter 83

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्ययुक्ता सा नृपभामिनी । एवं बभूव चूडाला घनाभ्यासवती सती ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | aṇimādiguṇaiśvaryayuktā sā nṛpabhāminī | evaṃ babhūva cūḍālā ghanābhyāsavatī satī || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—Thus the royal dame was possest of the qualities of contracting and expanding herself to any form, and became so expert in these by their continued practice of them;

जगामाकाशमार्गेण विवेशाम्बुधिकोटरम् । चचार वसुधापीठं गङ्गेवामलशीतला ॥ २ ॥

jagāmākāśamārgeṇa viveśāmbudhikoṭaram | cacāra vasudhāpīṭhaṃ gaṅgevāmalaśītalā || 2 ||

That she made her aerial journey and navigated at pleasure over the expanse of waters; she moved on the surface of the earth, as the river Ganges glides on in her silent course.

क्षणमप्यगता भर्तुर्वक्षसश्चेतसस्तथा । सर्वेषूवास राज्येषु लक्ष्मीरिव जगत्सु च ॥ ३ ॥

kṣaṇamapyagatā bharturvakṣasaścetasastathā | sarveṣūvāsa rājyeṣu lakṣmīriva jagatsu ca || 3 ||

She dwelt in the bosom of her lord, as the goddess of prosperity abides in the heart of Hari, and travelled in a moment with her mind over every city and country over the earth.

आकाशगामिनी श्यामा विद्युत्प्रारम्भभूषणा । बभ्राम मेघमालेव गिरिमाला महीतले ॥ ४ ॥

ākāśagāminī śyāmā vidyutprārambhabhūṣaṇā | babhrāma meghamāleva girimālā mahītale || 4 ||

This fairy lady fled in the air, and flashed like the lightning with the flashes of her twinkling eyes;she passed as a shadow over the earth, as a body of clouds passes over a range of mountains.

काष्ठं तृणोपलं भूतं खं वातमनलं जलम् । निर्विघ्नमविशत्सर्वं तन्तुर्मुक्ताफलं यथा ॥ ५ ॥

kāṣṭhaṃ tṛṇopalaṃ bhūtaṃ khaṃ vātamanalaṃ jalam | nirvighnamaviśatsarvaṃ tanturmuktāphalaṃ yathā || 5 ||

She passed without any hazard through the grass and wood, stones and clods of earth, and through fire and water and air and vacuum, as a thread passes through hole of a heart.

मेरोरुपरि श्रृङ्गाणि लोकपालपुराणि च । दिग्व्योमोदररन्ध्राणि विजहार यथासुखम् ॥ ६ ॥

merorupari śrṛṅgāṇi lokapālapurāṇi ca | digvyomodararandhrāṇi vijahāra yathāsukham || 6 ||

She lightly skimmed over the mountain peaks, and pryed through the regions of the regents of all the sides of heaven; she penetrated into the cavities of the empty womb of vacuity, and have a pleasant trip whatever she directed in her flight.

तिर्यग्भूतपिशाचाद्यैः सहनागामरासुरैः । विद्याधराप्सरःसिद्धैर्व्यवहारं चकार सा ॥ ७ ॥

tiryagbhūtapiśācādyaiḥ sahanāgāmarāsuraiḥ | vidyādharāpsaraḥsiddhairvyavahāraṃ cakāra sā || 7 ||

She conversed freely with all living beings, whether they move or prone on the ground as the beast of earth, or crawl upon it as the snakes and insects. She talked with the savage Pisacha tribes and communicated with men and the immortal Gods and demi-gods also. (The clever princess like the far-seeing seer saw every thing with her mind's eye, and held her converse.

यत्नेन तं च भर्तारमात्मज्ञानामृतं प्रति । बहुशो बोधयामास चूडाला न विवेद सः ॥ ८ ॥

yatnena taṃ ca bhartāramātmajñānāmṛtaṃ prati | bahuśo bodhayāmāsa cūḍālā na viveda saḥ || 8 ||

She tried much to communicate her knowledge to her ignorant husband, but he was no way capable of receiving her spiritual instruction.

कलाविदग्धा मुग्धा च बालेयं गृहिणी मम । इत्येवं केवलं राजा स चूडालां विवेद ताम् ॥ ९ ॥

kalāvidagdhā mugdhā ca bāleyaṃ gṛhiṇī mama | ityevaṃ kevalaṃ rājā sa cūḍālāṃ viveda tām || 9 ||

He understood her as no other than his young princess and the mistress of his house, and skilled only in the arts of coquetry and house wifery.

एतावतापि कालेन तामेवंगुणशालिनीम् । बालो विद्यामिव नृपश्चूडालां न विवेद सः ॥ १० ॥

etāvatāpi kālena tāmevaṃguṇaśālinīm | bālo vidyāmiva nṛpaścūḍālāṃ na viveda saḥ || 10 ||

Until this time the prince had been ignorant of the qualifications of the princess Chudala, and knew not that she had made her progress in the spiritual science, as a young student makes his proficiency in the different branches of learning.

साप्यलब्धात्मविश्रान्तेस्तां सिद्धिश्रियमात्मनः । दर्शयामास नो राज्ञः शूद्रस्येव मखक्रियाम् ॥ ११ ॥

sāpyalabdhātmaviśrāntestāṃ siddhiśriyamātmanaḥ | darśayāmāsa no rājñaḥ śūdrasyeva makhakriyām || 11 ||

She also was as reserved to show her consummate learning to her unenlightened husband; as a Brahman declines to show his secret rites to a vile sudra.

श्रीराम उवाच । महत्याः सिद्धयोगिन्यास्तस्या अपि शिखिध्वजः । यत्नेन प्राप नो बोधं बुध्यतेऽन्यः कथं प्रभो ॥ १२ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | mahatyāḥ siddhayoginyāstasyā api śikhidhvajaḥ | yatnena prāpa no bodhaṃ budhyate'nyaḥ kathaṃ prabho || 12 ||

Rama said:—If it was impossible, sir, for the seeress of consummate wisdom to communicate her knowledge to her husband Sikhidvaja, with all her endeavours to enlighten him on the subject; how can it be possible for others, to be conversant in spiritual knowledge in any other means.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । उपदेशक्रमो राम व्यवस्थामात्रपालनम् । ज्ञप्तेस्तु कारणं शुद्धा शिष्यप्रज्ञैव राघव ॥ १३ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | upadeśakramo rāma vyavasthāmātrapālanam | jñaptestu kāraṇaṃ śuddhā śiṣyaprajñaiva rāghava || 13 ||

Vasishtha answered said:—Rama, it is obedience to the rule of attending to the precepts of the preceptor, joined with the intelligence of the pupil, which is the only means of gaining instruction.

न श्रुतेन न पुण्येन ज्ञायते ज्ञेयमात्मनः । जानात्यात्मानमात्मैव सर्पः सर्पपदानि व ॥ १४ ॥

na śrutena na puṇyena jñāyate jñeyamātmanaḥ | jānātyātmānamātmaiva sarpaḥ sarpapadāni va || 14 ||

The hearing of sermon nor the observance of any religious rite, is of any efficacy towards the knowledge of the soul; unless one will employ his own soul, to have the light of the supreme soul shine upon it. It is the spirit alone that can know the spirit, as it is the serpent only that can trace out the path of another serpent.

श्रीराम उवाच । एवंस्थिते वाथ मुने कथमेतज्जगत्स्थितौ । क्रमो गुरूपदेशाख्यः स्वात्मज्ञानस्य कारणम् ॥ १५ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | evaṃsthite vātha mune kathametajjagatsthitau | kramo gurūpadeśākhyaḥ svātmajñānasya kāraṇam || 15 ||

Rama rejoined:—If such is the course of the world, that we can learn nothing without the instruction of our preceptors; then tell me, O sage! how the precepts of the wise lead to our spiritual knowledge also.

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अत्यन्तकृपणः कश्चित्किराटो धनधान्यवान् । अस्ति विन्ध्याटवीकक्षे कुटुम्बी ब्राह्मणो यथा ॥ १६ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | atyantakṛpaṇaḥ kaścitkirāṭo dhanadhānyavān | asti vindhyāṭavīkakṣe kuṭumbī brāhmaṇo yathā || 16 ||

Vasishtha replied:—Hear me Rama, relate to you a tale to this effect. There lived an old Kirata of yore, who was miserly in his conduct as he was rich in his possessions of wealth and grains. He dwelt with his family by the side of the Vindhyan woods, as a poor Brahman lives apart from his kith and kin.

तस्यैकदा निपतिता गच्छतो विन्ध्यजङ्गले । एका वराटिका राम तृणजालकसंवृते ॥ १७ ॥

tasyaikadā nipatitā gacchato vindhyajaṅgale | ekā varāṭikā rāma tṛṇajālakasaṃvṛte || 17 ||

He happened to pass by his native forest at one time, and slip a single couri from his purse, which fell in a grassy furze and was lost under the grass.

कार्पण्यात्स प्रयत्नेन सर्वं तृणतुषादिकम् । कपर्दकार्थमभितो दुधाव दिवसत्रयम् ॥ १८ ॥

kārpaṇyātsa prayatnena sarvaṃ tṛṇatuṣādikam | kapardakārthamabhito dudhāva divasatrayam || 18 ||

He ran on every side, and beat at the bush for three days to find out his lost couri, and impelled by his niggardliness to leave no fallen leaf unturned over the ground.

कपर्दकाः स्युर्भवता चत्वारोऽष्टौ च कालतः । ततः शतं सहस्रं च सहस्रे चेति चेतसा ॥ १९ ॥

kapardakāḥ syurbhavatā catvāro'ṣṭau ca kālataḥ | tataḥ śataṃ sahasraṃ ca sahasre ceti cetasā || 19 ||

As he searched and turned about, he ran and turned it ever in his mind, saying:—Ah! this single couri would make four by its commerce, and that would bring me eight in time, and this would make a hundred and a thousand, and more and more by repetition, so I have lost a treasure in this.

कलयञ्जङ्गले दीनो रात्रिंदिवमतन्द्रितः । जनहाससहस्राणि बुबुधे न परं तु सः ॥ २० ॥

kalayañjaṅgale dīno rātriṃdivamatandritaḥ | janahāsasahasrāṇi bubudhe na paraṃ tu saḥ || 20 ||

Thus he counted over and over, over the gains he would gain, and sighed as often at the loss he did sustain; and took into no account of the rustic peasantry on his foolish penury.

ततो दिनत्रयस्यान्ते तेन तस्माच्च जङ्गलात् । पूर्णेन्दुबिम्बप्रतिमो लब्धश्चिन्तामणिर्महान् ॥ २१ ॥

tato dinatrayasyānte tena tasmācca jaṅgalāt | pūrṇendubimbapratimo labdhaścintāmaṇirmahān || 21 ||

At the end of the third day he came across a rich jewel, as brilliant as the bright moon in the same forest; which compensated for the loss of his paltry couri by a thousand fold.

तं प्राप्य तुष्टहृदयः समागम्य गृहं सुखम् । प्राप्ताखिलजगद्भूतिः शान्तसर्वतया स्थितः ॥ २२ ॥

taṃ prāpya tuṣṭahṛdayaḥ samāgamya gṛhaṃ sukham | prāptākhilajagadbhūtiḥ śāntasarvatayā sthitaḥ || 22 ||

He returned gladly with his great gain to his homely dwelling, and was highly delighted with the thought of keeping off poverty for ever from his door.

एवं यथा किराटेन कपर्दान्वेषणेन तत् । रत्नं लब्धं जगन्मूल्यमहोरात्रमखेदिना ॥ २३ ॥

evaṃ yathā kirāṭena kapardānveṣaṇena tat | ratnaṃ labdhaṃ jaganmūlyamahorātramakhedinā || 23 ||

Now as the Kirata was quite satisfied, with his unexpected gain of the great treasure, in the search of his trifling couri; and passed his days without any care or fear of the changeful world.

तथा श्रुतोपदेशेन स्वात्मज्ञानमवाप्यते । अन्यदन्विष्यते चान्यल्लभ्यते हि गुरुक्रमात् ॥ २४ ॥

tathā śrutopadeśena svātmajñānamavāpyate | anyadanviṣyate cānyallabhyate hi gurukramāt || 24 ||

So the student comes to obtain his spiritual knowledge from his preceptor, while he has been in quest of his temporal learning, which is but a trifle in comparison to his eternal concern.

ब्रह्म सर्वेन्द्रियातीतं श्रुतादीन्द्रियसंविदः । तेनोपदेशादनघ नात्मतत्त्वमवाप्यते ॥ २५ ॥

brahma sarvendriyātītaṃ śrutādīndriyasaṃvidaḥ | tenopadeśādanagha nātmatattvamavāpyate || 25 ||

But then, O sinless Rama! it is not possible to attain to divine knowledge, by the mere lectures of the preceptor; because the lord is beyond the perception of senses, and can neither be expressed by nor known from the words of the instructor's mouth.

गुरूपदेशं च विना नात्मतत्त्वागमो भवेत् । केन चिन्तामणिर्लब्धः कपर्दान्वेषणं विना ॥ २६ ॥

gurūpadeśaṃ ca vinā nātmatattvāgamo bhavet | kena cintāmaṇirlabdhaḥ kapardānveṣaṇaṃ vinā || 26 ||

Again it is not possible to arrive to spiritual knowledge, without the guidance of the spiritual guide; for can one gain the rich gem without his search after the couri like the miserly Kirata?

तत्त्वस्यास्य महार्थस्य गुरूपकथनं गतम् । अकारणं कारणतां मणेरिव कपर्दकः ॥ २७ ॥

tattvasyāsya mahārthasya gurūpakathanaṃ gatam | akāraṇaṃ kāraṇatāṃ maṇeriva kapardakaḥ || 27 ||

As the search of couri became the cause of or was attended with the gain of the gem, so our attendance on secular instructions of the preceptor, becomes an indirect cause to our acquirement of the invaluable treasure of spiritual knowledge.

पश्य राघव मायेयं मोहिनी महतामपि । अन्यदन्विष्यते यत्नादन्यदासाद्यते फलम् ॥ २८ ॥

paśya rāghava māyeyaṃ mohinī mahatāmapi | anyadanviṣyate yatnādanyadāsādyate phalam || 28 ||

Rama, look at this wonderful eventualities of nature, which brings forth events otherwise than the necessary results of our pursuits.

अन्यत्करोति पुरुषः फलमन्यदेव प्राप्नोति यत्र्त्रिषु जगत्स्ववलोक्यते च । तस्मादनन्तरभवस्य जगद्भ्रमस्य श्रेयोऽतिवाहनमसङ्गमनिच्छयैव ॥ २९ ॥

anyatkaroti puruṣaḥ phalamanyadeva prāpnoti yatrtriṣu jagatsvavalokyate ca | tasmādanantarabhavasya jagadbhramasya śreyo'tivāhanamasaṅgamanicchayaiva || 29 ||

As it often comes to pass, that our attempts are attended with other result than those which are ought; it is better for us to remain indifferent with regard to the result of our act.