अथ कालमहिमानुवर्णनम्
[DESCRIPTION OF THE
GREATNESS OF ‘KAALA’ (TIME/DEATH)]
(41)
Time
swallows everything and everybody and makes all into mere memory-patterns in
the brain!
सा रम्या नगरी महान्स नृपतिः सामन्तचक्रं
च तत्पार्श्वे
तस्य च सा विदग्धपरिषत्ताश्चन्द्रबिम्बाननाः ।
उद्दृतः स च राजपुत्रनिवहस्ते बन्दिनस्ताः
कथाः
सर्वं यस्य वशादगात्स्मृतिपथं कालाय तस्मै
नमः ॥४१॥
That beautiful city; that great king;
that circle of subordinate kings seated
next;
that assembly of scholars of his;
those pretty girls with faces like moon;
that group of arrogant princes;
those bards; those conversations!
Salutation to that ‘Kaala (Time/Death)
by whose command
all these have turned into mere
memories!
(42)
The ‘Gambler Time’ sits in
front of his ‘Game board of the world’ and rolls his dice of ‘Night and Day’.
He moves the ‘Coins of living beings’.
Areas get filled with people
through prosperous conditions created by him.
People again die hit by
famines and diseases. People get united; separated.
All in the game!
यत्रानेकः क्वचिदपि गृहे तत्र तिष्ठत्यथैको
यत्राप्येकस्तदनु बहवस्तत्र नैकोsपि चान्ते ।
इत्थं नेयौ रजनिदिवसौ लोलयन् द्वाविवाक्षौ
कालः कल्यो भुवनफलके क्रीडति प्राणिशारैः
॥४ २॥
In which house there were once many,
one only is there now!
Where there was only one, many were
there later;
no one is there in the end.
In this manner Kaala (death) the expert
gambler,
casts the ever-rotating night and day as
the two dices,
and plays on the game-board of the world
with ‘beings’ as coins.
(43)
Night comes; day comes; night
comes; so on and on.
No one notices that each day
is a step towards the ‘Death-day’.
Like mechanical dolls moving
senselessly, people get up in the morning; start doing things one after the
other and sleep off at night tired and worn out. No one pauses for a minute to
observe the ‘Time’ which is swallowing their lives slowly.
Death, disease, calamity, or
whatever, is accepted by all as a part of life.
People just go through
everything not bothering ever to escape the clutches of ‘Time’.
They can’t see! They can’t
understand! They are all drunk and insane not by alcohol but by ignorance and
indifference!
आदित्यस्य गतागतैरहरहः संक्षीयते जीवितं
व्यापारैर्बहुकार्यभारगुरुभिः कालोsपि
न ज्ञायते ।
दृष्ट्वा जन्मजराविपत्तिमरणं त्रासश्च
नोत्पद्यते
पीत्वा मोहमयीं प्रमादमदिरामुन्मत्तभूतं
जगत् ॥४३॥
Life ebbs away day
by day as the sun goes and comes.
The passing of the
time is not even cognized
being engaged in the routine affairs of the
world,
which are
excessively weighed down by numerous activities.
Observing the
birth, old age, calamities, deaths etc,
no distress rises.
The world has
become insane
after drinking the
‘liquor of inattention’ filled with
the essence of
ignorance.
(44)
Only one thing these ignorant
are sure of; that night and day will never stop coming.
Come the sun, they wake up;
the sun sets and they sleep. That is all.
Morning means work; night
means sleep. Nothing more do they want to know or understand. They keep their
brains stagnant with routine works which do not need much thinking. Like ants
engaged in their own movements without bothering about why and what for, the
ignorant lot is always busy in its own affairs.
Self? Knowledge? What for? They don’t need all that! Their lifeless
stone-gods are there for them always as mute figures, fulfilling (or not
fulfilling) their whims and fancies! Why strain the mind by doing enquiry of the
Self? - thus they remain in their own dark world! What a shameful state!
रात्रि सैव पुनः स एव दिवसो मत्त्वा मुधा
जन्तवो
धावन्त्युद्यमिनस्तथैव निभृतप्रारब्धतत्तत्क्रियाः ।
व्यापारैः पुनरुक्तभूतविषयैरित्थं विधेनामुना
संसारेण कदर्थिता वयमहो मोहान्न लज्जामहे
॥४४॥
Night keeps coming repeatedly in the
same way.
Day keeps coming repeatedly in the same
way.
Sure of this knowledge,
the human beings keep running busily
engaged in their own affairs
in the same way;
keeping their plans to themselves and
following them accordingly.
In this manner,
we are slaving in this world engaged in
enterprises
which get routinely done again and
again.
Alas!
We are not ashamed of our foolishness!
(45)
If the path of knowledge is
difficult, at least meditate on Lord Shiva and pray for knowledge. He will lift
you out of this mundane existence.
If you do not want to escape
the tortures of births and deaths, at least aspire for a heaven by doing
meritorious acts.
If that is difficult, at
least try fulfilling all the desires! That does not happen even in a dream for
sure!
Nothing is possible!
Everything is difficult! Then why are we born?
Only to destroy the youthful
looks of our mothers…?
न ध्यातं पदमीश्वरस्य विधिवत्संसारविच्छित्तये
स्वर्गद्वारकवाटपाटनपटुर्धर्मोsपि नोपार्जितः ।
नारीपीनपयोधरोरुयुगलं स्वप्नेsपि नालिङ्गितं
मातुः केवलमेव यौवनवनच्छेदे कुठारा वयम्
॥४५॥
The feet of Lord Shiva
were not meditated upon in the prescribed
manner
to cut off the bondage of worldly existence.
Even the merits which are capable of breaking
open
the bolted door of the heaven were not earned.
The huge pair of breasts of a woman was
not embraced
even in a dream.
We are just axes in destroying the
youthful forest of the mother.
(46)
Youthful state is supposed to
be the best period of a human life. Anything can be achieved by a young man or
woman, if they will it.
But do they aspire for
anything at all?
Nothing worthwhile is learnt
which can be presented in front of the intellectuals.
No courage is cultivated
which can face any danger that life presents.
Even the ordinary pleasures
of life are not attained fully.
The youthful state is just
wasted away in chasing worthless pleasures with nothing worthwhile done in
life.
A light is lit in an empty
house as it were!
नाभ्यस्ता प्रतिवादिवृन्ददमनी विद्या
विनीतोचिता
खड्गाग्रैः करिकुम्भपीठदलनैर्नाकं न नीतं यशः ।
कान्ताकोमलपल्लवाधररसः पीतो न चन्द्रोदये
तारुण्यं गतमेव निष्फलमहो शून्यालये दीपवत् ॥४६॥
The learning fit for the pious
which would subdue the opponents arguing
in a debate
was not accomplished.
Our fame did not reach the heavens
by breaking the forehead of the elephant
by the edge of the swords.
The honey in the tender bud like lips of
the women was not drunk.
Alas! The youthful time of life has
passed away wastefully
like a light lit in an empty house.
(47)
So
much is there to learn! We do not learn anything. (No time!)
So
much wealth can be acquired by hard work! We do not do effort enough! (No time!)
Virtues
can be cultivated! Leave out the outsiders; we are not even patient with our own
aged parents, and get irritated by their presence! (No time!)
Without
wealth and health we are ignored by pretty girls, even in a dream! (No wealth!)
All
our lives are spent in serving some one just to survive! (for acquiring the basic amenities!)
Are
we any better than crows?
विद्या नाधिगता कलङ्करहिता वित्तं च नोपर्जितं
शुश्रूषापि समाहितेन मनसा पित्रोर्न संपादिता ।
आलोलायतलोचनाः प्रियतमाः स्वप्नेsपि नालिङ्गिताः
कालोऽयं परपिण्डलोलुपतया काकैरिव प्रेर्यते
॥४७॥
Flawless learning has not been mastered.
Wealth has not been gained.
Even service to the parents was not done
with a patient mind.
The beloveds with restless eyes have not
been embraced
even in the dreams.
Time moves on, even as we like the greedy crows
wait for the crumbs thrown by others!
(48)
What are our lives like?
Time passes so fast that our
child hood and youth become just memories. Parents die off. Friends die off. We
will also die, we know! We wait; with apprehension and fear; not knowing what
lies ahead of death! Will we become spirits? Will we go to hells? Will we get
re-born? Will we suffer? Will we leave every hard-earned possession of ours and
disappear into nothing? Thus we wait like the trees on the sandy banks waiting
for the flood to take them away!
वयं येभ्यो जाताश्चिरपरिचिता एव खलु ते
समं यैः संवृद्धाः स्मृतिविषयतां तेsपि
गमिताः ।
इदानीमेते स्मः प्रतिदिवसमासन्नपतना
गतास्तुल्यावस्थां सिकतिलनदीतीरतरुभिः
॥४ ८॥
Those from whom we were born
were known to us long back (in time).
Those who grew along with us have become
just memories.
Now in this old age, expecting death
every day,
we have become equal to the trees standing on the
(loose) sandy bank of the river
(ready to fall anytime).
(49)
What is life? Where is
happiness?
Blank sleep; immature
childhood; fragile old age; diseases; separations; services; and sufferings!
In no time we are gone from
life itself!
आयुर्वर्षशतं नृणां परिमितं रात्रौ तदर्धं
गतं
तस्यार्धस्य परस्य चार्धमपरं बालत्ववृद्धत्वयोः ।
तेषां व्याधिवियोगदुःखसहितं सेवादिभिर्नीयते
जीवे वारितरङ्गचञ्चलतरे सौख्यं कुतः प्राणिनाम् ॥४९॥
Hundred years are the ordained age-limit
for the human beings.
Half of it is gone in nights. (by
sleeping)
Of its half, one half goes off in
childhood and old age.
The left over days gets spent in serving
others
accompanied by the pains of diseases and
separations.
Where can humans ever get any happiness
in this life which is as unstable as the
wave rising on the surface of waters?
(50)
World is a stage. Life is a
play. Man is an actor.
Various costumes! Various
parts!
Such a short play! Such a
fast changing actor!
At one moment he is on the
stage disguised as a baby crawling on the floor!
Next second he embraces a
woman lustfully, wearing the costume of a young man!
Sometime he parades as a rich
man; sometime he begs on the street like a poor man.
At the end of the play he
wears no costumes. His whole body is now painted with lines (wrinkles). His
limbs are weak and do not function well. He slowly walks towards the back
screen; enters it and disappears for ever!
क्षणं बालो भूत्वा क्षणमपि युवा कामरसिकः
क्षणं वित्तैर्हीनः क्षणमपि च संपूर्णविभवः ।
जराजीर्णैरङ्गैर्नट इव वलीमण्डिततनुः
नरः संसारान्ते विशति यमधानीयवनिकाम्
॥५०॥
One second becoming a child;
the next second a youth tasting the joys
of passion;
another second stripped of all wealth;
next second endowed with all
prosperities!
Then at the end of his life in the
world,
the man like an actor enters
the Yama’s City behind the curtain,
with his body painted by lines
(wrinkles) all over and
with limbs weakened by old age.
अथ यतिनृपतिसंवादवर्णनं
[DESCRIPTION OF THE
CONVERSATION BETWEEN
A RECLUSE AND A KING]
(51)
{WHO IS GREATER-
THOSE WHO ACQUIRE WEALTH OR THOSE WHO ACQUIRE
KNOWLEDGE?}
Hey
King! Why are you so proud and arrogant? How dare you ignore us?
If
you are a high and mighty king, we are in no way lower than you.
We
have mastered great learning under Great Gurus.
If
the ephemeral wealth is yours, we are the proud owners of ever-lasting
knowledge!
Who
is greater?
त्वं राजा
वयमप्युपासितगुरुप्रज्ञाभिमानोन्नताः ।
You are the king (who enjoys the ruler
ship over all the people)!
We also are in a lofty position
by acquiring excellent knowledge by
serving great Masters.
Hey
King! You might be very popular because of your wealth and riches which stay
only for a short time. But we who have realized the Supreme are more renowned
than you. Our greatness is sung by poets in the future also! You fame dies
along with your body. Our name shines even beyond the death of the body! Who is
greater?
ख्यातस्त्वं विभवैर्यशांसि कवयो
दिक्षु प्रतन्वन्ति नः ।
You are famous because of your
prosperities only.
Great scholars spread our fame (of
poetic talent) in all the directions.
Hey
King! If wealth and honor are compared, we stand higher than you. You are
nothing compared to us!
इत्थं मानधनातिदूरमुभयोरप्यावयोरन्तरम् ।
Thus, the distance between both of us is
too much
when honor and wealth is considered.
Hey
King! If you think you are too high in status and ignore us, then we also have
to do the same; not because we are arrogant; but we do not have the need to
propitiate you to gain favors from you! We are complete in ourselves. It is you
who will be the loser if you show indifference to us Knowers!
यद्यस्मासु पराङ्ग्मुखोsसि
वयमप्येकान्ततो निःस्पृहाः ॥५१॥
If you are going to disregard us,
then invariably
we also will not have anything to do
with you.
(52)
Hey
King! You may control all the people through the wealth you have amassed; we on
the other hand are the masters of all scriptures! There is nothing we have left
out in their analysis! You can never equal us in the wealth of learning.
अर्थानामीशिषे त्वं वयमपि च गिरामीश्महे यावदर्थं ।
You are the sole controller of your
wealth.
We also are the masters of
all the statements of scriptures in all
its meanings in all ways.
Hey
King! You may fight your battles with swords and conquer the enemies!
We
win over those who battle us with words and defeat them through our knowledge.
शूरस्त्वं
वादिदर्पव्युपशमनविधावक्षयं पाटवं नः ।
You are brave indeed (in conquering your
enemies).
We also are undefeatable experts
in subduing the arrogance of opponents
in debates.
Hey
King! All rich people hover around you catering to your whims and fancies. They
may not be truly devoted to you within their hearts. But people approach us
with true respect and learn the ways of subduing the mind. They are sincere
devotees.
सेवन्ते त्वां धनाढ्या मतिमलहतये मामपि श्रोतुकामा ।
Rich men serve you indeed.
People serve me also for ridding the
mind of its dirt.
Hey
King! If you care not to show interest
in us and learn the ways of knowledge, the loss is yours.
We
do not bother!
मय्यप्यास्था न ते चेत्त्वयि मम नितरामेव राजन्ननास्था ॥५२॥
If you are not interested in me, I also
have not the least interest in you.
(53)
Hey
King! We wear only bark garment and we are happy .You are wearing the finest
silk garments, you are also happy. So what difference is there? The difference
seen in the materials make no difference at all. We both are happy with what we
wear!
वयमिह परितुष्टा वल्कलैस्त्वं
दुकूलैः ।
We are completely happy wearing the bark
garments;
you by fine clothing.
समा इव परितोषो निर्विशेषो विशेषः ।
The contentment is the same. The
difference makes no difference.
Hey
King! You might think that you are happy. But analyze your own mind and see how
many unsatisfied desires lurk there robbing you of your peace of mind. You indeed
are poor because you still do not have enough. On the other hand, we have no
desires at all and we do not want anything more. We are established in the Self
and are always happy. We are not poor! You are!
स तु भवतु दरिद्रो यस्य तृष्णा
विशाला ।
मनसि च परितुष्ठे कोsर्थवान् को दरिद्रः ॥५३॥
He indeed is a poverty-stricken man,
whose thirst for pleasures is immense.
If the mind is contended,
who is rich and who is poor?
(54)
Hey
King! What have I to beg from you? I live on fruits and roots. I wear bark
garments or some patched up clothes. I sleep on some ground under a tree or in
a cave. I am happy. I am happy in the
Self-state. I have no desires. I have Knowledge as my wealth.
Shiva
is my care-taker. What do I want with you – the arrogant fool?
Observe
how your senses are behaving.
Eye
is looking sideways ignoring my presence.
My
words do not enter your ears fully.
Your
nose is interested in smelling the fragrance of the girls nearby.
Your
mouth holds a snarl slighting me.
You
are lolling on the throne not even rising up to greet me.
This
insolence of your senses is because of their intoxication of drinking the
liquor of wealth! You who do not have control over your senses are
ignorant.
Why
should I tolerate you like other poor beggars here?
फलमलमशनाय स्वादु पानाय तोयं
क्षितिरपि शयनार्थं वासने वल्कलं च ।
नवधनमधुपानभ्रान्तसर्वेन्द्रियाणां
अविनयमनुमन्तुं नोत्सहे दुर्जनानाम् ॥५४॥
Fruit suffices as food.
For a tasty drink, water is there.
The ground is used for sleeping.
The bark serves as a covering for the
body.
I don’t have the need to tolerate the
impoliteness of the wicked,
whose sense organs are inebriated by
drinking the wine of freshly acquired
wealth!
(55)
अशीमहि वयं भिक्षामाशावासो वसीमहि ।
शयीमहि महीपृष्ठे कुर्वीमहि
किमीश्वरैः ॥५५॥
We eat food gotten by begging.
We wear the quarters as our garments.
We sleep on the surface of the earth.
What will we do with the kings?
(56)
People
here please the king exhibiting their varied talents and get rewards from him.
Actors
present a play. Dancers wear colorful costumes and dance. Jesters act funny and
make him laugh. Singers bring their orchestra and sing melodious songs. Some
talk witty and entertain him.
We
do not have any such talent which the king may have a liking for.
He
will not look at us. Why would he?
May
be if we were women with huge breasts, he would see us for sure, even if we had
no talents.
But
we are not the women!
न नटा न विटा न गायका न च
सभ्येतरवादचुञ्चवः ।
नृपमीक्षितुमत्र के वयं
स्तनभारानमिता न योषितः ॥५६॥
We are not actors; not the jesters; nor
singers; nor courtiers;
or experts in entertaining talks.
Who are we that we should (be allowed
to) see the king?
We are not beautiful women bent by the
heaviness of breasts!
(57)
Somebody in the past
converted some forest-land into a kingdom. Some other kept maintaining it and
increased its width. Some like Bali and others
even conquered it and gave it away also, not assigning it much value. There are
many other vast kingdoms, even worlds that are owned by others.
Creation is so huge. Fourteen
worlds are out there. Earth is just a tiny world of humans. Many kings own many
kingdoms here. Even then, why do men feel so arrogant owning just a few cities
or a tiny bit of land?
Possession is indeed is a
deadly virus rising the fever of arrogance!
विपुलहृदयैरीशैरेतदज्जगज्जनितं पुरा
विधृतमपरैर्दत्तं चान्यैर्विजित्य तृणं यथा ।
इह हि भुवनान्यन्ये धीराश्चतुर्दश भुञ्जते
कतिपयपुरस्वाम्ये पुम्सां क एष मदज्वरः ॥५७॥
Long ago,
this world was made by
some emperors with generous hearts.
Some others held on to it;
some conquered it
and gave it away like a
piece of grass.
Other courageous ones
enjoy the fourteen worlds even now.
What is this
‘arrogance-fever’ that men get infected with,
by the ownership of just a
few cities!
(58)
Hey
King! The land you own was owned by many
others in the past like a garment worn by many. Yet you seem to treasure it
instead of feeling humiliated and distressed! You are proud also! The more you
own, that much worn out it is! Don’t feel happy you idiot, rather feel
ashamed!
अभुक्तायां यस्यां क्षणमपि न जातं नृपशतैः
भुवस्तस्या लाभे क इव बहुमानः क्षितिभृताम्
।
तदम्शस्याप्यम्शे तदवयवलेशोऽपि पतयो
विषादे कर्तव्ये विदधाति जडाः प्रत्युत
मुदम् ॥५८॥
Why do the kings feel so proud about owning
the earth,
which even for a moment was not left
un-enjoyed
by hundreds of kings?
Even if
a tiny bit of the minutest
part of the miniscule part of that earth is there, these kings have to feel
distressed.
But these idiots feel
happy instead!
(59)
What
is this earth? Just A lump of clay surrounded by a thin line of salt water!
In
this huge creation, it is just the size of an atom!
Some
kings own it as a hereditary property or win it by fighting in battles.
Battles
never end. And the person who is sitting on the throne is so attached to his possessions
that he cannot part with a single cowrie even. When poor people beg him, he may
avoid them by promising to help in the future, or in a sudden fancy give some
money also. Great man! Great generosity indeed!
A
beggar in a rich man’s costume! That is what he is! So much attachment to the
riches of a kingdom which is equal to a mud-particle in this lump of clay
called earth!
Fie
on those who stand at the door of this great beggar and ask for favors!
मृत्पिन्डो जलरेखया वलयितः सर्वोप्ययं नन्वणुः
स्वांशीकृत्य तमेव सङगरशतै राज्ञां गणा भुञ्जते ।
ते दद्युर्ददतोऽथवा किमपरं क्षुद्रा दरिद्रा भृशं
धिग्धिक्तान्पुरुषाधमान्धनकणान्वान्छन्ति
तेभ्योऽपि ये ॥५९॥
Is not the
‘whole of this lump of
clay surrounded by a thin line of water’,
just atomic in size?
Taking ownership of it,
these groups of kings
enjoy ‘that (lump of clay)’ only,
fighting hundreds of wars.
They will give in the
future or give it now! What to say!
(They offer help with so
much hesitation and aversion.)
They are wretched and poor
already!
Fie! Fie on those wretched
men
who beg a few bits and
pieces of money from
even these (beggars
parading as rich)!
(60)
Lord
Shiva, the form of dispassion adores his head with the skull of a man who excels
in dispassion. A man of dispassion alone is worthy of being born; not others
who are attached to wealth.
Why
do these wealthy feel so great about themselves owning just a few pittances?
Some
wicked wretched men hover around the rich, only to take away some wealth that
belongs to them; they are there to fulfill their own purposes. Though they
pretend devotion and loyalty, they neither maintain any true respect for the
rich man nor any affection as such.
Even
then the foolish rich masters are pleased by the flattery of these wretched
selfish men near them; and shower favors on them.
स जातः कोऽप्यासीन्मदनरिपुणा मूर्ध्नि
धवलं
कपालं यस्योच्चैर्विनिहतमलंकारविधये ।
नृभिः प्राणत्राणप्रवणमतिभिः कैश्चिदधुना
नमद्भिः कः पुम्सामयमतुलदर्पज्वरभरः ॥६०॥
He alone is worthy of
being born as a man
whose white skull gets the
highest place
by getting worn on the
head as an ornament
by the destroyer of
Manmatha (Shiva).
Why then this high fever
of arrogance has infected these men
by getting saluted by men for
that moment only,
who are intent on
preserving only their lives for now?
