Samanga Tells Narada Why He Does Not Grieve

Verse 1 (12.292.1)

शोकाद्दुःखाच्च मृत्योश्च त्रसन्ते प्राणिनः सदा । उभयं नो यथा न स्यात्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

śokādduḥkhācca mṛtyośca trasante prāṇinaḥ sadā | ubhayaṃ no yathā na syāttanme brūhi pitāmaha

Living beings are always afraid of sorrow, of suffering and of death. Tell me, grandsire, how we may have neither of these two.

Verse 2 (12.292.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । नारदस्य च संवादं समङ्गस्य च भारत ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | nāradasya ca saṃvādaṃ samaṅgasya ca bhārata

On this point they also recount an ancient tale, the conversation of Narada and Samanga, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment; it is CE 12.275.2 (atraivodāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam, Wikisource's अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीमम् is a recension variant).

Verse 3 (12.292.3)

उरसेव प्रणमसे बाहुभ्यां तरसीव च । संप्रहृष्टमना नित्यं विशोक इव लक्ष्यसे ॥

uraseva praṇamase bāhubhyāṃ tarasīva ca | saṃprahṛṣṭamanā nityaṃ viśoka iva lakṣyase

You carry yourself as though with chest and arms and vigour thrown forward, always glad of heart, and you seem to be free of grief.

Verse 4 (12.292.4)

उद्वेगं न हि ते किंचित्सुसूक्ष्ममपि लक्षये । नित्यतृप्त इव स्वस्थो बालवच्च विचेष्टसे ॥

udvegaṃ na hi te kiṃcitsusūkṣmamapi lakṣaye | nityatṛpta iva svastho bālavacca viceṣṭase

I can see in you not the slightest trace of anxiety, however subtle. You are at ease like one ever satisfied, and you act like a child.

Verse 5 (12.292.5)

भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च सर्वभूतेषु नारद । तेषां तत्त्वानि जानामि ततो न विमना ह्यहम् ॥

bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyacca sarvabhūteṣu nārada | teṣāṃ tattvāni jānāmi tato na vimanā hyaham

Past, future and present, Narada, in all beings: I know the truth of them, and therefore I am not downcast.

Verse 6 (12.292.6)

उपक्रमानहं वेद पुनरेव फलोदयान् । लोके फलानि चित्राणि ततो न विमना ह्यहम् ॥

upakramānahaṃ veda punareva phalodayān | loke phalāni citrāṇi tato na vimanā hyaham

I know the beginnings of undertakings and again the rising of their fruits; I know the varied fruits of the world, and therefore I am not downcast.

Verse 7 (12.292.7)

अनाथाश्चाप्रतिष्ठाश्च गतिमन्तश्च नारद । अन्धा जडाश्च जीवन्ति पश्यास्मानपि जीवतः ॥

anāthāścāpratiṣṭhāśca gatimantaśca nārada | andhā jaḍāśca jīvanti paśyāsmānapi jīvataḥ

Some are helpless and without footing, some have a refuge, Narada; the blind and the dull-witted too go on living. Look at us, who are alive as well.

Verse 8 (12.292.8)

विहितेनैव जीवन्ति अरोगाङ्गा दिवौकसः । बलवन्तोऽबलाश्चैव तद्वदस्मान्सभाजय ॥

vihitenaiva jīvanti arogāṅgā divaukasaḥ | balavanto'balāścaiva tadvadasmānsabhājaya

The gods, sound in body, live by what has been ordained; the strong and the weak live in the same way. So regard us likewise.

Verse 9 (12.292.9)

सहस्रिणोऽपि जीवन्ति जीवन्ति शतिनस्तथा । शाकेन चान्ये जीवन्ति पश्यास्मानपि जीवतः ॥

sahasriṇo'pi jīvanti jīvanti śatinastathā | śākena cānye jīvanti paśyāsmānapi jīvataḥ

Some live with thousands, some with hundreds, and others live on mere greens. Look at us, who are alive as well.

Verse 10 (12.292.10)

यदा न शोचेमहि किं नु नः स्या । द्धर्मेण वा नारद कर्मणा वा । कृतान्तवश्यानि यदा सुखानि । दुःखानि वा यन्न विधर्षयन्ति ॥

yadā na śocemahi kiṃ nu naḥ syā | ddharmeṇa vā nārada karmaṇā vā | kṛtāntavaśyāni yadā sukhāni | duḥkhāni vā yanna vidharṣayanti

If we do not grieve, what is left for us to gain, Narada, through dharma or through action, since pleasures lie in the grip of fate, and so do the pains, so long as they do not crush us?

Verse 11 (12.292.11)

यस्मै प्राज्ञाः कथयन्ते मनुष्याः । प्रज्ञामूलं हीन्द्रियाणां प्रसादः । मुह्यन्ति शोचन्ति तथेन्द्रियाणि । प्रज्ञालाभो नास्ति मूढेन्द्रियस्य ॥

yasmai prājñāḥ kathayante manuṣyāḥ | prajñāmūlaṃ hīndriyāṇāṃ prasādaḥ | muhyanti śocanti tathendriyāṇi | prajñālābho nāsti mūḍhendriyasya

The wise tell this to the man for whom the serenity of the senses is the root of wisdom. The senses become confused and sorrow; one whose senses are dull never gains wisdom.

Verse 12 (12.292.12)

मूढस्य दर्पः स पुनर्मोह एव । मूढस्य नायं न परोऽस्ति लोकः । न ह्येव दुःखानि सदा भवन्ति । सुखस्य वा नित्यशो लाभ एव ॥

mūḍhasya darpaḥ sa punarmoha eva | mūḍhasya nāyaṃ na paro'sti lokaḥ | na hyeva duḥkhāni sadā bhavanti | sukhasya vā nityaśo lābha eva

The fool's pride is only delusion again; for the fool there is neither this world nor the next. Sorrows do not come always, nor is happiness gained for ever.

Verse 13 (12.292.13)

भावात्मकं संपरिवर्तमानं । न मादृशः संज्वरं जातु कुर्यात् । इष्टान्भोगान्नानुरुध्येत्सुखं वा । न चिन्तयेद्दुःखमभ्यागतं वा ॥

bhāvātmakaṃ saṃparivartamānaṃ | na mādṛśaḥ saṃjvaraṃ jātu kuryāt | iṣṭānbhogānnānurudhyetsukhaṃ vā | na cintayedduḥkhamabhyāgataṃ vā

All things go on turning through changing states; one like me would never fall into the fever of the mind. He would not cling to pleasures he desires, or to happiness, nor brood on a sorrow that has come.

Verse 14 (12.292.14)

समाहितो न स्पृहयेत्परेषां । नानागतं नाभिनन्देत लाभम् । न चापि हृष्येद्विपुलेऽर्थलाभे । तथाऽर्थनाशे च न वै विषीदेत् ॥

samāhito na spṛhayetpareṣāṃ | nānāgataṃ nābhinandeta lābham | na cāpi hṛṣyedvipule'rthalābhe | tathā'rthanāśe ca na vai viṣīdet

Composed, he should not covet what belongs to others, nor welcome a gain not yet come; he should not exult at a great gain of wealth, nor sink in despair at its loss.

Note on the text: Corrected नानागतं चाभिनन्देच्च लाभम् → नानागतं नाभिनन्देत लाभम् (misprint in Wikisource; the doubled च and the positive sense contradict the context, which forbids rejoicing in gain; CE nānāgataṃ nābhinandeta lābham).

Verse 15 (12.292.15)

न बान्धवा न च वित्तं न कौल्यं । न च श्रुतं न च मन्त्रा न वीर्यम् । दुःखान्त्रातुं सर्व एवोत्सहन्ते । परत्र शीलेन तु यान्ति शान्तिम् ॥

na bāndhavā na ca vittaṃ na kaulyaṃ | na ca śrutaṃ na ca mantrā na vīryam | duḥkhāntrātuṃ sarva evotsahante | paratra śīlena tu yānti śāntim

Neither kinsmen nor wealth nor high birth, neither learning nor mantras nor valour can all save a man from sorrow; but through virtuous conduct people reach peace hereafter.

Verse 16 (12.292.16)

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य नायोगाद्विन्दते सुखम् । धृतिश्च दुःखत्यागश्चेत्युभयं तु सुखं नृप ॥

nāsti buddhirayuktasya nāyogādvindate sukham | dhṛtiśca duḥkhatyāgaścetyubhayaṃ tu sukhaṃ nṛpa

There is no wisdom for the undisciplined, nor does one find happiness without discipline; steadiness and the giving up of sorrow, these two together are happiness, O king.

Verse 17 (12.292.17)

प्रियं हि हर्षजननं हर्ष उत्सेकवर्धनः । उत्सेको नरकायैव तस्मात्तान्संत्यजाम्यहम् ॥

priyaṃ hi harṣajananaṃ harṣa utsekavardhanaḥ | utseko narakāyaiva tasmāttānsaṃtyajāmyaham

What is dear brings joy, joy swells into exultation, and exultation leads only to hell; therefore I give them up.

Verse 18 (12.292.18)

एताञ्शोकभयोत्सेकान्मोहनान्सुखदुःखयोः । पश्यामि साक्षिवल्लोके देहस्यास्य विचेष्टनात् ॥

etāñśokabhayotsekānmohanānsukhaduḥkhayoḥ | paśyāmi sākṣivalloke dehasyāsya viceṣṭanāt

I see these three, sorrow, fear and exultation, which bewilder us in pleasure and in pain, as a witness would, in the workings of this body in the world.

Verse 19 (12.292.19)

अर्थकामौ परित्यज्य विशोको विगतज्वरः । तृष्णामोहौ तु संत्यज्य चरामि पृथिवीमिमाम् ॥

arthakāmau parityajya viśoko vigatajvaraḥ | tṛṣṇāmohau tu saṃtyajya carāmi pṛthivīmimām

Giving up wealth and desire, free of grief and of fever, abandoning craving and delusion, I wander over this earth.

Verse 20 (12.292.20)

न च मृत्योर्न चाधर्मान्न लोभान्न कुतश्चन । पीतामृतस्येवात्यन्तमिह वामुत्र वा भयम् ॥

na ca mṛtyorna cādharmānna lobhānna kutaścana | pītāmṛtasyevātyantamiha vāmutra vā bhayam

I have no fear of death, of unrighteousness, of greed or of anything at all, here or hereafter, as if I had drunk the nectar to the full.

Verse 21 (12.292.21)

एतद्ब्रह्मन्विजानामि महत्कृत्वा तपोऽव्ययम् । तेन नारद संप्राप्तो न मां शोकः प्रबाधते ॥

etadbrahmanvijānāmi mahatkṛtvā tapo'vyayam | tena nārada saṃprāpto na māṃ śokaḥ prabādhate

This I know, brahmin: I performed great and imperishable austerity; by that, Narada, I have attained this, and sorrow does not trouble me.