Ribhu's Return and Bharata's Final Liberation

Verse 1 (vishnu.2.16.1)

ब्राह्मण उवाच । ऋभुर् वर्षसहस्रे तु समतीते नरेश्वर । निदाघज्ञानदानाय तद् एव नगरं ययौ

brāhmaṇa uvāca ṛbhur varṣasahasre tu samatīte nareśvara nidāghajñānadānāya tad eva nagaraṁ yayau

The brahmin said: O lord of men, when a thousand years had passed, Ribhu went again to that same city, to give Nidagha further wisdom.

Verse 2 (vishnu.2.16.2)

नगरस्य बहिः सोऽथ निदाघं ददृशे मुनिः । महाबलपरीवारे पुरं विशति पार्थिवे

nagarasya bahiḥ so'tha nidāghaṁ dadṛśe muniḥ mahābalaparīvāre puraṁ viśati pārthive

Outside the city, that sage saw Nidagha, at the time when the king was entering the city with his great escort.

Verse 3 (vishnu.2.16.3)

दूरे स्थितं महाभागं जनसंमर्दवर्जकम् । क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठम् आयान्तम् अरण्यात् ससमित्कुशम्

dūre sthitaṁ mahābhāgaṁ janasaṁmardavarjakam kṣutkṣāmakaṇṭham āyāntam araṇyāt sasamitkuśam

He saw that greatly fortunate one standing at a distance, avoiding the crowd, coming from the forest, his throat parched with hunger, carrying fuel-sticks and kusha grass.

Verse 4 (vishnu.2.16.4)

दृष्ट्वा निदाघं स ऋभुर् उपगम्याभिवाद्य च । उवाच कस्माद् एकान्ते स्थीयते भवता द्विज

dṛṣṭvā nidāghaṁ sa ṛbhur upagamyābhivādya ca uvāca kasmād ekānte sthīyate bhavatā dvija

Seeing Nidagha, Ribhu approached and, having greeted him, said, 'Why, O twice-born, do you stand apart, alone?'

Verse 5 (vishnu.2.16.5)

निदाघ उवाच । भो विप्र जनसंमर्दो महान् एष नरेश्वरे । प्रविविक्षौ पुरं रम्यं तेनात्र स्थीयते मया

nidāgha uvāca bho vipra janasaṁmardo mahān eṣa nareśvare pravivikṣau puraṁ ramyaṁ tenātra sthīyate mayā

Nidagha said: O brahmin, there is a great crowd of people here around the king, wishing to enter this lovely city; hence I stand here.

Verse 6 (vishnu.2.16.6)

ऋभुर् उवाच । नराधिपोऽत्र कतमः कतमश् चेतरो जनः । कथ्यतां मे द्विजश्रेष्ठ त्वम् अभिज्ञो मतो मम

ṛbhur uvāca narādhipo'tra katamaḥ katamaś cetaro janaḥ kathyatāṁ me dvijaśreṣṭha tvam abhijño mato mama

Ribhu said: Which one here is the king, and which are the other, ordinary people? Tell me, O best of the twice-born; I consider you well-informed.

Verse 7 (vishnu.2.16.7)

निदाघ उवाच । योऽयं गजेन्द्रम् उन्मत्तम् अद्रिशृङ्गसमुच्छ्रितम् । अधिरूढो नरेन्द्रोऽयं परिलोकस् तथेतरः

nidāgha uvāca yo'yaṁ gajendram unmattam adriśṛṅgasamucchritam adhirūḍho narendro'yaṁ parilokas tathetaraḥ

Nidagha said: This one here, mounted upon an intoxicated elephant-king, tall as a mountain peak — this is the king; and all the rest are the other people.

Verse 8 (vishnu.2.16.8)

ऋभुर् उवाच । एतौ हि गजराजानौ युगपद् दर्शितौ मम । भवता न विशेषेण पृथक्चिह्नोपलक्षणौ

ṛbhur uvāca etau hi gajarājānau yugapad darśitau mama bhavatā na viśeṣeṇa pṛthakcihnopalakṣaṇau

Ribhu said: You have shown me the elephant-king and the king both together at once, but you have not distinguished them specifically by their separate marks.

Verse 9 (vishnu.2.16.9)

तत् कथ्यतां महाभाग विशेषो भवतानयोः । ज्ञातुम् इच्छाम्य् अहं कोऽत्र गजः को वा नराधिपः

tat kathyatāṁ mahābhāga viśeṣo bhavatānayoḥ jñātum icchāmy ahaṁ ko'tra gajaḥ ko vā narādhipaḥ

Ribhu said: So, O greatly fortunate one, tell me the distinction between the two of them; I wish to know which one here is the elephant, and which the king.

Verse 10 (vishnu.2.16.10)

निदाघ उवाच । गजो योऽयम् अधो ब्रह्मन्न् उपर्य् अस्यैव भूपतिः । वाह्यवाहकसंबन्धं को न जानाति वै द्विज

nidāgha uvāca gajo yo'yam adho brahmann upary asyaiva bhūpatiḥ vāhyavāhakasaṁbandhaṁ ko na jānāti vai dvija

Nidagha said: This one below, O brahmin, is the elephant, and the one above him is the king; who does not know, O twice-born, the relation between that which is carried and that which carries?

Verse 11 (vishnu.2.16.11)

ऋभुर् उवाच । जानाम्य् अहं यथा ब्रह्मंस् तथा माम् अवबोधय । अधःशब्दनिगद्यं किं किं चोर्ध्वम् अभिधीयते

ṛbhur uvāca jānāmy ahaṁ yathā brahmaṁs tathā mām avabodhaya adhaḥśabdanigadyaṁ kiṁ kiṁ cordhvam abhidhīyate

Ribhu said: I know this too, O brahmin, but instruct me further as well — what precisely is meant by the word 'below,' and what is called 'above'?

Verse 12 (vishnu.2.16.12)

ब्राह्मण उवाच । इत्य् उक्तः सहसारुह्य निदाघः प्राह तम् ऋभुम् । श्रूयतां कथयाम्य् एष यन् मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि

brāhmaṇa uvāca ity uktaḥ sahasāruhya nidāghaḥ prāha tam ṛbhum śrūyatāṁ kathayāmy eṣa yan māṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchasi

The brahmin [narrator] said: Thus addressed, Nidagha at once climbed up and said to Ribhu, 'Listen — what you have asked me, I shall now explain.'

Verse 13 (vishnu.2.16.13)

उपर्य् अहं यथा राजा त्वम् अधः कुञ्जरो यथा । अवबोधाय ते ब्रह्मन् दृष्टान्तो दर्शितो मया

upary ahaṁ yathā rājā tvam adhaḥ kuñjaro yathā avabodhāya te brahman dṛṣṭānto darśito mayā

'As I am above, like the king, and you are below, like the elephant — O brahmin, this illustration have I shown for your understanding.'

Verse 14 (vishnu.2.16.14)

ऋभुर् उवाच । त्वं राजेव द्विजश्रेष्ठ स्थितोऽहं गजवद् यदि । तद् एव त्वं ममाचक्ष्व कतमस् त्वम् अहं तथा

ṛbhur uvāca tvaṁ rājeva dvijaśreṣṭha sthito'haṁ gajavad yadi tad eva tvaṁ mamācakṣva katamas tvam ahaṁ tathā

Ribhu said: If you are situated like the king, and I like the elephant, then tell me this — which one, in this, are you, and which am I?

Verse 15 (vishnu.2.16.15)

ब्राह्मण उवाच । इत्य् उक्तः सत्वरस् तस्य प्रगृह्य चरणाव् उभौ । निदाघः प्राह भगवान् आचार्यस् त्वम् ऋभुर् ध्रुवम्

brāhmaṇa uvāca ity uktaḥ satvaras tasya pragṛhya caraṇāv ubhau nidāghaḥ prāha bhagavān ācāryas tvam ṛbhur dhruvam

The brahmin [narrator] said: Thus addressed, Nidagha quickly seized both his feet and said, 'You are surely the venerable teacher, Ribhu himself!'

Verse 16 (vishnu.2.16.16)

नान्यस्याद्वैतसंस्कारसंस्कृतं मानसं तथा । यथाचार्यस्य तेन त्वां मन्ये प्राप्तम् अहं गुरुम्

nānyasyādvaitasaṁskārasaṁskṛtaṁ mānasaṁ tathā yathācāryasya tena tvāṁ manye prāptam ahaṁ gurum

'No one else's mind is so refined by the discipline of non-duality as a teacher's is; by this I know that I have found my guru again.'

Verse 17 (vishnu.2.16.17)

ऋभुर् उवाच । तवोपदेशदानाय पूर्वशुश्रूषणादृतः । गुरुस् तेऽहम् ऋभुर् नाम्ना निदाघ समुपागतः

ṛbhur uvāca tavopadeśadānāya pūrvaśuśrūṣaṇādṛtaḥ gurus te'ham ṛbhur nāmnā nidāgha samupāgataḥ

Ribhu said: Pleased by your earlier devoted service, and to give you further instruction, O Nidagha, I, your teacher named Ribhu, have come to you again.

Verse 18 (vishnu.2.16.18)

तद् एतद् उपदिष्टं ते संक्षेपेण महामते । परमार्थसारभूतं यद् अद्वैतम् अशेषतः

tad etad upadiṣṭaṁ te saṁkṣepeṇa mahāmate paramārthasārabhūtaṁ yad advaitam aśeṣataḥ

This, O wise one, has thus been taught to you in brief — that which is the very essence of the supreme truth, namely non-duality in its entirety.

Verse 19 (vishnu.2.16.19)

ब्राह्मण उवाच । एवम् उक्त्वा ययौ विद्वान् निदाघं स ऋभुर् गुरुः । निदाघोऽप्य् उपदेशेन तेनाद्वैतपरोऽभवत्

brāhmaṇa uvāca evam uktvā yayau vidvān nidāghaṁ sa ṛbhur guruḥ nidāgho'py upadeśena tenādvaitaparo'bhavat

The brahmin said: Having spoken thus, that wise teacher Ribhu departed from Nidagha; and Nidagha too, through that instruction, became devoted to non-duality.

Verse 20 (vishnu.2.16.20)

सर्वभूतान्य् अभेदेन ददृशे स तदात्मनः । तथा ब्रह्म ततो मुक्तिम् अवाप परमां द्विजः

sarvabhūtāny abhedena dadṛśe sa tadātmanaḥ tathā brahma tato muktim avāpa paramāṁ dvijaḥ

He came to see all beings, without distinction, as his own self; and thus that brahmin attained Brahman, and then the supreme liberation.

Verse 21 (vishnu.2.16.21)

तथा त्वम् अपि धर्मज्ञ तुल्यात्मरिपुबान्धवः । भव सर्वगतं जानन्न् आत्मानम् अवनीपते

tathā tvam api dharmajña tulyātmaripubāndhavaḥ bhava sarvagataṁ jānann ātmānam avanīpate

[Parashara continued to the king:] Likewise, O knower of dharma, may you too, O lord of the earth, regarding enemy and kinsman as equal, become one who knows the Self as all-pervading.

Verse 22 (vishnu.2.16.22)

सितनीलादिभेदेन यथैकं दृश्यते नभः । भ्रान्तदृष्टिभिर् आत्मापि तथैकः सन् पृथक् पृथक्

sitanīlādibhedena yathaikaṁ dṛśyate nabhaḥ bhrāntadṛṣṭibhir ātmāpi tathaikaḥ san pṛthak pṛthak

As the one sky appears different through the differentiation of white, blue, and other colors, so too the one Self, though single, appears manifold to those of deluded vision.

Verse 23 (vishnu.2.16.23)

एकः समस्तं यद् इहास्ति किंचित् तद् अच्युतो वास्ति परं ततोऽन्यत् । सोऽहं स च त्वं स च सर्वम् एतद् आत्मस्वरूपं त्यज भेदमोहम्

ekaḥ samastaṁ yad ihāsti kiṁcit tad acyuto vāsti paraṁ tato'nyat so'haṁ sa ca tvaṁ sa ca sarvam etad ātmasvarūpaṁ tyaja bhedamoham

Whatever exists here, even in the slightest degree, is that One, the Imperishable; there is nothing beyond it. I am He, and you are He, and He is all this — knowing this as the very nature of the Self, abandon the delusion of difference.

Verse 24 (vishnu.2.16.24)

पराशर उवाच । इतीरितस् तेन स राजवर्यस् तत्याज भेदं परमार्थदृष्टिः । स चापि जातिस्मरणाप्तबोधस् तत्रैव जन्मन्य् अपवर्गम् आप

parāśara uvāca itīritas tena sa rājavaryas tatyāja bhedaṁ paramārthadṛṣṭiḥ sa cāpi jātismaraṇāptabodhas tatraiva janmany apavargam āpa

Parashara said: Thus addressed, that most excellent king, having gained the vision of the supreme truth, abandoned all sense of difference; and he, his understanding gained through the memory of his past birth, attained liberation in that very birth.

Verse 25 (vishnu.2.16.25)

इति भरतनरेन्द्रसारवृत्तं कथयति यश् च शृणोति भक्तियुक्तः । स विमलमतिर् एति नात्ममोहं भवति च संसरणेषु मुक्तियोग्यः

iti bharatanarendrasāravṛttaṁ kathayati yaś ca śṛṇoti bhaktiyuktaḥ sa vimalamatir eti nātmamohaṁ bhavati ca saṁsaraṇeṣu muktiyogyaḥ

Whoever, endowed with devotion, tells or hears this excellent story of King Bharata attains a pure mind, becomes free from delusion regarding the Self, and becomes fit for liberation amid the cycles of transmigration.