The Despicable Passtime of Gods

Sri Rāma

1. If this is the state and mode of Time and world, for the likes of us, o muni, what is our condition? Please tell me.

2. -6. Charmed by these gods, who are the architechts of this world, we are living like animals sold to them. This Time , the follower of non-aryan tradition, and of devouring nature, he is relentlessl throwing beings into the sea of calamities and catastrophes, the way “Agni”, the god of fire burns worlds burns worlds with his hot flames, Time also burns the beings and worlds, raking up huge ambitions. His consert Niyati shatters the courage and fortitude of even the embodiments of rule and tradition, (like munis) with her fickle ways, natural to the women kind. This Time throws beings into old age and devours them like a snake eating air.

7. -8. This cruel Yama does not spare even the most distressed. Is it not difficult to find people who are compassionate towards all? O muni, what are considered as riches and powers by human beings, are sapless. All fields of pleasure are only fearful, violent and sorrowful.

9. Life is very fickle. Death is inviolably harsh. Youth is tremulous, shaky and unstable. Boyhood is taken up by stupidity.

10. World is corrupted by dreams. Relations and relationships are mere bondages to worldly life. Pleasures are the great afflictions and diseases of this world. Desires are like mirages.

11. Senses are foes. Truth is drifting into untruth. Self alone hurts Self. Mind is the foe of mind.

12. “Buddhi”, the discriminating intelligence, gets corrupted weakened by ego. All actions are yielding undesirable and bad fruits. All delight is focused towards dalliance with women.

13. All dexterous deeds of good nature are being hurt by the sensual dispositions. All joy of consequence and essence is becoming sapless and tasteless because of sinful and unbecoming natures.

14. Being is appearing as non-being. Mind is given upto ego. Afflicted by a sense of emptiness, the ultimate purpose is not reached.

15. -18. O saint, all are burning inside with agitated minds. The disease of attachment is in full gleam. Dispassion and desirelessness are becoming unattainable. Struck by “Rajas” is the sight. And so, “Tamas” is on the rise. One is not able to reach out to “Sattwa”. And so, the knowledge of the Self is becoming distant. Existence is moving into instability. Death is on the arrival-mode. Courage is in shambles. Interest in non-things is increasing. Mind is soiled by sloth and sluggishness. Body is falling off (perfectly). Old age is burning away the body. Sin is striking (everywhere and everyone).

19. -22. Youth cannot be gained by effort. Association with good people is becoming distant. Truthfulness is not seen anywhere. There seems to be no way out. Mind is becoming deluded. Delight inside is getting distant. Compassion is not arising effulgently. Lowliness and mean behaviour is on the rise. Courage and fortitude are shrinking into timidity. People are gripped by calamities and blows. It is easy to embrace bad people. Association with good people is difficult. Thoughts come and go. All ideation and fancy is cause of bondage. People are constantly drawn into these moods.

23. -27. Even quarters are disappearing. Countries are drifting away to new positions. Mountains are shattering to pieces. What to say of people like us? The world that is existing now is devoured by sky. Even earth comes to distress (through destruction). What to talk of the likes of us? Ocean dry out. Stars fall off. Sages too pass away. What to talk of the likes of us? Titans and giants are torn apart. The pole star is not firm (in position). The immortal gods are also dying. What to talk of the likes of us? Even “Indra” is being attacked. Yama is being restrained. Even air is loosing its airiness. What to talk of out ilk?

28. -30. Moon is resolved into ether. Sun is breaking into pieces. Fire is getting quenched. What to talk of the likes of us? Even the most austere Brahma, the eternal Hari , are vanishing (at the time of dissolution). Lord Shiva is reduced to nothingness (at the time of dissolution). What to talk of people like us? Even time is a duly dissolving (at the time of dissolution). Niyati, the law, is getting withdrawn. Sky is expanding and merging into the Infinite. What to talk of people like us?

31. -34. The One, the Unknowable, the One beyond description, hearing and sight, causes these worlds. Through his “deception”, through the sense of I-ness, he abides in all beings in the three worlds. He is not bound by anything or to anything. The way in which water flows down the stony slopes, the sun is directed to wander constantly among mountains and plains along with his horses. The globe which is the abode of good and evil spirits is enveloped by the disc of stars like an “Akroot” fruit, covered by its skin.

35. -37. Gods in heaven, humans on earth, and “nagas” in nethr world , created by Brahman, are drawn towards a state of decline and decay by Time. Cupid, the lord of lust, having gained a sense of valour battling against Lord Shiva improperly lays siege on the world by leaps and bounds. The way a wild elephant exudes ichors from its temples, “Vasanta” the lord of spring showers flowers all over the quarters and space and makes a person fickle and unstable.

38. Even great people of high intelligence and discrimination cannot resist and tolerate the side glances of their beloved ladies.

39. I consider those, who help others, and who react and resonate to the sorrows of others, blessed, as those cool and peaceful in their Self.

40. Who can count the number of waves in the sea of life which rise and fall and fall a prey to the ocean fire?

41. All beings are like deer, entangled in the creepers of vices in the jungle of births, and bound by the ropes of attachment and unrestrained ambitions.

42. People are wasting their lives of many births, with bad actions and activities. Even though intelligent and inquiring, they are not aware of the uselessness of such rope-like creepers winding around trunks of trees in sky.

43. People are whirling away their time by such illusionary joys like : “today it is a festival; today it is a good season; this fellow is my friend; this is specially pleasant, etc.”.