Sri Rāma

1. O Sage, these Dāma and others are in fact nonexistent.  They are like the imagined ghouls of children.  When is the end for their sorrows?  And how does it occur?

Sri Vasista

2. O jewel of Raghu dynasty!  Yama’s servants, who belong to the genre of Dāma and others asked of their Master: ‘when will Dāma and others be free of their sorrows?’.  Yama told them thus.

3. ‘When the tree suffer from the pangs of separation and hear at that time the story of their genesis and later life, they will be freed of this state’.

Sri Rāma

4. O Sage, please let me know how and when they will hear their story.

Sri Vasista

5. -6. Now they are in a small pond living a miserable life being born again and again in lowly wombs.  In course of time the pond becomes dry and vanishes.  Then they will be born to live in a lotus lake as ‘sārasa’ birds.

7. -9. These ‘sārasa’ birds will attain purity after flying around for ages, white lilies, lotus assemblages, ‘saivala’ creeper blue lotus creepers and cloud clusters.

10. Then they desire to get liberated and get separated from each other.  It is like differentiation taking place between sattwa, rajas and tamas.

11. Then they start living in one of the cities of ‘Kashmir’ Country.  This city called ‘Adhistana’ is endowed with lush greenery and is surrounded by hills.

12. In the middle of that city there will be a peak called ‘Pradyumna’.  The peak looks like the ‘Karnika’ of a lotus.

13. On that peak there will be a big house with vast halls.  It will be the best of houses.

14. -15. On the northeastern side of the house there will be a wall with a crack and plants growing out of the crack.  In that there will be a swallow called Vyāla constantly making screeching noises like a brahman of mean scholarship.

16. -17. Then there will be a king in that city called Yasaskara.  In one of the pillars in his inner chambers there will be a hole in which a mosquito, called Dāma, will be living.

18. -20. In that city of Adhistana there will be a monastery called ‘Ratnāvali’.  There will be a minister, called Narasimha, who will know the secrets of bondage and liberation like a fruit in his palm.  In his house  ‘Kata’ will be like a caged bird called ‘Sārika’ giving him great delight.

21. -22. This minister Narasimha will be singing the story of Dāma and Vyāla.  Hearing this ‘Sārika’, will remember the secret of her birth and attains the most peaceful Supreme state.

23. -25. Dāma, living like a mosquito, in the palace will hear his life story and will attain liberation.  Vyāla too will hear his story from the people and will attain liberation.  Thus all the three will be liberated.

26. -27. I have thus related to you the entire story of Dāma, Vyāla and Kata.  ‘Māya’ alone lustrously manifests as this world.  It throws people into illusion due to lack of knowledge of truth.  It is like water in a mirage.  Even great people fall into this trap.

28. -30. Deluded fools will fall like Dāma, Vyāla and Kata.  Where is the tremendous ability to smash and powder Meru and such huge mountains with a twinkle of the eye and where is the lowly life as a mosquito in a hole of a gate in a palace?  Where is the might of shaking sun and moon with a mere hand-slap and where is the life like a bird in a split in a wall of a palace?  Where is the might of arms which can quiver a Meru like a simple flower and where is the lowly fate of living like a caged ‘sārika’ bird?

31. Consciousness-ether enjoys luminously the state ‘I am tainted by the quality of ‘rajas’.

32. Without losing its own shape, it understands and is aware of its defamation.  Deluding itself about its own ‘vāsanas’, it exists as unreal though real.

33. It assumes the state of being internally with a feeling of mirage in itself.  It crosses the ocean of ‘samsara’ knowing its own sense of self-movement.

34. It abides in the pace of ‘Nirvāna’, absorbing the truths in the scriptures that ‘this is mere empirical phenomena’.  All the several sorrows are due to wasteful logical verbal barters (other than those in scriptures).

35. -36. Thus they reach a state of water leaking through a hole.  They get destroyed seeking self-profit.  They can avoid such self-destruction and reach the Supreme state by following the lead and path laid out in scriptures and personal experiences.

37. One who (always) thinks ‘I want this’ will perish miserably by the consequent misfortune.  A wise person will know that even a gain of three worlds is mere trifle (before the knowledge of Truth).

38. All calamities will leave such a person like a serpent which sheds its old skin.  The wonders of ‘sattwa’ will always flash in such a person’s heart.

39. Such a person will be protected by all the rulers of the world.  One should not stray from the path of truth even under severe difficulties.

40. Even Rāhu met with death inspite of his drink of ‘amrita’ when he strayed from the path of Truth.  Association with saints, familiarity with scriptures bestow great luster as bright as Sun. 

41. One who follow the above edicts will never again come under the grip of delusion.  Even untameable things come under such a person’s control.  All calamities will (simply) die down.

42. Lasting good will result if things are done with noble intentions/qualities.  Reverse will be the case if done with attachment and undesirable intentions/ qualities.

43. Those who are addicted to truth are (real) beings.  The rest are animals.  The heart-lake of such people will shine with the moon-beams of fame.

44. They are indeed like the great Hari relaxing on the milky ocean.  They will enjoy all that is to be enjoyed and see all that is to be seen.

45. -46. Why say anything!  Following the scriptures, traditions, beat this worldly cycle by misery appetite for pleasures.  Discard these unreal mesh of pleasures.  Perform works that are praiseworthy with qualities of the highest kind.

46. 47. Such ones will be saved from death not those pleasure ones.  Their fame will be sung by the lovely women of Sidda.

48. With the best of personal efforts mount such movement of good.  Such great people are the ones really ‘living’.  The others are as if dead.

49. Whoever will not reach accomplish who works without agitation as directed by the scriptures?  Whoever works according to scriptures, will never do anything improper.

50. -51. Accomplishments, that ripen over years, become well nourished.  Work in the world without fear and grief as ordained by scriptures.  Do not get destroyed living in dire dark wells.

52. By being bound by rope of strong attachment to the senses, do not descend to lowly levels.

53. Inquiry into scriptures is the weapon to avoid calamities.  It will be like an armour starving off-hundreds of arrows.

54. Why stain this life with mire of pleasures.  Cast off this touch of pleasures.  What is the use of these lowly inappropriate actions?  Oh, wise and noble men, look towards scriptures.

55. ‘This world is a reflection, this world is a reflection’ – engage in the inquiry into truth.  With intellect and driven by (the urge for) the perfect, become a human being.

56. Lack of inquiry (into truth) causes misery, misfortune and evil.  It is like a long dense sleep.  Discard it and become enlightened.

57. Do not hybernate like an old tortoise in a small pond.  Get ready to be relieved of death and decay.

58. Wealth and pleasures cause calamities and lead to the disease of empirical cycle of life.  To disregard them is to move towards victory.

59. -60. One should act in deference to the laws of social behavior.  One should work according to the ordinances laid out by scriptures.  Proper fruits will come out (of such behavior).  For such people life will be like a creeper in spring.  His life span fame and prosperity will increase ever.