ॐ बृहद्रथो ह वै नाम राजा राज्ये ज्येष्ठं पुत्रं निधापयित्वेदमशाश्वतं मन्यमानः शारीरं वैराग्यमुपेतोऽरण्यं निर्जगाम स तत्र परमं तप आस्थायादित्यमीक्षमाण ऊर्ध्वबाहुस्तिष्ठत्यन्ते सहस्रस्य मुनिरन्तिकमाजगामाग्निरिवाधूमकस्तेजसा निर्दहन्निवात्मविद्भगवाञ्छाकायन्य उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ वरं वृणीश्वेति राजानमब्रवीत्स तस्मै नमस्कृत्योवाच भगवन्नाहमात्मवित्त्वं तत्त्वविच्छृणुमो वयं स त्वं नो ब्रूहीत्येतद्वृतं पुरस्तादशक्यं मा पृच्छ प्रश्नमैक्ष्वाकान्यान्कामान्वृणीश्वेति शाकायन्यस्य चरणवभिमृश्यमानो राजेमां गाथां जगाद ॥१.१ ॥
In plain words
Om. There was a king named Bṛhadratha. Having established his eldest son in the kingdom, and holding this body to be impermanent, he came to dispassion and went forth into the forest. There he practised the highest austerity, gazing at the sun with his arms raised. At the end of a thousand days the sage Śākāyanya came near him, like a fire without smoke, as though burning with his splendour, a knower of the Self, and said to the king, "Rise, rise, choose a boon." The king bowed to him and said, "Sir, I am no knower of the Self, and thou art a knower of the truth. So we have heard. Do thou tell us." "This has been the way from of old. Do not ask me an impossible question, O descendant of Ikṣvāku. Choose other desires." Then, clasping Śākāyanya's feet, the king uttered this song.