कलत्रं च पुत्रं च मित्रादि सर्वम्
मनःशान्तये प्राज्यमुत्सृज्य राज्यम् |
अपूर्वा त्वया दर्शिता त्यागवृत्तिः
नमस्ते महाभाग बुद्ध त्रिवारम् ||
उत्सृज्य Giving up
कलत्रं च पुत्रं च मित्रादि सर्वम् wife, offspring, friend, and all others,
मनःशान्तये प्राज्यम् राज्यम् peace of mind, lavish lifestyle, and the kingdom;
अपूर्वा त्वया दर्शिता त्यागवृत्तिः never before was such a sacrificing attitude displayed;
नमस्ते महाभाग बुद्ध त्रिवारम् I bow down thrice to you, O great soul of Buddha.
This shloka is a part of a poem, which has been composed in one of the most perfect and the most symmetric meters, Bhujaṅgaprayātam (भुजङ्गप्रयातम्). Upon inspection, it becomes evident that it follows a fixed pattern of 1 short and 2 long syllables. Represented by |ऽऽ (लघु-गुरु-गुरु), this pattern very strongly resembles the movement of a snake, which travels in one straight direction and performs two curving motions in one cycle. Hence, the name; bhujaṅga means snake, and prayātam means movement.
The meter consists of 4 padas (पद, or line), each of which has 4 such cycles of |ऽऽ. The poet takes advantage of this regular rhythm to convey the prayer with reverence, in a soft melodious tune!