Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 149

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 149

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 149

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 149 of the classical Mahābhārata with 118 verses.

Total: 118 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.149.1–118 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 4 (Verses 30 shown)
शृणु पार्थ यथावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । गृध्रजम्बुकसंवादं यो वृत्तो वैदिशे पुरा ॥
English Translation
'Listen, O king, to the discourse between a vulture and a jackal as it took place in days of yore. This incident happened in the forest of Naimisha.
दुःखिताः केचिदादाय बालमप्राप्तयौवनम् । कुलसर्वस्वभूतं वै रुदन्तः शोकविह्वलाः ॥
English Translation
Violently agitated by grief and bewailing aloud, some of his kinsmen took up the little boy who was the only wealth of his family.
बालं मृतं गृहीत्वाथ श्मशानाभिमुखाः स्थिताः । अङ्केनाङ्कं च संक्रम्य रुरुदुर्भूतले तदा ॥
English Translation
Taking the dead child they went in the direction of the crematorium. Going there they began to take the child from one another's breast and cry more bitterly in sorrow.
तेषां रुदितशब्देन गृध्रोऽभ्येत्य वचोऽब्रवीत् । एकात्मकमिमं लोके त्यक्त्वा गच्छत माचिरम् ॥
English Translation
Hearing their cries, a vulture came there and said-Go away, and do not delay, you who have to cast off but one child!
इह पुंसां सहस्राणि स्त्रीसहस्राणि चैव हि । समानीतानि कालेन किं ते वै जात्वबान्धवाः ॥
English Translation
Kinsmen always go away leaving here thousands of men and women brought here in course of time.
संपश्यत जगत्सर्वं सुखदुःखैरधिष्ठितम् । संयोगो विप्रयोगश्च पर्यायेणोपलभ्यते ॥
English Translation
See, the entire universe is subject to happiness and misery. Union and disunion are seen in turns.
गृहीत्वा ये च गच्छन्ति येऽनुयान्ति च तान्मृतान् । तेऽप्यायुषः प्रमाणेन स्वेन गच्छन्ति जन्तवः ॥
English Translation
They who have come to the crematorium with the dead bodies of their relatives, and they who sit by those bodies themselves go away from the world for their own acts when the allotted periods of their own lives expire.
अलं स्थित्वा श्मशानेऽस्मिन्गृध्रगोमायुसंकुले । कङ्कालबहुले घोरे सर्वप्राणिभयंकरे ॥
English Translation
There is no necessity of your waiting in the crematorium, this dreadful place, which abounds with vultures, jackals and skeletons and fills every creature with fear.
न पुनर्जीवितः कश्चित्कालधर्ममुपागतः । प्रियो वा यदि वा द्वेष्यः प्राणिनां गतिरीदृशी ॥
English Translation
Whether friend or enemy, no one becomes alive having once yielded to the power of Time. Such, indeed, is the destiny of all creatures.
सर्वेण खलु मर्तव्यं मर्त्यलोके प्रसूयता । कृतान्तविहिते मार्गे को मृतं जीवयिष्यति ॥
English Translation
In this world of mortals, everyone who is born is sure to die. Who shall restore to life one that is dead and gone on the way ordained by the destroyer?
कर्मान्तविहिते लोके चास्तं गच्छति भास्करे । गम्यतां स्वमधिष्ठानं सुतस्नेहं विसृज्य वै ॥
English Translation
At this hour when men are about to terminate their daily labours, the Sun is retiring to the setting hills. Go to your homes, renouncing this love for the child.
ततो गृध्रवचः श्रुत्वा विक्रोशन्तस्तदा नृप । बान्धवास्तेऽभ्यगच्छन्त पुत्रमुत्सृज्य भूतले ॥
English Translation
Hearing these words of the vulture, the grief of the kinsmen seemed to decrease, and placing the child on the naked earth they were about to go away.
विनिश्चित्याथ च ततः संत्यजन्तः स्वमात्मजम् । निराशा जीविते तस्य मार्गमारुह्य धिष्ठिताः ॥
English Translation
Firmly assured, and giving up all hopes of restoring the dead to life, they cast off that offspring of their family and prepared to turn back from that spot.
ध्वाङ्क्षाभ्रसमवर्णस्तु बिलान्निःसृत्य जम्बुकः । गच्छमानान्स्म तानाह निर्घृणाः खलु मानवाः ॥
English Translation
At this time a jackal, black as a raven, came out of his hole and said to those departing kinsmen, forsooth, you who are kinsmen of that dead child have no affection.
आदित्योऽयं स्थितो मूढाः स्नेहं कुरुत मा भयम् । बहुरूपो मुहूर्तश्च जीवेतापि कदाचन ॥
English Translation
There the Sun still shines in the sky, ye fools! Give vent to your feelings, fearlessly! Many are the virtues of the hour. This child may regain its life.
यूयं भूमौ विनिक्षिप्य पुत्रस्नेहविनाकृताः । श्मशाने पुत्रमुत्सृज्य कस्माद्गच्छथ निर्घृणाः ॥
English Translation
Spreading a few blades of Kusha grass on the ground and leaving that dear child on the crematorium, why do you go away with hearts of steel and renouncing every affection for the darling.
न वोऽस्त्यस्मिन्सुते स्नेहो बाले मधुरभाषिणि । यस्य भाषितमात्रेण प्रसादमुपगच्छथ ॥
English Translation
Surely, you have no love for that sweetspeeched little child, whose words, as soon as they left his lips, used to please you greatly!
न पश्यथ सुतस्नेहं यादृशः पशुपक्षिणाम् । न येषां धारयित्वा तान्कश्चिदस्ति फलागमः ॥
English Translation
Mark the affection that even birds and beasts cherish for their young ones. They get no return for rearing up their young ones!
चतुष्पात्पक्षिकीटानां प्राणिनां स्नेहसङ्गिनाम् । परलोकगतिस्थानां मुनियज्ञक्रिया इव ॥
English Translation
Like the sacrifice of the Rishis, the love of quadrupeds, of birds, and insects, yields no reward in heaven.
तेषां पुत्राभिरामाणामिह लोके परत्र च । न गुणो दृश्यते कश्चित्प्रजाः संधारयन्ति च ॥
English Translation
Though they love their children, they are never seen to derive any benefit from the latter either in this world or in the next. Yet they love their young ones.
अपश्यतां प्रियान्पुत्रान्नैषां शोकोऽनुतिष्ठति । न च पुष्णन्ति संवृद्धास्ते मातापितरौ क्वचित् ॥
English Translation
Growing up, their children never maintain them in age. Still do they not feel pained when they do not see their title ones?
मानुषाणां कुतः स्नेहो येषां शोको भविष्यति । इमं कुलकरं पुत्रं कथं त्यक्त्वा गमिष्यथ ॥
English Translation
How is affection to be seen in human beings since they only indulge in grief? Where would you go leaving here this child who is the perpetuator of his family.
चिरं मुञ्चत बाष्पं च चिरं स्नेहेन पश्यत । एवंविधानि हीष्टानि दुस्त्यजानि विशेषतः ॥
English Translation
Do you shed tears for him for some time, and look at him a little longer with affection. It is difficult to cast off objects which are so dear.
क्षीणस्याथाभियुक्तस्य श्मशानाभिमुखस्य च । बान्धवा यत्र तिष्ठन्ति तत्रान्यो नावतिष्ठते ॥
English Translation
It is friends and not others who wait by the side of the weak, of the prosecuted in a court of law, and of him who is borne towards the burning place.
सर्वस्य दयिताः प्राणाः सर्वः स्नेहं च विन्दति । तिर्यग्योनिष्वपि सतां स्नेहं पश्यत यादृशम् ॥
English Translation
Life is dear to all, and all feel the influence of love. See the affection that is cherished by beasts and birds.
त्यक्त्वा कथं गच्छेथेमं पद्मलोलायताक्षकम् । यथा नवोद्वाहकृतं स्नानमाल्यविभूषितम् ॥
English Translation
How can you go away, casting off this boy having eyes large as the lotus petal, and beautiful as a newly-wedded youth washed clean and bedecked with garlands.
जम्बुकस्य वचः श्रुत्वा कृपणं परिदेवतः । न्यवर्तन्त तदा सर्वे शवार्थं ते स्म मानुषाः ॥
English Translation
Hearing these words of the jackal who had been thus giving vent to expressions of grief, the men turned back for the sake of the dead body.
अहो धिक्सुनृशंसेन जम्बुकेनाल्पमेधसा । क्षुद्रेणोक्ता हीनसत्त्वा मानुषाः किं निवर्तथ ॥
English Translation
The Vulture said Alas, you men shorn of strength of mind, why do you turn back at the call of a cruel, nmean and little-witted jackal.
पञ्चभूतपरित्यक्तं शून्यं काष्ठत्वमागतम् । कस्माच्छोचथ निश्चेष्टमात्मानं किं न शोचथ ॥
English Translation
Why do you lament for that compound of five elements deserted by their presiding gods, no longer occupied (by the soul), motionless, and stiff as a piece of wood? Why do you not grieve for your own selves.
← Previous (Ch. 1476) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1478) →