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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 113

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 113

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 113

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 113 of the classical Mahābhārata with 22 verses.

Total: 22 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.113.1–22 • 250 Lexicon Terms
किं पार्थिवेन कर्तव्यं किं च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत् । तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन सर्वं धर्मभृतां वर ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said What works should be done by a king, and what are those works by doing which a king may become happy? Tell me this fully, O you who are the foremost of all persons acquainted with duties.
हन्त तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु कार्यैकनिश्चयम् । यथा राज्ञेह कर्तव्यं यच्च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said 'I shall tell you what you wish to know! Hear what should be done in this world by a king and what those works are by doing which a king may become happy.
न त्वेवं वर्तितव्यं स्म यथेदमनुशुश्रुमः । उष्ट्रस्य सुमहद्वृत्तं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
A king should not act like a camel of which we have heard. Listen to that history then, O Yudhishthira.
जातिस्मरो महानुष्ट्रः प्राजापत्ययुगोद्भवः । तपः सुमहदातिष्ठदरण्ये संशितव्रतः ॥
English Translation
There was, in the golden cycle, a huge camel who had recollection of his pristine deeds. Practising the most rigid vows, that camel practised very severe austerities in the woods.
तपसस्तस्य चान्ते वै प्रीतिमानभवत्प्रभुः । वरेण छन्दयामास ततश्चैनं पितामहः ॥
English Translation
When his penances were terminated the powerful Brahman became pleased with him. The Grandfather, therefore, desired to grant him boons.
भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादान्मे दीर्घा ग्रीवा भवेदियम् । योजनानां शतं साग्रं या गच्छेच्चरितुं विभो ॥
English Translation
The camel said Let my neck, O holy one, become long through your favour, so that, O powerful lord, I may be able to get any food that may be even at the end of even a hundred Yojanas.
एवमस्त्विति चोक्तः स वरदेन महात्मना । प्रतिलभ्य वरं श्रेष्ठं ययावुष्ट्रः स्वकं वनम् ॥
English Translation
The great giver of boons said-Let it be so-Having got that boon, the camel then returned to his own forest.
स चकार तदालस्यं वरदानात्स दुर्मतिः । न चैच्छच्चरितुं गन्तुं दुरात्मा कालमोहितः ॥
English Translation
Since the day of securing the boon, the foolish animal became idle. Indeed, stupefied by fate, the wretch did not from that day go out for grazing.
स कदाचित्प्रसार्यैवं तां ग्रीवां शतयोजनाम् । चचाराश्रान्तहृदयो वातश्चागात्ततो महान् ॥
English Translation
One day, while extending his long neck of a hundred Yojanas, the animal was engaged in picking his food without any trouble, there uprose a great storm.
स गुहायां शिरोग्रीवं निधाय पशुरात्मनः । आस्ताथ वर्षमभ्यागात्सुमहत्प्लावयज्जगत् ॥
English Translation
Keeping his head and a portion of the neck within the cave of a mountain, the camel resolved to wait till the storm would be over. Meanwhile rain came down in torrents, deluging the whole Earth.
अथ शीतपरीताङ्गो जम्बुकः क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः । सदारस्तां गुहामाशु प्रविवेश जलार्दितः ॥
English Translation
Wetted by the rain and shivering with cold, a jackal, with his wife, dragged himself with difficulty towards that very cave and entered it quickly for protection,
स दृष्ट्वा मांसजीवी तु सुभृशं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः । अभक्षयत्ततो ग्रीवामुष्ट्रस्य भरतर्षभ ॥
English Translation
Living as he did upon meat, and greatly hungry and tried as he was, O foremnost of Bharata's race, the jackal, seeing the camel's neck, began to eat as much of it as he could. When he perceived that his neck was being eaten, the camel tried sorrowfully to shorten it.
यदा त्वबुध्यतात्मानं भक्ष्यमाणं स वै पशुः । तदा संकोचने यत्नमकरोद्भृशदुःखितः ॥
English Translation
Living as he did upon meat, and greatly hungry and tried as he was, O foremnost of Bharata's race, the jackal, seeing the camel's neck, began to eat as much of it as he could. When he perceived that his neck was being eaten, the camel tried sorrowfully to shorten it.
यावदूर्ध्वमधश्चैव ग्रीवां संक्षिपते पशुः । तावत्तेन सदारेण जम्बुकेन स भक्षितः ॥
English Translation
But as he moved it up and down, the jackal and his wife, catching it, continued to eat it away.
स हत्वा भक्षयित्वा च जम्बुकोष्ट्रं ततस्तदा । विगते वातवर्षे च निश्चक्राम गुहामुखात् ॥
English Translation
Within a short time the camel was dead. Having thus killed and eaten the camel, the jackal then came out of the cave after the storm and shower had ceased.
एवं दुर्बुद्धिना प्राप्तमुष्ट्रेण निधनं तदा । आलस्यस्य क्रमात्पश्य महद्दोषमुपागतम् ॥
English Translation
Thus did that foolish camel die. See what a great evil followed idleness.
त्वमप्येतं विधिं त्यक्त्वा योगेन नियतेन्द्रियः । वर्तस्व बुद्धिमूलं हि विजयं मनुरब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
As for yourself, avoiding idleness and controlling your senses, do everything in the world with proper means. Manu himself has declared that victory rests upon intelligence.
बुद्धिश्रेष्ठानि कर्माणि बाहुमध्यानि भारत । तानि जङ्घाजघन्यानि भारप्रत्यवराणि च ॥
English Translation
All acts that are performed with the help of intelligence are regarded as the highest, those performed, with the help of feet are inferior, while those done by carrying loads are the worst.
राज्यं तिष्ठति दक्षस्य संगृहीतेन्द्रियस्य च । गुप्तमन्त्रश्रुतवतः सुसहायस्य चानघ ॥
परीक्ष्यकारिणोऽर्थाश्च तिष्ठन्तीह युधिष्ठिर । सहाययुक्तेन मही कृत्स्ना शक्या प्रशासितुम् ॥
English Translation
In this world, O Yudhishthira, those, who listen to wise advice, those, O sinless one, who have allies, and act after proper scrutiny, succeeds in achieving all their objects. A person with such means succeeds in ruling the entire Earth.
इदं हि सद्भिः कथितं विधिज्ञैः; पुरा महेन्द्रप्रतिमप्रभाव । मयापि चोक्तं तव शास्त्रदृष्ट्या; त्वमत्र युक्तः प्रचरस्व राजन् ॥
English Translation
O you powerful like Indra himself, this has been declared by ancient sages conversant with the scriptural injunctions! I, also, having my eyes on the scriptures, have said the same to you. Using your intelligence, do you act in this world, O king.'
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