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Mahābhārata • Parva 13 (Anuśāsanaparva) • Adhyāya 1

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 1

अनुशासनपर्व • अध्यायः 1

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 1 of the classical Mahābhārata with 77 verses.

Total: 77 Verses • Citations: MBh 13.1.1–77 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 3 (Verses 30 shown)
शमो बहुविधाकारः सूक्ष्म उक्तः पितामह । न च मे हृदये शान्तिरस्ति कृत्वेदमीदृशम् ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said O grandfather, peace of mind has been described to be subtile and of various forms. I have heard all your discourses, but have not still been able to acquire tranquillity of mind.
अस्मिन्नर्थे बहुविधा शान्तिरुक्ता त्वयानघ । स्वकृते का नु शान्तिः स्याच्छमाद्बहुविधादपि ॥
English Translation
Various means of quieting the mind have been described by you, O sire, but how can peace of mind be acquired from only a knowledge of the different sorts of tranquillity, when I myself have been the means of bringing all this about?
शराचितशरीरं हि तीव्रव्रणमुदीक्ष्य च । शमं नोपलभे वीर दुष्कृतान्येव चिन्तयन् ॥
English Translation
Seeing your body covered with arrows and bad sores, I cannot get, O hero, any peace of mind. thinking of the evils I have done.
रुधिरेणावसिक्ताङ्गं प्रस्रवन्तं यथाचलम् । त्वां दृष्ट्वा पुरुषव्याघ्र सीदे वर्षास्विवाम्बुजम् ॥
English Translation
Seeing your body, O bravest of the brave, covered with blood, like a hill covered with water from its springs, I am perishing with grief as the lotus in the rainy season.
अतः कष्टतरं किं नु मत्कृते यत्पितामहः । इमामवस्थां गमितः प्रत्यमित्रै रणाजिरे । तथैवान्ये नृपतयः सहपुत्राः सबान्धवाः ॥
English Translation
What can be more painful than this, that, for me, you, O grandfather have been reduced to this condition by my people fighting against their enemies on the battlefield.
वयं हि धार्तराष्ट्राश्च कालमन्युवशानुगाः । कृत्वेदं निन्दितं कर्म प्राप्स्यामः कां गतिं नृप ॥
English Translation
Tell us, O prince, what will befall us and the sons of Dhritarashtra, who, impelled by fate and anger, have done this hateful act.
अहं तव ह्यन्तकरः सुहृद्वधकरस्तथा । न शान्तिमधिगच्छामि पश्यंस्त्वां दुःखितं क्षितौ ॥
English Translation
But I, who am the cause of your death as well as of that of our friends, am denied all peace of mind by seeing you on the naked earth in this miserable plight.
परतन्त्रं कथं हेतुमात्मानमनुपश्यसि । कर्मण्यस्मिन्महाभाग सूक्ष्मं ह्येतदतीन्द्रियम् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Why, O fortunate one, do you regard your soul, which is dependent, to be the cause of your deeds? Its inaction is subtle and imperceptible to the senses.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । संवादं मृत्युगौतम्योः काललुब्धकपन्नगैः ॥
English Translation
Regarding it is cited the old discourse between Brahman, O king, and the Three-eyed Mahadeva.
गौतमी नाम कौन्तेय स्थविरा शमसंयुता । सर्पेण दष्टं स्वं पुत्रमपश्यद्गतचेतनम् ॥
English Translation
There was, O son of Kunti, an old lady named Gautami, who was endued with great patience and peace of mind. One day she found her son dead on account of having been bitten by a serpent.
अथ तं स्नायुपाशेन बद्ध्वा सर्पममर्षितः । लुब्धकोऽर्जुनको नाम गौतम्याः समुपानयत् ॥
English Translation
An angry fowler, named Arjunaka, bound the serpent with a string and brought it before Gautami.
तां चाब्रवीदयं ते स पुत्रहा पन्नगाधमः । ब्रूहि क्षिप्रं महाभागे वध्यतां केन हेतुना ॥
English Translation
He then said to her. This wretched serpent has been the cause of your son's death. O blessed lady! Tell me quickly how this wretch is to be killed!
अग्नौ प्रक्षिप्यतामेष च्छिद्यतां खण्डशोऽपि वा । न ह्ययं बालहा पापश्चिरं जीवितुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
Shall I throw it into the fire or shall I cut it into pieces? This infamous killer of a child should not live longer!
विसृजैनमबुद्धिस्त्वं न वध्योऽर्जुनक त्वया । को ह्यात्मानं गुरुं कुर्यात्प्राप्तव्ये सति चिन्तयन् ॥
English Translation
Gautami replied Do you, O Arjunaka of little understanding, set free this serpent! It should not be killed by you. Who is so foolish as not to care for the inevitable destiny that awaits him and make himself heavy for sinking into sin?
प्लवन्ते धर्मलघवो लोकेऽम्भसि यथा प्लवाः । मज्जन्ति पापगुरवः शस्त्रं स्कन्नमिवोदके ॥
English Translation
Those who have made themselves light by performing virtuous deeds, manage to cross the sea of the world as a ship crosses the ocean. But those who have loaded themselves with sin sink into the bottom, as an arrow thrown into the water.
न चामृत्युर्भविता वै हतेऽस्मि;न्को वात्ययः स्यादहतेऽस्मिञ्जनस्य । अस्योत्सर्गे प्राणयुक्तस्य जन्तो;र्मृत्योर्लोकं को नु गच्छेदनन्तम् ॥
English Translation
By killing this serpent, this my boy will not revive, and by letting it live, no harm will be caused to you. Who would go to the endless regions of Death by killing this living creature?
जानाम्येवं नेह गुणागुणज्ञाः; सर्वे नियुक्ता गुरवो वै भवन्ति । स्वस्थस्यैते तूपदेशा भवन्ति; तस्मात्क्षुद्रं सर्पमेनं हनिष्ये ॥
English Translation
The fowler said I know, O lady, who know the difference between, right and wrong that great persons are pained at the miseries of all creatures. But these words which you have uttered carry instruction for only a selfcontained person. Therefore, I must kill this serpent.
समीप्सन्तः कालयोगं त्यजन्ति; सद्यः शुचं त्वर्थविदस्त्यजन्ति । श्रेयः क्षयः शोचतां नित्यशो हि; तस्मात्त्याज्यं जहि शोकं हतेऽस्मिन् ॥
English Translation
Those who value peace of mind, attribute everything to the course of Time as the cause, but practical men soon pacify their grief. People, through perpetual error, fear loss of beatitude. Therefore, O lady, remove your grief by having this serpent killed (by me).
न चैवार्तिर्विद्यतेऽस्मद्विधानां; धर्मारामः सततं सज्जनो हि । नित्यायस्तो बालजनो न चास्ति; धर्मो ह्येष प्रभवाम्यस्य नाहम् ॥
न ब्राह्मणानां कोपोऽस्ति कुतः कोपाच्च यातना । मार्दवात्क्षम्यतां साधो मुच्यतामेष पन्नगः ॥
English Translation
Brahmanas do not cherish resentment, because resentment leads to pain. Do you, O Goodman, forgive and set free this serpent out of mercy.
हत्वा लाभः श्रेय एवाव्ययं स्या;त्सद्यो लाभो बलवद्भिः प्रशस्तः । कालाल्लाभो यस्तु सद्यो भवेत; हते श्रेयः कुत्सिते त्वीदृशे स्यात् ॥
English Translation
The fowler replied Let us acquire great and inexhaustible merit in the next worlds by destroying (this creature), as a man gains great merit, and confers it on his victim as well, by sacrifice upon the altar! Merit is won by killing an enemy: by killing this despicable creature, you will acquire great and true merit in the next world.
कार्थप्राप्तिर्गृह्य शत्रुं निहत्य; का वा शान्तिः प्राप्य शत्रुं नमुक्त्वा । कस्मात्सौम्य भुजगे न क्षमेयं; मोक्षं वा किं कारणं नास्य कुर्याम् ॥
English Translation
Gautami replied What good is there in torturing and destroying an enemy, and what good is acquired by not setting free an enemy in our power? Therefore. O you of kind face, why should we not forgive this serpent and try to acquire merit by setting it free.
अस्मादेकस्माद्बहवो रक्षितव्या; नैको बहुभ्यो गौतमि रक्षितव्यः । कृतागसं धर्मविदस्त्यजन्ति; सरीसृपं पापमिमं जहि त्वम् ॥
English Translation
The fowler replied A great number (of creatures)should be safeguarded against this one, instead of this single creature being protected. Virtuous men quit the vicious: do you, therefore, destroy the wicked creature.
नास्मिन्हते पन्नगे पुत्रको मे; संप्राप्स्यते लुब्धक जीवितं वै । गुणं चान्यं नास्य वधे प्रपश्ये; तस्मात्सर्पं लुब्धक मुञ्च जीवम् ॥
English Translation
Gautami replied By killing this serpent, my son, O fowler, will not regain his life, nor do I see that any other end will be attained by its death: therefore, do you, O fowler, set this living serpent free.
वृत्रं हत्वा देवराट्श्रेष्ठभाग्वै; यज्ञं हत्वा भागमवाप चैव । शूली देवो देववृत्तं कुरु त्वं; क्षिप्रं सर्पं जहि मा भूद्विशङ्का ॥
English Translation
The fowler said By destroying Vritra, Indra got the best portion (of sacrificial offerings), and by destroying a sacrifice Mahadeva secured his share of sacrificial offerings: do you, therefore, kill this serpent forthwith without any misgivings whatsoever.
असकृत्प्रोच्यमानापि गौतमी भुजगं प्रति । लुब्धकेन महाभागा पापे नैवाकरोन्मतिम् ॥
ईषदुच्छ्वसमानस्तु कृच्छ्रात्संस्तभ्य पन्नगः । उत्ससर्ज गिरं मन्दां मानुषीं पाशपीडितः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Although repeatedly urged on by the fowler for the destruction of the serpent, the great Gautami did nor bend her mind to that sinful deed. Painfully fettered with the cord, sighing a little and keeping up its composure with great difficulty, the serpent then uttered these words slowly, in a human voice.
को न्वर्जुनक दोषोऽत्र विद्यते मम बालिश । अस्वतन्त्रं हि मां मृत्युर्विवशं यदचूचुदत् ॥
English Translation
The serpent said O foolish Arjunaka, what is my fanlt? I have no will of my own, and am not independent! Death sent me on this work.
तस्यायं वचनाद्दष्टो न कोपेन न काम्यया । तस्य तत्किल्बिषं लुब्ध विद्यते यदि किल्बिषम् ॥
English Translation
By his order have I bitten this child, and not out of any anger or option an my part. Therefore, if there be any sin in this, O fowler, the sin is his.
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