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Mahābhārata • Parva 1 (Ādiparva) • Adhyāya 41

Ādiparva Adhyāya 41

आदिपर्व • अध्यायः 41

Ādiparva Adhyāya 41 of the classical Mahābhārata with 31 verses.

Total: 31 Verses • Citations: MBh 1.41.1–31 • 250 Lexicon Terms
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु जरत्कारुर्महातपाः । चचार पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां यत्रसायंगृहो मुनिः ॥
English Translation
Sauti said: About this time, the great ascetic Jaratkaru, becoming a Yatra-Sayan Griha, roamed over the world.
चरन्दीक्षां महातेजा दुश्चरामकृतात्मभिः । तीर्थेष्वाप्लवनं कुर्वन्पुण्येषु विचचार ह ॥
English Translation
The greatly powerful Rishi roamed about, bathing in various sacred waters and practising various vows, difficult to be practised by others.
वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुष्यन्नहरहर्मुनिः । स ददर्श पितॄन्गर्ते लम्बमानानधोमुखान् ॥
English Translation
The Rishi lived on air and was completely free from all worldly desires, thus becoming daily lean and emaciated. Thus did he see his ancestors, hanging in the hole, their heads downwards.
एकतन्त्ववशिष्टं वै वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रितान् । तं च तन्तुं शनैराखुमाददानं बिलाश्रयम् ॥
English Translation
By a cord of Virana roots, having only one thread entire. Even that one thread was gradually being eaten away by the rat, living in that hole.
निराहारान्कृशान्दीनान्गर्तेऽऽर्तांस्त्राणमिच्छतः । उपसृत्य स तान्दीनान्दीनरूपोऽभ्यभाषत ॥
English Translation
They were in the hole without food; they were emaciated, pitiable and eagerly desirous of emancipation. Jaratkaru, in humble guise, came near these pitiable ones and asked them,
के भवन्तोऽवलम्बन्ते वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रिताः । दुर्बलं खादितैर्मूलैराखुना बिलवासिना ॥
English Translation
"Who are you that are hanging by the cord of Virana roots, of which the single weak root that is still left is gradually being eaten away by the rat that lives in this hole.
वीरणस्तम्बके मूलं यदप्येकमिह स्थितम् । तदप्ययं शनैराखुरादत्ते दशनैः शितैः ॥
English Translation
"Who are you that are hanging by the cord of Virana roots, of which the single weak root that is still left is gradually being eaten away by the rat that lives in this hole.
छेत्स्यतेऽल्पावशिष्टत्वादेतदप्यचिरादिव । ततः स्थ पतितारोऽत्र गर्ते अस्मिन्नधोमुखाः ॥
English Translation
The little that remains of the single thread will soon be cut away, It is quite evident that you will then fall into the pit with your heads downwards.
ततो मे दुःखमुत्पन्नं दृष्ट्वा युष्मानधोमुखान् । कृच्छ्रामापदमापन्नान्प्रियं किं करवाणि वः ॥
English Translation
I have been moved with pity, seeing that you hang with your faces downwards and that you are overtaken by a great calamity. What good can I do to you?
तपसोऽस्य चतुर्थेन तृतीयेनापि वा पुनः । अर्धेन वापि निस्तर्तुमापदं ब्रूत माचिरम् ॥
English Translation
Tell me without delay whatever your this great calamity can be relived with a fourth, or a third or even a half of my this asceticism.
अथ वापि समग्रेण तरन्तु तपसा मम । भवन्तः सर्व एवास्मात्काममेवं विधीयताम् ॥
English Translation
O relieve yourselves even with the whole of my asceticism. I consent to it. Do as you please.
ऋद्धो भवान्ब्रह्मचारी यो नस्त्रातुमिहेच्छति । न तु विप्राग्र्य तपसा शक्यमेतद्व्यपोहितुम् ॥
English Translation
The Ancestors said: O Venerable Brahmachari, you wish to relieve us. But, O best of the twice-bom, you cannot relieve us with your asceticism.
अस्ति नस्तात तपसः फलं प्रवदतां वर । संतानप्रक्षयाद्ब्रह्मन्पतामो निरयेऽशुचौ ॥
English Translation
O child, O best of speakers, we have also the fruits of our asceticism, but O Brahmana, we are falling down into this hell for the want of offspring.
लम्बतामिह नस्तात न ज्ञानं प्रतिभाति वै । येन त्वां नाभिजानीमो लोके विख्यातपौरुषम् ॥
ऋद्धो भवान्महाभागो यो नः शोच्यान्सुदुःखितान् । शोचस्युपेत्य कारुण्याच्छृणु ये वै वयं द्विज ॥
यायावरा नाम वयमृषयः संशितव्रताः । लोकात्पुण्यादिह भ्रष्टाः संतानप्रक्षयाद्विभो ॥
प्रनष्टं नस्तपः पुण्यं न हि नस्तन्तुरस्ति वै । अस्ति त्वेकोऽद्य नस्तन्तुः सोऽपि नास्ति यथा तथा ॥
मन्दभाग्योऽल्पभाग्यानां बन्धुः स किल नः कुले । जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः । नियतात्मा महात्मा च सुव्रतः सुमहातपाः ॥
English Translation
We have only one thread (son) now, but it matters little whether he is or he is not. Unfortunate we are! We have a thread in one, known as Jaratkaru, well-read in the Vedas and Vedangas, who has adopted asceticism. He is high-souled, he has his senses under complete control, he is a man of rigid vows, a great ascetic.
तेन स्म तपसो लोभात्कृच्छ्रमापादिता वयम् । न तस्य भार्या पुत्रो वा बान्धवो वास्ति कश्चन ॥
English Translation
But from his temptation for the merits of asceticism we have been reduced to this state. He was no wife and no son, no friend, no relatives.
तस्माल्लम्बामहे गर्ते नष्टसंज्ञा ह्यनाथवत् । स वक्तव्यस्त्वया दृष्ट्वा अस्माकं नाथवत्तया ॥
English Translation
This is the reason why we hang in this hole, our consciousness gone, like one having no one to look after. If you meet him, tell him out of kindness for us,
पितरस्तेऽवलम्बन्ते गर्ते दीना अधोमुखाः । साधु दारान्कुरुष्वेति प्रजायस्वेति चाभिभो । कुलतन्तुर्हि नः शिष्टस्त्वमेवैकस्तपोधन ॥
English Translation
“Your ancestors are hanging in grief with their faces downwards. O holy man, take a wife and beget offspring.
यं तु पश्यसि नो ब्रह्मन्वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रितान् । एषोऽस्माकं कुलस्तम्ब आसीत्स्वकुलवर्धनः ॥
यानि पश्यसि वै ब्रह्मन्मूलानीहास्य वीरुधः । एते नस्तन्तवस्तात कालेन परिभक्षिताः ॥
English Translation
Is the cord representing our race. O Brahmana, these threads of the Virana roots which you see eaten up (by the rat) are we ourselves, who have been eaten up by Time. This root which you see half eaten,
यत्त्वेतत्पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्मूलमस्यार्धभक्षितम् । तत्र लम्बामहे सर्वे सोऽप्येकस्तप आस्थितः ॥
यमाखुं पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्काल एष महाबलः । स तं तपोरतं मन्दं शनैः क्षपयते तुदन् । जरत्कारुं तपोलुब्धं मन्दात्मानमचेतसम् ॥
English Translation
He (Time) is slowly killing the wretch Jaratkaru, engaged in asceticism, having been tempted by its merits but wanting in prudence and heart.
न हि नस्तत्तपस्तस्य तारयिष्यति सत्तम । छिन्नमूलान्परिभ्रष्टान्कालोपहतचेतसः । नरकप्रतिष्ठान्पश्यास्मान्यथा दुष्कृतिनस्तथा ॥
English Translation
O excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. The roots being torn, falling off from heavens, deprived of consciousness by Time.
अस्मासु पतितेष्वत्र सह पूर्वैः पितामहैः । छिन्नः कालेन सोऽप्यत्र गन्ता वै नरकं ततः ॥
तपो वाप्यथ वा यज्ञो यच्चान्यत्पावनं महत् । तत्सर्वं न समं तात संतत्येति सतां मतम् ॥
स तात दृष्ट्वा ब्रूयास्त्वं जरत्कारुं तपस्विनम् । यथादृष्टमिदं चास्मै त्वयाख्येयमशेषतः ॥
यथा दारान्प्रकुर्यात्स पुत्रांश्चोत्पादयेद्यथा । तथा ब्रह्मंस्त्वया वाच्यः सोऽस्माकं नाथवत्तया ॥
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