महाभारतम् — १.२४

॥ अथ १.२४ ॥

सूत उवाच ।

इत्युक्तो गरुडः सर्पैस्ततो मातरमब्रवीत् ।
गच्छाम्यमृतमाहर्तुं भक्ष्यमिच्छामि वेदितुम् ॥

M N Dutt Sauti said : Thus told by the snakes, Garuda said to his mother, “I shall go to bring the Ambrosia, but I wish to eat something. Tell me where to get it.”

विनतोवाच ।

१.२४.२

समुद्रकुक्षावेकान्ते निषादालयमुत्तमम् ।
सहस्राणामनेकानां तान्भुक्त्वामृतमानय ॥

M N Dutt Vinata said: The Nishadas have their homes in a remote place in the midst of the ocean. Eat thousands of Nishadas and bring the Ambrosia.

१.२४.३

न तु ते ब्राह्मणं हन्तुं कार्या बुद्धिः कथंचन ।
अवध्यः सर्वभूतानां ब्राह्मणो ह्यनलोपमः ॥

M N Dutt But let not your heart be ever set on killing a Brahmana. A Brahmana is not to be killed amongst all creatures; he is like the fire.

१.२४.४

अग्निरर्को विषं शस्त्रं विप्रो भवति कोपितः ।
भूतानामग्रभुग्विप्रो वर्णश्रेष्ठः पिता गुरुः ॥

M N Dutt You must know a good Brahmana by these indications. A Brahmana is the first-born of all creatures, the best of four castes, the father, master and teacher of all.

गरुड उवाच ।

१.२४.५

यथाहमभिजानीयां ब्राह्मणं लक्षणैः शुभैः ।
तन्मे कारणतो मातः पृच्छतो वक्तुमर्हसि ॥

M N Dutt O mother, you should tell me, who ask you, the auspicious indications by which I shall be able to recognise a Brahmana.

विनतोवाच ।

१.२४.६

यस्ते कण्ठमनुप्राप्तो निगीर्णं बडिशं यथा ।
दहेदङ्गारवत्पुत्र तं विद्याद्ब्राह्मणर्षभम् ॥

M N Dutt Vinata said: O son, know him to be a Brahmana who will torture you like a fishhook, or burn you like a hot charcoal, when he will enter into your throat.

सूत उवाच ।

१.२४.७

प्रोवाच चैनं विनता पुत्रहार्दादिदं वचः ।
जानन्त्यप्यतुलं वीर्यमाशीर्वादसमन्वितम् ॥

१.२४.८

पक्षौ ते मारुतः पातु चन्द्रः पृष्ठं तु पुत्रक ।
शिरस्तु पातु ते वह्निर्भास्करः सर्वमेव तु ॥

M N Dutt Vinata said : Let Maruta protect your wings, let Chandra and Surya protect your back; let Agni protect your head and the Vasus your whole body.

१.२४.९

अहं च ते सदा पुत्र शान्तिस्वस्तिपरायणा ।
अरिष्टं व्रज पन्थानं वत्स कार्यार्थसिद्धये ॥

M N Dutt I also, my son, shall somewhere, wishing for your good and being engaged in ceremonies that will produce you good. Go then, my son, in safety to accomplish your purpose.

१.२४.१०

ततः स मातुर्वचनं निशम्य
वितत्य पक्षौ नभ उत्पपात ।
ततो निषादान्बलवानुपागम
द्बुभुक्षितः काल इवान्तको महान् ॥

M N Dutt Sauti said: Having heard what his mother said, Garuda stretched his wings and rose to the skies and then being endued with great strength like another Yama, he soon came upon the Nishadas.

१.२४.११

स तान्निषादानुपसंहरंस्तदा
रजः समुद्धूय नभःस्पृशं महत् ।
समुद्रकुक्षौ च विशोषयन्पयः
समीपगान्भूमिधरान्विचालयन् ॥

M N Dutt Bent upon destroying the Nishadas he raised up a great storm of dust that covered the whole sky. He sucked up water from the ocean and shook the trees growing on adjacent mountains.

१.२४.१२

ततः स चक्रे महदाननं तदा
निषादमार्गं प्रतिरुध्य पक्षिराट् ।
ततो निषादास्त्वरिताः प्रवव्रजु
र्यतो मुखं तस्य भुजंगभोजिनः ॥

M N Dutt Then the king of birds, opening his great mouth, stopped the road of the Nishadas and the Nishadas too went into his open mouth flying in fright.

१.२४.१३

तदाननं विवृतमतिप्रमाणव
त्समभ्ययुर्गगनमिवार्दिताः खगाः ।
सहस्रशः पवनरजोभ्रमोहिता
महानिलप्रचलितपादपे वने ॥

M N Dutt As birds in great affliction rose by thousands into the skies when the trees of the forest were shaken in a great storm, so the Nishadas, blinded by the dust raised by the storm, entered into the wide-opened mouth of the great snake-eater.

१.२४.१४

ततः खगो वदनममित्रतापनः
समाहरत्परिचपलो महाबलः ।
निषूदयन्बहुविधमत्स्यभक्षिणो
बुभुक्षितो गगनचरेश्वरस्तदा ॥

M N Dutt Then the hungry bird, the chastiser of his enemies, who is endued with great strength and who moves with the greatest speed to achieve his end, closed his mouth, thereby killing thousands of Nishadas who followed the occupation of fishermen.

॥ इति १.२४ ॥

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