महाभारतम् — ११.५

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।

यदिदं धर्मगहनं बुद्ध्या समनुगम्यते ।
एतद्विस्तरशः सर्वं बुद्धिमार्गं प्रशंस मे ॥

M N Dutt Dhritarashtra said Describ: fully to me the ways of that intelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely crossed.

विदुर उवाच ।

११.५.२

अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि नमस्कृत्वा स्वयंभुवे ।
यथा संसारगहनं वदन्ति परमर्षयः ॥

M N Dutt Vidura said “Having saluted the Self-create, I will obey your command by telling, you how the great sages speak of the wilderness of life.

११.५.३

कश्चिन्महति संसारे वर्तमानो द्विजः किल ।
वनं दुर्गमनुप्राप्तो महत्क्रव्यादसंकुलम् ॥

M N Dutt A cretin Brahmana, living in the great world, found himself on one occasion in a large inaccessible forest abounding with beasts of prey.

११.५.४

सिंहव्याघ्रगजाकारैरतिघोरैर्महाशनैः ।
समन्तात्संपरिक्षिप्तं मृत्योरपि भयप्रदम् ॥

११.५.५

तदस्य दृष्ट्वा हृदयमुद्वेगमगमत्परम् ।
अभ्युच्छ्रयश्च रोम्णां वै विक्रियाश्च परंतप ॥

M N Dutt Seeing the forest, the heart of the Brahmana was greatly agitated. His hairs stood erect, and other signs of fear manifested themselves, O destroyer of enemies.

११.५.६

स तद्वनं व्यनुसरन्विप्रधावनितस्ततः ।
वीक्षमाणो दिशः सर्वाः शरणं क्व भवेदिति ॥

M N Dutt Entering it, he began to run hither and thither, looking every side for finding out somebody whose shelter he might seek.

११.५.७

स तेषां छिद्रमन्विच्छन्प्रद्रुतो भयपीडितः ।
न च निर्याति वै दूरं न च तैर्विप्रयुज्यते ॥

M N Dutt Wishing to avoid those terrible creatures, he ran about in fear. He could not go far away from them or free himself from their presence.

११.५.८

अथापश्यद्वनं घोरं समन्ताद्वागुरावृतम् ।
बाहुभ्यां संपरिष्वक्तं स्त्रिया परमघोरया ॥

M N Dutt He then saw that terrible forest was surrounded with a net, and that a dreadful woman stood there, stretching her arms.

११.५.९

पञ्चशीर्षधरैर्नागैः शैलैरिव समुन्नतैः ।
नभःस्पृशैर्महावृक्षैः परिक्षिप्तं महावनम् ॥

M N Dutt That large forest was also beset with many five-headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as mountain summits touching the very sky.

११.५.१०

वनमध्ये च तत्राभूदुदपानः समावृतः ।
वल्लीभिस्तृणछन्नाभिर्गूढाभिरभिसंवृतः ॥

M N Dutt Within it was a pit whose mouth was covered with many hard and strong creepers and herbs.

११.५.११

पपात स द्विजस्तत्र निगूढे सलिलाशये ।
विलग्नश्चाभवत्तस्मिल्लतासंतानसंकटे ॥

११.५.१२

पनसस्य यथा जातं वृन्तबद्धं महाफलम् ।
स तथा लम्बते तत्र ऊर्ध्वपादो ह्यधःशिराः ॥

M N Dutt While wandering the Brahmana dropped into that invisible pit. He was entangled in those creepers that were interwoven with one another, like the large fruit of a jack tree hanging by its stalk. He remained there hanging with feet upwards and head downwards.

११.५.१३

अथ तत्रापि चान्योऽस्य भूयो जात उपद्रवः ।
कूपवीनाहवेलायामपश्यत महागजम् ॥

M N Dutt While in that state, he was visited by various other calamities. He saw a large and mighty snake within the pit. He also saw a gigantic elephant near its mouth.

११.५.१४

षड्वक्त्रं कृष्णशबलं द्विषट्कपदचारिणम् ।
क्रमेण परिसर्पन्तं वल्लीवृक्षसमावृतम् ॥

११.५.१५

तस्य चापि प्रशाखासु वृक्षशाखावलम्बिनः ।
नानारूपा मधुकरा घोररूपा भयावहाः ।
आसते मधु संभृत्य पूर्वमेव निकेतजाः ॥

M N Dutt About the twigs of the tree which was at the mouth of the pit. moved about many bees of dreadful forms, engaged from before in drinking the honey gathered in their comb.

११.५.१६

भूयो भूयः समीहन्ते मधूनि भरतर्षभ ।
स्वादनीयानि भूतानां न यैर्बालोऽपि तृप्यते ॥

M N Dutt They repeatedly desired, O foremost of Bharata's race, to taste that honey which though sweet to all creatures could, however, attract children only. was not

११.५.१७

तेषां मधूनां बहुधा धारा प्रस्रवते सदा ।
तां लम्बमानः स पुमान्धारां पिबति सर्वदा ।
न चास्य तृष्णा विरता पिबमानस्य संकटे ॥

M N Dutt The honey (in the comb) fell in many gets below. The person who was hanging in the pit continually drank those jets.

११.५.१८

अभीप्सति च तां नित्यमतृप्तः स पुनः पुनः ।
न चास्य जीविते राजन्निर्वेदः समजायत ॥

११.५.१९

तत्रैव च मनुष्यस्य जीविताशा प्रतिष्ठिता ।
कृष्णाः श्वेताश्च तं वृक्षं कुट्टयन्ति स्म मूषकाः ॥

M N Dutt Even then, O king, he could not give up hopes of life. Still, the man expected to live. A number of black and white rates were eating away the roots of that tree.

११.५.२०

व्यालैश्च वनदुर्गान्ते स्त्रिया च परमोग्रया ।
कूपाधस्ताच्च नागेन वीनाहे कुञ्जरेण च ॥

M N Dutt There was fear from the beasts of prey, from that dreadful woman on the outskirts of that forest, from that snake at the bottom of the well, from that elephant near its top, from the fall of the tree brought about by the rats, and lastly from those bees flying about for drinking the honey.

११.५.२१

वृक्षप्रपाताच्च भयं मूषकेभ्यश्च पञ्चमम् ।
मधुलोभान्मधुकरैः षष्ठमाहुर्महद्भयम् ॥

M N Dutt There was fear from the beasts of prey, from that dreadful woman on the outskirts of that forest, from that snake at the bottom of the well, from that elephant near its top, from the fall of the tree brought about by the rats, and lastly from those bees flying about for drinking the honey.

११.५.२२

एवं स वसते तत्र क्षिप्तः संसारसागरे ।
न चैव जीविताशायां निर्वेदमुपगच्छति ॥

M N Dutt He lived in that condition, deprived of his senses, in that forest, never losing at any time the hope of continuing his life.”

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