महाभारतम् — ८.४९

संजय उवाच ।

युधिष्ठिरेणैवमुक्तः कौन्तेयः श्वेतवाहनः ।
असिं जग्राह संक्रुद्धो जिघांसुर्भरतर्षभम् ॥

M N Dutt Sanjaya said Hearing the words of Yudhishthira, Kownteya-the owner of white steeds-in a tempestuous mood took hold of his sword to slay that mightiest of the Bharata's race.

८.४९.२

तस्य कोपं समुद्वीक्ष्य चित्तज्ञः केशवस्तदा ।
उवाच किमिदं पार्थ गृहीतः खड्ग इत्युत ॥

M N Dutt Kesava, the cogniser of human hearts, seeing his rage, inquired-"Why, O Partha, do you lay your hands on your sword?

८.४९.३

नेह पश्यामि योद्धव्यं तव किंचिद्धनंजय ।
ते ध्वस्ता धार्तराष्ट्रा हि सर्वे भीमेन धीमता ॥

M N Dutt Here, O Dhananjaya, I see no adversary to try the strength of your steel. Clever Bhimasena has already assailed the Dhartarashtras.

८.४९.४

अपयातोऽसि कौन्तेय राजा द्रष्टव्य इत्यपि ।
स राजा भवता दृष्टः कुशली च युधिष्ठिरः ॥

M N Dutt O Kownteya, you have returned from the field, to seen king Yudhishthira and you have seen that he is keeping up well.

८.४९.५

तं दृष्ट्वा नृपशार्दूलं शार्दूलसमविक्रमम् ।
हर्षकाले तु संप्राप्ते कस्मात्त्वा मन्युराविशत् ॥

M N Dutt This is the time of rejoicing, as you have seen that best of kings whose prowess is like that of a tiger. Why should you then betray yourself thus?

८.४९.६

न तं पश्यामि कौन्तेय यस्ते वध्यो भवेदिह ।
कस्माद्भवान्महाखड्गं परिगृह्णाति सत्वरम् ॥

८.४९.७

तत्त्वा पृच्छामि कौन्तेय किमिदं ते चिकीर्षितम् ।
परामृशसि यत्क्रुद्धः खड्गमद्भुतविक्रम ॥

M N Dutt Why do you seize your mighty sword so suddenly, I enquire this of you. O Kaunteya, whence is this desire of your heart, or why do you fly to sword in such a sullen mood and with such a vigour?"

८.४९.८

एवमुक्तस्तु कृष्णेन प्रेक्षमाणो युधिष्ठिरम् ।
अर्जुनः प्राह गोविन्दं क्रुद्धः सर्प इव श्वसन् ॥

M N Dutt Thus addressed by Krishna, Arjuna, looking towards Yudhishthira and whizzing like an angry snake, replied,

८.४९.९

दद गाण्डीवमन्यस्मा इति मां योऽभिचोदयेत् ।
छिन्द्यामहं शिरस्तस्य इत्युपांशुव्रतं मम ॥

८.४९.१०

तदुक्तोऽहमदीनात्मन्राज्ञामितपराक्रम ।
समक्षं तव गोविन्द न तत्क्षन्तुमिहोत्सहे ॥

८.४९.११

तस्मादेनं वधिष्यामि राजानं धर्मभीरुकम् ।
प्रतिज्ञां पालयिष्यामि हत्वेमं नरसत्तमम् ।
एतदर्थं मया खड्गो गृहीतो यदुनन्दन ॥

M N Dutt I will redeem my vow by slaying this best of men. For this alone I have taken up the sword.

८.४९.१२

सोऽहं युधिष्ठिरं हत्वा सत्येऽप्यानृण्यतां गतः ।
विशोको विज्वरश्चापि भविष्यामि जनार्दन ॥

M N Dutt O delighter of the Yadus; by slaying Yudhishthira I will thus adhere to truth thereby be free from grief and fever.

८.४९.१३

किं वा त्वं मन्यसे प्राप्तमस्मिन्काले समुत्थिते ।
त्वमस्य जगतस्तात वेत्थ सर्वं गतागतम् ।
तत्तथा प्रकरिष्यामि यथा मां वक्ष्यते भवान् ॥

M N Dutt O Janaradana, what do you wish me to do under the present circumstances. O sire, you are well acquainted with all the past the future of this universe. I shall, therefore, do as you tell me.”

कृष्ण उवाच ।

८.४९.१४

इदानीं पार्थ जानामि न वृद्धाः सेवितास्त्वया ।
अकाले पुरुषव्याघ्र संरम्भक्रिययानया ।
न हि धर्मविभागज्ञः कुर्यादेवं धनंजय ॥

M N Dutt “Now I understand, O Partha, that you have never attended upon the old, since you, O mightiest of men, have been overcome with anger at a time quite out of season.

८.४९.१५

अकार्याणां च कार्याणां संयोगं यः करोति वै ।
कार्याणामक्रियाणां च स पार्थ पुरुषाधमः ॥

M N Dutt O Partha, he who does an act improper and heinous is the vilest of men.

८.४९.१६

अनुसृत्य तु ये धर्मं कवयः समुपस्थिताः ।
समासविस्तरविदां न तेषां वेत्थ निश्चयम् ॥

M N Dutt You know not the words of wisdom the learned men preach, after the rules of morality, to the pupils waiting up on them.

८.४९.१७

अनिश्चयज्ञो हि नरः कार्याकार्यविनिश्चये ।
अवशो मुह्यते पार्थ यथा त्वं मूढ एव तु ॥

M N Dutt Persons ignorant of them become benumbed and befooled in discriminating between what ought to be done and what ought not, even as you, O Partha, have been nonplussed.

८.४९.१८

न हि कार्यमकार्यं वा सुखं ज्ञातुं कथंचन ।
श्रुतेन ज्ञायते सर्वं तच्च त्वं नावबुध्यसे ॥

M N Dutt 'It is not easy to learn what ought to be done and what ought not. Of course everything can be learnt with the help of the scriptures. You are, however, a stranger to them.

८.४९.१९

अविज्ञानाद्भवान्यच्च धर्मं रक्षति धर्मवित् ।
प्राणिनां हि वधं पार्थ धार्मिको नावबुध्यते ॥

M N Dutt Believing yourself to be conversant with morality, you are observing it in a way which but indicates your ignorance of it. You believe yourself to be virtuous but you know not, O Partha, that it is a sin to slay living beings.

८.४९.२०

प्राणिनामवधस्तात सर्वज्यायान्मतो मम ।
अनृतं तु भवेद्वाच्यं न च हिंस्यात्कथंचन ॥

M N Dutt Methinks, keeping from doing any injury to any animal is a cardinal virtue. Even an untruth might behold but never an animal ought be slain.

८.४९.२१

स कथं भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं राजानं धर्मकोविदम् ।
हन्याद्भवान्नरश्रेष्ठ प्राकृतोऽन्यः पुमानिव ॥

M N Dutt O best of men, how could you then like an ordinary man wish to slay your eldest brother the king, who is well versed in morality.

८.४९.२२

अयुध्यमानस्य वधस्तथाशस्त्रस्य भारत ।
पराङ्मुखस्य द्रवतः शरणं वाभिगच्छतः ।
कृताञ्जलेः प्रपन्नस्य न वधः पूज्यते बुधैः ॥

M N Dutt O Bharata, the slaying of a man who is not engaged in a fight, or is unwilling to fight, or takes to flight, or seeks your shelter, or joins his hands, or gives himself up to you, or is insane, be he even a foe, is never upheld by the righteous. And your superior is even all this.

८.४९.२३

त्वया चैव व्रतं पार्थ बालेनैव कृतं पुरा ।
तस्मादधर्मसंयुक्तं मौढ्यात्कर्म व्यवस्यसि ॥

M N Dutt You had formerly taken the vow through childishness. And now through folly you are inclined to do an unrighteous act.

८.४९.२४

स गुरुं पार्थ कस्मात्त्वं हन्या धर्ममनुस्मरन् ।
असंप्रधार्य धर्माणां गतिं सूक्ष्मां दुरन्वयाम् ॥

M N Dutt Why, O Partha, do you rush upon your superior, intending to slay him, without determining (before-hand) the exceedingly fine course of virtue which is, certainly, not easily intelligible.

८.४९.२५

इदं धर्मरहस्यं च वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ।
यद्ब्रूयात्तव भीष्मो वा धर्मज्ञो वा युधिष्ठिरः ॥

८.४९.२६

विदुरो वा तथा क्षत्ता कुन्ती वापि यशस्विनी ।
तत्ते वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वेन तन्निबोध धनंजय ॥

८.४९.२७

सत्यस्य वचनं साधु न सत्याद्विद्यते परम् ।
तत्त्वेनैतत्सुदुर्ज्ञेयं यस्य सत्यमनुष्ठितम् ॥

M N Dutt One who tells the truth is a pious person. Nothing is there higher than truth. It is, therefore, very difficult to understand the details of truth as observed in action.

८.४९.२८

भवेत्सत्यमवक्तव्यं वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत् ।
सर्वस्वस्यापहारे तु वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत् ॥

M N Dutt Truth becomes unutterable and untruth utterable, where untruth would pose as truth and truth as untruth.

८.४९.२९

प्राणात्यये विवाहे च वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत् ।
यत्रानृतं भवेत्सत्यं सत्यं चाप्यनृतं भवेत् ॥

M N Dutt Truth becomes unutterable and untruth utterable, where untruth would pose as truth and truth as untruth.

८.४९.३०

तादृशं पश्यते बालो यस्य सत्यमनुष्ठितम् ।
सत्यानृते विनिश्चित्य ततो भवति धर्मवित् ॥

M N Dutt Indeed it is not a very easy thing to become righteous. He who can distinguish between the niceties of truth and untruth can alone become conversant with morality.

८.४९.३१

किमाश्चर्यं कृतप्रज्ञः पुरुषोऽपि सुदारुणः ।
सुमहत्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यं बलाकोऽन्धवधादिव ॥

M N Dutt What wonder is there then that a wise man by doing something awfully cruel may even acquire virtue, as Balaka did by killing a blind beast.

८.४९.३२

किमाश्चर्यं पुनर्मूढो धर्मकामोऽप्यपण्डितः ।
सुमहत्प्राप्नुयात्पापमापगामिव कौशिकः ॥

M N Dutt What wonder then that an ignorant and inexperienced person, intending to practise virtue, would commit grave vice like Kaushika on the river-bank."

अर्जुन उवाच ।

८.४९.३३

आचक्ष्व भगवन्नेतद्यथा विद्यामहं तथा ।
बलाकान्धाभिसंबद्धं नदीनां कौशिकस्य च ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna said Tell me of it, O holy one, in a way that I may learn it these stories about Balaka and Kaushika on the river-bank.

कृष्ण उवाच ।

८.४९.३४

मृगव्याधोऽभवत्कश्चिद्बलाको नाम भारत ।
यात्रार्थं पुत्रदारस्य मृगान्हन्ति न कामतः ॥

M N Dutt Vasudeva said There was once a hunter, O Bharata, Balaka by name. He used to kill animals, not willfully but, in order to support his children and wife.

८.४९.३५

सोऽन्धौ च मातापितरौ बिभर्त्यन्यांश्च संश्रितान् ।
स्वधर्मनिरतो नित्यं सत्यवागनसूयकः ॥

M N Dutt Devoted to his tribal pursuits, always speaking the truth and devoid of malice, he used to maintain his aged mother and father and other dependents.

८.४९.३६

स कदाचिन्मृगाल्लिप्सुर्नान्वविन्दत्प्रयत्नवान् ।
अथापश्यत्स पीतोदं श्वापदं घ्राणचक्षुषम् ॥

८.४९.३७

अदृष्टपूर्वमपि तत्सत्त्वं तेन हतं तदा ।
अन्वेव च ततो व्योम्नः पुष्पवर्षमवापतत् ॥

M N Dutt Though he had not before seen a like of it, yet he killed it then and there. No sooner the blind beast had been killed, that there fell from the skies a shower of flowers.

८.४९.३८

अप्सरोगीतवादित्रैर्नादितं च मनोरमम् ।
विमानमागमत्स्वर्गान्मृगव्याधनिनीषया ॥

M N Dutt A celestial car, filled with the songs and music of Apsaras, came down from heaven to fetch that hunter of animals.

८.४९.३९

तद्भूतं सर्वभूतानामभावाय किलार्जुन ।
तपस्तप्त्वा वरं प्राप्तं कृतमन्धं स्वयंभुवा ॥

M N Dutt That beast having, successfully performed all the austerities of asceticism with a view to kill all the animals, had received that boon but was made blind instead by the Self-born.

८.४९.४०

तद्धत्वा सर्वभूतानामभावकृतनिश्चयम् ।
ततो बलाकः स्वरगादेवं धर्मः सुदुर्विदः ॥

M N Dutt Therefore Valaka, having killed the beast that was bent upon killing all the animals, went to heaven. Morality is, therefore, very difficult to be understood.

८.४९.४१

कौशिकोऽप्यभवद्विप्रस्तपस्वी न बहुश्रुतः ।
नदीनां संगमे ग्रामाददूरे स किलावसत् ॥

M N Dutt There was an ascetic Brahmin named Kaushika not much read in the Scriptures. He used to reside at a confluence of rivers, not far away from a village.

८.४९.४२

सत्यं मया सदा वाच्यमिति तस्याभवद्व्रतम् ।
सत्यवादीति विख्यातः स तदासीद्धनंजय ॥

M N Dutt He had taken the vow that the would ever speak the truth.' Therefore, O Dhananjaya, he become famous as a truthful man.

८.४९.४३

अथ दस्युभयात्केचित्तदा तद्वनमाविशन् ।
दस्यवोऽपि गताः क्रूरा व्यमार्गन्त प्रयत्नतः ॥

M N Dutt At a time certain persons, being afraid of robbers, entered the woods. Even there the robbers, filled with anger, doggedly haunted after them.

८.४९.४४

अथ कौशिकमभ्येत्य प्राहुस्तं सत्यवादिनम् ।
कतमेन पथा याता भगवन्बहवो जनाः ।
सत्येन पृष्टः प्रब्रूहि यदि तान्वेत्थ शंस नः ॥

M N Dutt They then approaching Kaushika the truthful, said-'O holy one, which way have a number of men passed a little while ago? Asked in the name of truth tell us if you have seen them.'

८.४९.४५

स पृष्टः कौशिकः सत्यं वचनं तानुवाच ह ।
बहुवृक्षलतागुल्ममेतद्वनमुपाश्रिताः ।
ततस्ते तान्समासाद्य क्रूरा जघ्नुरिति श्रुतिः ॥

M N Dutt Being thus asked Kaushika told them the truth, that they had entered the wood thickly covered with trees, creepers and shrubs. O Partha, thus did Kaushika inform them.

८.४९.४६

तेनाधर्मेण महता वाग्दुरुक्तेन कौशिकः ।
गतः सुकष्टं नरकं सूक्ष्मधर्मेष्वकोविदः ।
अप्रभूतश्रुतो मूढो धर्माणामविभागवित् ॥

M N Dutt And the report goes that on this those wanton men got hold of those persons and put them to death. For the gave sin of uttering that truth, which should not have been uttered, Kaushika, unversed in the subtleties of religion, fell into a fearful hell.

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