नैषधीयचरितम् — सप्तदशः सर्गः

अथारभ्य वृथाप्रायं धरित्रीधावनश्रमम् ।
सुराः सरस्वदुल्लोललीला जग्मुर्यथागतम् ॥

Summary AI Then, the gods, having undertaken the mostly futile effort of traversing the earth, departed with a graceful and playful gait, the same way they had come.

१७.२

भैमीं पत्ये भुवस्तस्मै चिरं चित्ते धृतामपि ।
विद्यामिव विनीताय न विषेदुः प्रदाय ते ॥

Summary AI They (the gods) did not feel sad after giving Bhaimi to that lord of the earth (Nala), even though they had held her in their hearts for a long time, just as one does not regret imparting knowledge to a disciplined student.

१७.३

कान्तिमन्ति विमानानि भेजिरे भासुराः सुराः ।
स्फटिकाद्रेस्तटानीव प्रतिबिम्बा विवस्वतः ॥

Summary AI The radiant gods mounted their shining aerial cars, just as the reflections of the sun settle on the slopes of the crystal mountain.

१७.४

जवाज्जातेन वातेन बलाकृष्टबलाहकैः ।
श्वसनात्स्वस्य शीघ्रत्वं रथैरेषामिवाकथि ॥

Summary AI By their chariots, which forcefully pulled along the clouds with the wind generated by their speed, their own swiftness was declared, as if to be greater than that of the wind itself.

१७.५

कमाद्दवीयसां तेषां तदानीं समदृश्यत ।
स्पष्टमष्टगुणैश्वर्यात्पर्यवस्यन्निवाणिमा ॥

Summary AI Then, as they gradually moved farther away, their power of 'Anima' (becoming minute), which is one of the eight divine powers, seemed to clearly manifest itself, as if culminating in their disappearance.

१७.६

ततान विद्युता तेषां रथे पीतपताकताम् ।
लब्धकेतुशिखोल्लेखा लेखा जलमुचः क्वचित् ॥

Summary AI Somewhere, a streak of lightning from a cloud, which had the appearance of the tip of a banner, served as a yellow flag on their chariot.

१७.७

पुनःपुनर्मिलन्तीषु पथि पाथोदपङ्क्तिषु ।
नाकनाथरथालम्बि बभूवाभरणं धनुः ॥

Summary AI As rows of clouds gathered again and again on their path, the rainbow, hanging on the chariot of Indra (the lord of heaven), became its ornament.

१७.८

जले जलदजालानां वज्रितज्रानुबिम्बनैः ।
जाने तत्कालजैस्तेषां जाताशनिसनाथता ॥

Summary AI I suppose that through the reflections of Indra's thunderbolt in the water held by the multitudes of clouds, their journey became accompanied by real thunderbolts born at that very moment.

१७.९

स्फुटं सावर्णिवंश्यानां कुलच्छत्रं महीभुजाम् ।
चक्रे दण्डभृतश्चुम्बन्दण्डश्चण्डरुचिं क्वचित् ॥

Summary AI Somewhere, the staff of Yama, by touching the sun, clearly served as the handle for the dynastic umbrella (the sun itself) for the kings descended from Savarni Manu.

१७.१०

नलभीमभुवोः प्रेम्णि विस्मिताया दधौ दिवः ।
पाशिपाशः शिरःकम्पस्रस्तभूषश्रवःश्रियम् ॥

Summary AI Varuna's noose assumed the beauty of an earring slipped from the ear of the personified Sky-goddess, who was shaking her head in astonishment at the love between Nala and Damayanti.

१७.११

पवनस्कन्धमारुह्य नृत्यत्तरकरः शिखी ।
अनेन प्रापि भैमीति भ्रमं चक्रे नभःसदाम् ॥

Summary AI Agni, mounting the 'shoulder' of the wind with his intensely dancing flames, created confusion for the sky-dwellers, making them mistakenly think, "Bhaimi has been obtained by him (Agni)".

१७.१२

तत्कर्णौ भारती दूनौ विरहाद्भीमजागिराम् ।
अध्वनि ध्वनिभिर्वैणिरनुकल्पैर्व्यनोदयत् ॥

Summary AI On the way, Saraswati, the Vina player, soothed his (Indra's) ears, which were pained by the separation from Damayanti's words, with the substitute sounds from her Vina.

१७.१३

अथायान्तमवैक्षन्त ते जनौघमसित्विषम् ।
तेषां प्रत्युद्गमप्रीत्या मिलद्व्योमेव मूर्तिमत् ॥

Summary AI Then they (the gods) saw an approaching dark-complexioned crowd of people, which seemed like the embodied sky itself, coming forward with the affection of going out to greet them.

१७.१४

अद्राक्षुराजिहानं ते स्मरमग्रेसरं सुराः ।
अक्षाविनयशिक्षार्थं कलिनेव पुरस्कृतम् ॥

Summary AI Those gods saw Smara (Kamadeva) coming towards them, leading the way, as if he had been put forward by Kali for the purpose of teaching Nala the vice of gambling.

१७.१५

अगम्यार्थं तृणप्राणाः पृष्ठस्थीकृतभीह्रियः ।
शम्भलीभुक्तसर्वस्वा जना यत्पारिपार्श्विकाः ॥

Summary AI His (Kali's) attendants are people who treat their lives like grass for the sake of an unapproachable woman, who have cast aside fear and shame, and whose entire wealth has been consumed by procuresses.

१७.१६

बिभर्ति लोकजिद्भावं बुद्धस्य स्पर्धयेव यः ।
यस्येशतुलयेवात्र कर्तृत्वमशरीरिणः ॥

Summary AI He (Kamadeva) bears the title 'conqueror of the world' as if in rivalry with the Buddha. The agency of this bodiless one in this world is comparable to that of the Lord (Shiva).

१७.१७

ईश्वरस्य जगत्कृत्स्नं सृष्टिमाकुलयन्निमाम् ।
अस्ति योऽस्त्रीकृतस्त्रीकस्तस्य वैरं स्मरन्निव ॥

Summary AI He (Kamadeva) exists, agitating this entire creation of the world as if remembering his enmity with Ishvara (Shiva), and he is one who makes women unchaste.

१७.१८

चक्रे शक्रादिनेत्राणां स्मरः पीतनलश्रियाम् ।
अपि दैवतवैद्याभ्यामचिकित्स्यमरोचकम् ॥

Summary AI Kama, the god of love, created an incurable aversion in the eyes of Indra and the other gods, whose splendor had been surpassed by Nala. This aversion was something that even the two divine physicians, the Ashvins, could not treat.

१७.१९

यत्तत्क्षिपन्तमुत्कम्पमुत्थायुकमथारुणम् ।
बुबुधुर्विबुधाः क्रोधमाक्रोशाक्रोशघोषणम् ॥

Summary AI Then the gods perceived Anger, who was causing trembling, was prone to rising up, was red in color, and was announced by repeated shouts of abuse.

१७.२०

यमुपासन्त दन्तौष्ठक्षतासृक्शिष्यचक्षुषः ।
भ्रुकुटीफणिनीनादनिभनिश्वासफूत्कृतः ॥

Summary AI They saw Anger, who was attended by followers whose eyes were reddened like pupils by the blood from their self-bitten lips, and whose hissing breaths resembled the sound of the female serpent that was their frowning brow.

१७.२१

दुर्गं कामाशुगेनापि दुर्लङ्घ्यमवलम्ब्य यः ।
दुर्वासोहृदयं लोकान्सेन्द्रानपि दिधक्षति ॥

Summary AI They saw Anger, who, having taken refuge in the fortress of the sage Durvasa's heart—a stronghold difficult to breach even for Kama's arrows—wishes to burn all the worlds, including Indra's.

१७.२२

वैराग्यं यः करोत्युच्चै रञ्जनं जनयन्नपि ।
सूते सर्वेन्द्रियाच्छादि प्रज्वलन्नपि यस्तमः ॥

Summary AI They saw Anger, who paradoxically creates great aversion (vairagya) even while producing reddening (ranjanam, i.e., passion), and who produces a darkness that envelops all the senses even while blazing brightly.

१७.२३

पञ्चेषुविजयाशक्तौ भवस्य क्रुध्यतो जयात् ।
येनान्यविगृहीतारिजयकालनयः श्रितः ॥

Summary AI They saw Anger, who had adopted the strategic policy of conquering an enemy (Kama) when he is engaged with another, a policy born from his victory over the enraged Shiva, who himself was unable to conquer Kama.

१७.२४

हस्तौ विस्तारयन्निभ्ये बिभ्यदर्धपथस्थवाक् ।
सूचयन्काकुमाकूतैर्लोभस्तत्र व्यलोकि तैः ॥

Summary AI There, Greed was seen by them (the gods). He was stretching out his hands towards a wealthy person, showing fear, his speech faltering midway, and indicating a plaintive tone through his gestures.

१७.२५

दैन्यस्तैन्यमया नित्यमत्याहारामयाविनः ।
भुञ्जानजनसाकूतपश्या यस्यानुजीविनः ॥

Summary AI They saw Greed, whose followers are perpetually filled with wretchedness and thievery, suffer from illnesses caused by overeating, and gaze with longing at anyone they see eating.

१७.२६

धनिदानाम्बुवृष्टेर्यः पात्रपाणाववग्रहः ।
स्वान्दासानिव हा निःस्वाद्विक्रीणीतेऽर्थवत्सु यः ॥

Summary AI They saw Greed, who acts as a drought, preventing the rain of charity from the wealthy from reaching the hands of the deserving. Alas, he sells the poor to the rich as if they were his own slaves.

१७.२७

एकद्विकरणे हेतू महापातकपञ्चके ।
न तृणे मन्यते कोपकामौ यः पञ्च कारयन् ॥

Summary AI They saw Greed, who, while himself causing all five of the great sins, holds Anger and Lust—who are the cause of merely one or two—in no more esteem than a blade of grass.

१७.२८

यः सर्वेन्द्रियसद्मापि जिह्वां बह्ववलम्बते ।
तस्यामाचार्यकं याञ्जाबटवे पाटवेऽर्जितुम् ॥

Summary AI They saw Greed, who, despite being the abode of all senses, relies heavily on the tongue in order to master the skill of begging, treating the tongue as a teacher and begging as its student.

१७.२९

पथ्यां तथ्यामगृह्णन्तमन्धं बन्धुप्रबोधनाम् ।
शून्यमाश्लिष्य नोज्झन्तं मोहमैक्षन्त हन्त ते ॥

Summary AI Alas, they (the gods) saw Delusion, who is blind and does not accept the wholesome and true advice of his relatives. Having embraced nothingness, he refuses to let it go.

१७.३०

श्वःश्वः प्राणप्रयाणेऽपि न स्मरन्ति स्मरद्विषाः ।
मग्नाः कुटुम्बजम्बाले बालिशा यदुपासिनः ॥

Summary AI They saw Delusion, whose foolish worshippers, sunk in the mire of family life, constantly procrastinate, failing to remember Shiva, the enemy of Kama, even as death becomes imminent.

१७.३१

पुंसामलब्धनिर्वाणज्ञानदीपमयात्मनाम् ।
अन्तर्म्लापयति व्यक्तं यः कज्जलवदुज्ज्वलम् ॥

Summary AI They saw Delusion, who, like soot on a flame, clearly sullies from within the bright knowledge of men whose souls have not yet obtained the lamp of wisdom leading to liberation.

१७.३२

ब्रह्मचारिवनस्थायियतयो गृहिणं यथा ।
त्रयो यमुपजीवन्ति क्रोधलोभमनोभवाः ॥

Summary AI They saw Delusion, upon whom the trio of Anger, Greed, and Lust depend for their existence, just as the student, the forest-dweller, and the ascetic (the other three stages of life) depend on the householder.

१७.३३

जाग्रतामपि निद्रा यः पश्यतामपि योऽन्धता ।
श्रुते सत्यपि जाड्यं यः प्रकाशेऽपि च यस्तमः ॥

Summary AI They saw Delusion, who is sleep for those who are awake, blindness for those who can see, stupidity even when there is knowledge, and darkness even when there is light.

१७.३४

कुरुसैन्यं हरेणेव प्रागलज्जत नाऋजुनः ।
हतं येन जयन्कामस्तमोगुणजुषा जगत् ॥

Summary AI Kama, while conquering the world that was already destroyed by Delusion (the embodiment of Tamas), felt no shame, unlike Arjuna, who had previously felt shame upon seeing the Kuru army destined to be slain by Krishna.

१७.३५

चिह्निताः कतिचिद्देवैः प्राचः परिचयादमी ।
अन्ये न केचनाचूडमेनः कञ्चुकमेचकाः ॥

Summary AI Some of these figures, being ancient, were recognized by the gods from prior acquaintance. However, there were other figures who were not recognized at all, being dark from head to toe as if clad in an armor of sin.

१७.३६

तत्रोद्गूर्ण इवार्णोधौ सैन्येऽभ्यर्णमुपेयुषि ।
कस्याप्याकर्णयामासुस्ते वर्णान्कर्णकर्कशान् ॥

Summary AI Then, as that army, agitated like a swelling ocean, drew near, the gods heard someone's speech, the words of which were harsh to the ear.

१७.३७

ग्रावोन्मज्जनवद्यज्ञफलेति श्रुतिसत्यता ।
का श्रद्धा तत्र धीवृद्धाः कामाध्वा यत्खिलीकृतः ॥

Summary AI (A voice said:) "O you who are wise! Since the path of desire has been blocked, the Vedic truth that 'sacrifices yield fruit' is as believable as a stone floating on water. What faith can one have in that?"

१७.३८

केनापि बोधिसत्त्वेन जातं सत्त्वेन हेतुना ।
यद्वेदमर्मभेदाय जगदे जगदस्थिरम् ॥

Summary AI It was born from some Bodhisattva with the quality of Sattva as its cause, which declared, "the world is transient," in order to pierce the core secrets (and thus undermine the authority) of the Vedas.

१७.३९

अग्निहोत्रं त्रयीतन्त्रं त्रिदण्डं भस्मपुण्ड्रकम् ।
प्रज्ञापौरुषानिःस्वानां जीवो जल्पति जीविका ॥

Summary AI The materialist doctrine proclaims: The Agnihotra sacrifice, the system of the three Vedas, carrying a triple staff, and wearing marks of ash—all these are merely a means of livelihood for those who lack intelligence and manliness.

१७.४०

शुद्धिर्वंशद्वयीशुद्धौ पित्रोः पित्रोर्यदेकशः ।
तदानन्तकुलादोषाददोषा जातिरस्ति का ॥

Summary AI If the purity of parents depends on the purity of their respective two lineages, and so on for each generation, then, given the requirement of faultlessness in an infinite number of preceding families, what caste can truly be considered pure?

१७.४१

कामिनीवर्गसंसर्गैर्न कः संक्रान्तपातकः ।
नाश्नाति स्नाति हा मोहात्कामक्षामव्रतं जगत् ॥

Summary AI Who is not tainted by sin through association with women? Alas, the world, out of delusion, undertakes vows of austerity from desire, yet it does not eat (before bathing) and bathes (for purification), pointing out the hypocrisy of ritual purity.

१७.४२

ईर्ष्यया रक्षतो नारीर्धिक्कुलस्थितिदाम्भिकान् ।
स्मरान्धत्वाविशेषेऽपि तथा नरमरक्षतः ॥

Summary AI Fie upon those hypocrites who boast of their family's honor! Out of jealousy, they guard their women, but fail to guard the men in the same way, even though there is no difference in how both are blinded by passion.

१७.४३

परदारनिवृत्तिर्या सोऽयं स्वयमनादृतः ।
अहल्याकेलिलोलेन दम्भो दम्भोलिपाणिना ॥

Summary AI This precept of abstaining from others' wives—this very hypocrisy was itself disregarded by the wielder of the thunderbolt (Indra), who was eager for his amorous sport with Ahalya.

१७.४४

गुरुतल्पगतौ पापकल्पनां त्यजत द्विजाः ।
येषां वः पत्युरत्युच्चैर्गुरुदारग्रहे ग्रहः ॥

Summary AI O Brahmanas, abandon the notion of sin in the act of adultery with a teacher's wife! Your own lord (the Moon, lord of Brahmanas) has a very strong insistence on seizing his teacher's (Brihaspati's) wife (Tara).

१७.४५

पापात्तापा मुदः पुण्यात्परासोः स्युरिति श्रुतिः ।
वैपरीत्यं द्रुतं साक्षात्तदाख्यात बलाबले ॥

Summary AI The scripture says, "From sin comes suffering, and from merit, joy—after death." But in this life, the opposite is quickly and directly observed. Therefore, tell me about the relative strength of scriptural testimony versus direct perception.

१७.४६

संदेहेऽप्यन्यदेहाप्तेर्विवर्ज्यं वृजिनं यदि ।
त्यजत श्रोत्रियाः सत्त्रं हिंसादूषणसंशयात् ॥

Summary AI O Vedic scholars, if you believe that sin should be avoided even when there is only a doubt about attaining another body after death, then you should also abandon your sacrifices, as there is a similar doubt about them being tainted by violence.

१७.४७

यस्त्रिवेदीविदां वन्द्यः स व्यासोऽपि जजल्प वः ।
रामाया जातकामायाः प्रशस्ता हस्तधारणा ॥

Summary AI Even Vyasa, who is revered by the knowers of the three Vedas, has told you that seizing the hand of a beautiful woman who is filled with desire is a praiseworthy act.

१७.४८

सुकृते वः कथं श्रद्धा सुरते च कथं न सा ।
तत्कर्म पुरुषः कुर्याद्येनान्ते सुखमेधते ॥

Summary AI Why do you have faith in virtuous deeds (whose results are unseen)? And why not have that same faith in sexual pleasure (whose result is immediate)? A person should perform that action by which they ultimately prosper happily.

१७.४९

बलात्कुरुत पापानि सन्तु तान्यकृतानि वः ।
सर्वान्बलकृतान्दोषानकृतान्मनुरब्रवीत् ॥

Summary AI Commit sins by force! Let them be as if not done by you. For Manu himself has declared that all faults committed under duress are to be considered as not having been committed at all.

१७.५०

स्वागमार्थेऽपि मा स्थास्मिंस्तीर्थिका विचिकित्सवः ।
तं तमाचरतानन्दं स्वच्छन्दं यं यमिच्छथ ॥

Summary AI O heretics (Charvakas), do not be doubtful even about the meaning of your own scriptures. Freely indulge in whatever pleasure you desire.

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