Critical Edition
सूत उवाच एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी शृङ्गी कोपसमन्वितः मृतधारं गुरुं श्रुत्वा पर्यतप्यत मन्युना
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said: Being thus addressed and having heard that his father was bearing a dead snake, the powerful Shringi grew exceedingly angry.
स तं कृशमभिप्रेष्क्य सूनृतां वाचमुत्सृजन् अपृच्छत कथं तातः स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः
M. N. Dutt: Looking at Krisha, he softly asked him, “Why does my father bear a dead snake?”
Supplementary Passages:
1.37.2 After 2, D3 T2 G (except G3.6) ins.: *399 अनन्यचेताः सततं विष्णुं देवमतोषयत् वन्यान्नभोजी सततं मुनिर्मौनव्रते स्थितः एवंभूतः स तेजस्वी स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः
कृश उवाच राज्ञा परिक्षिता तात मृगयां परिधावता अवसक्तः पितुस्तेऽद्य मृतः स्कन्धे भुजंगमः
M. N. Dutt: Krisha said: O dear friend, when Parikshit was roving for the purpose of hunting, he placed the dead snake of the shoulder of your father.
शृङ्ग्युवाच किं मे पित्रा कृतं तस्य राज्ञोऽनिष्टं दुरात्मनः ब्रूहि त्वं कृश तत्त्वेन पश्य मे तपसो बलम्
M. N. Dutt: Shringi said : What harm was done by my father to that miscreant king? Tell me this, O Krisha and (you will then) see my ascetic powers.
कृश उवाच स राजा मृगयां यातः परिक्षिदभिमन्युजः ससार मृगमेकाकी विद्ध्वा बाणेन पत्रिणा
M. N. Dutt: Krisha said: King Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu, having wounded a fleet stag with an arrow while hunting, chased it alone.
न चापश्यन्मृगं राजा चरंस्तस्मिन्महावने पितरं ते स दृष्ट्वैव पप्रच्छानभिभाषिणम्
M. N. Dutt: He lost sight of the stag in the wilderness of the forest and seeing your father he accosted him.
तं स्थाणुभूतं तिष्ठन्तं क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमातुरः पुनः पुनर्मृगं नष्टं पप्रच्छ पितरं तव
M. N. Dutt: But he (your father) was then observing the vow of silence. Oppressed by hunger, thirst and fatigue, the king repeatedly asked your father about the missing deer.
स च मौनव्रतोपेतो नैव तं प्रत्यभाषत तस्य राजा धनुष्कोट्या सर्पं स्कन्धे समासृजत्
M. N. Dutt: But the Rishi, being then under the vow of silence, did not make any reply. Thereupon the king, becoming angry, placed the snake on his shoulder, taking it up with the end of his bow.
शृङ्गिंस्तव पिताद्यासौ तथैवास्ते यतव्रतः सोऽपि राजा स्वनगरं प्रतियातो गजाह्वयम्
M. N. Dutt: O Shringi, your father, engaged in devotion, is still in that posture. The king has, however, gone away to his capital (Hastinapur), named after the elephant.
सूत उवाच श्रुत्वैवमृषिपुत्रस्तु दिवं स्तब्ध्वेव विष्ठितः कोपसंरक्तनयनः प्रज्वलन्निव मन्युना
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said : Having heard that a dead snake had been placec. on his father's shoulder, the Rishi's son looked like a blazing fire, his eyes reddened with anger.
आविष्टः स तु कोपेन शशाप नृपतिं तदा वार्युपस्पृश्य तेजस्वी क्रोधवेगबलात्कृतः
M. N. Dutt: Inflamed with anger, the powerful Rishi, touching water, cursed the king thus,
शृङ्ग्युवाच योऽसौ वृद्धस्य तातस्य तथा कृच्छ्रगतस्य च स्कन्धे मृतमवास्राक्षीत्पन्नगं राजकिल्बिषी
AI Translation: Śṛṅgi said: He who, being guilty of a crime against the king, placed on the shoulder of his aged father, who was in distress, a dead snake,
तं पापमतिसंक्रुद्धस्तक्षकः पन्नगोत्तमः आशीविषस्तिग्मतेजा मद्वाक्यबलचोदितः
AI Translation: The best of snakes, Takṣaka, who was angry with that evil-minded one, The venomous one, of sharp energy, urged by the power of my words,
सप्तरात्रादितो नेता यमस्य सदनं प्रति द्विजानामवमन्तारं कुरूणामयशस्करम्
AI Translation: From this day on, he will be led to Yama's abode, The one who disparages Brahmins and brings dishonor to the Kurus.
Supplementary Passages:
1.37.14 After 14, B3 ins. an additional colophon, while K0.4 ins.: *400 नो चेत्ततस्तक्षकोऽपि यास्यते यममन्दिरम्
सूत उवाच इति शप्त्वा नृपं क्रुद्धः शृङ्गी पितरमभ्ययात् आसीनं गोचरे तस्मिन्वहन्तं शवपन्नगम्
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said: Having thus cursed the king from anger, Shringi went to his father and saw that he was sitting in the cow-shed, the dead snake (was still) on his shoulder.
स तमालक्ष्य पितरं शृङ्गी स्कन्धगतेन वै शवेन भुजगेनासीद्भूयः क्रोधसमन्वितः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that the dead snake was on the shoulder of his father, he was again inflamed with anger.
दुःखाच्चाश्रूणि मुमुचे पितरं चेदमब्रवीत् श्रुत्वेमां धर्षणां तात तव तेन दुरात्मना
M. N. Dutt: He shed tears in grief; and addressed his father thus, “O father, hearing the insult offered to you by the miscreant,
राज्ञा परिक्षिता कोपादशपं तमहं नृपम् यथार्हति स एवोग्रं शापं कुरुकुलाधमः
AI Translation: Out of anger, I cursed King Parikshit, saying, "May he be bitten by a snake." Just as he deserves, may that lowest of the Kuru lineage receive that fierce curse.
सप्तमेऽहनि तं पापं तक्षकः पन्नगोत्तमः वैवस्वतस्य भवनं नेता परमदारुणम्
AI Translation: On the seventh day, that wicked one was taken by Takṣaka, the best of serpents, to the abode of Yama, the extremely terrible one.
तमब्रवीत्पिता ब्रह्मंस्तथा कोपसमन्वितम् न मे प्रियं कृतं तात नैष धर्मस्तपस्विनाम्
AI Translation: His father said to him, who was thus full of anger: "O son, you have not done what is dear to me. This is not the duty of ascetics.
वयं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य विषये निवसामहे न्यायतो रक्षितास्तेन तस्य पापं न रोचये
AI Translation: We live in his kingdom. He protects us justly. We do not approve of his sin.
सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञो ह्यस्मद्विधैः सदा क्षन्तव्यं पुत्र धर्मो हि हतो हन्ति न संशयः
AI Translation: In every way, the king who is present should always be forgiven by those like us. O son, for dharma that is killed certainly kills.
यदि राजा न रक्षेत पीडा वै नः परा भवेत् न शक्नुयाम चरितुं धर्मं पुत्र यथासुखम्
AI Translation: If the king does not protect us, we will be greatly afflicted. We will not be able to practice the Dharma as we wish, son.
रक्ष्यमाणा वयं तात राजभिः शास्त्रदृष्टिभिः चरामो विपुलं धर्मं तेषां चांशोऽस्ति धर्मतः
AI Translation: We are protected by kings who have the vision of the scriptures. We practice the vast Dharma and have a share of Dharma.
Supplementary Passages:
1.37.24 After 24, Ñ1.2 V1 B D T1 ins.: *401 सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञः क्षन्तव्यमेव हि
परिक्षित्तु विशेषेण यथास्य प्रपितामहः रक्षत्यस्मान्यथा राज्ञा रक्षितव्याः प्रजास्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Specially Parikshit, who, like his great grandfather, protects us as a king should protect his subjects.
तेनेह क्षुधितेनाद्य श्रान्तेन च तपस्विना अजानता व्रतमिदं कृतमेतदसंशयम्
M. N. Dutt: That penance-practising king oppressed by hunger and thirst and he did not know that I was observing the vow of silence.
Supplementary Passages:
1.37.26 K3.4 (om. line 6) Ñ (Ñ1 om. line 4) V1 B D T1 ins. after 26: G (except G3.6; all om. line 3), after 22: *402 अराजके जनपदे दोषा जायन्ति वै सदा उद्वृत्तं सततं लोकं राजा दण्डेन शास्ति वै दण्डात्प्रतिभयं भूयः शान्तिरुत्पद्यते तदा नोद्विग्नश्चरते धर्मं नोद्विग्नश्चरते क्रियाम् राज्ञा प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धर्मात्स्वर्गः प्रतिष्ठितः राज्ञो यज्ञक्रियाः सर्वा यज्ञाद्देवाः प्रतिष्ठिताः देवाद्वृष्टिः प्रवर्तेत वृष्टेरोषधयः स्मृताः ओषधिभ्यो मनुष्याणां धारयन्सततं हितम् मनुष्याणां च यो धाता राजा राज्यकरः पुनः दशश्रोत्रियसमो राजा इत्येवं मनुरब्रवीत्
तस्मादिदं त्वया बाल्यात्सहसा दुष्कृतं कृतम् न ह्यर्हति नृपः शापमस्मत्तः पुत्र सर्वथा
M. N. Dutt: Why have you, through childishness, done rashly this unrighteous action? O son, that king in no way deserves a curse from us.