Critical Edition
शौनक उवाच यदपृच्छत्तदा राजा मन्त्रिणो जनमेजयः पितुः स्वर्गगतिं तन्मे विस्तरेण पुनर्वद
M. N. Dutt: Shaunaka said: Tell me again in detail all that king Janamejaya asked his ministers to say about his father's ascension to heaven.
Supplementary Passages:
1.45.1 After śaunaka u. (or its v.l.), D3 G (except G3.6) ins.: *423 सूतस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा शौनकः प्राह विस्मितः
सूत उवाच शृणु ब्रह्मन्यथा पृष्टा मन्त्रिणो नृपतेस्तदा आख्यातवन्तस्ते सर्वे निधनं तत्परिक्षितः
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said : O Brahmana, hear all that the king asked his ministers and all that they said about the death of Parikshit.
जनमेजय उवाच जानन्ति तु भवन्तस्तद्यथावृत्तः पिता मम आसीद्यथा च निधनं गतः काले महायशाः
M. N. Dutt: Janamejaya said : You know all that happened to my father and how my illustrious father met with his death.
श्रुत्वा भवत्सकाशाद्धि पितुर्वृत्तमशेषतः कल्याणं प्रतिपत्स्यामि विपरीतं न जातु चित्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing from you all about my father, I shall do what is proper and good. I shall not do otherwise.
सूत उवाच मन्त्रिणोऽथाब्रुवन्वाक्यं पृष्टास्तेन महात्मना सर्वधर्मविदः प्राज्ञा राजानं जनमेजयम्
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said : Being asked by that high-souled king Janamejaya, the virtuous and wise ministers thus replied.
धर्मात्मा च महात्मा च प्रजापालः पिता तव आसीदिह यथावृत्तः स महात्मा शृणुष्व तत्
M. N. Dutt: Your father was virtuous and noble and a protector of his subjects. Hear, how that highsouled king conducted himself on earth.
Supplementary Passages:
1.45.6 After maṃtriṇa ūcuḥ, K4 Ñ V1 B (B2 missing) D (except D5) ins.: *424 शृणु पार्थिव यद्ब्रूषे पितुस्तव महात्मनः चरितं पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य यथा निष्ठां गतश्च सः
चातुर्वर्ण्यं स्वधर्मस्थं स कृत्वा पर्यरक्षत धर्मतो धर्मविद्राजा धर्मो विग्रहवानिव
M. N. Dutt: That virtuous king, virtuously inclined, protected, like Virtue and Justice themselves, the four castes, keeping them in the duties of their respective orders.
ररक्ष पृथिवीं देवीं श्रीमानतुलविक्रमः द्वेष्टारस्तस्य नैवासन्स च न द्वेष्टि कंचन समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु प्रजापतिरिवाभवत्
M. N. Dutt: Blessed with fortune and with matchless prowess, he protected the goddess earth. He hated none and had none to hate him.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्चैव स्वकर्मसु स्थिताः सुमनसो राजंस्तेन राज्ञा स्वनुष्ठिताः
AI Translation: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, each in their own duties, were content, O king, and thus the king was successful.
विधवानाथकृपणान्विकलांश्च बभार सः सुदर्शः सर्वभूतानामासीत्सोम इवापरः
AI Translation: He supported widows, orphans, the poor, and the disabled. He was like a second moon for all beings.
तुष्टपुष्टजनः श्रीमान्सत्यवाग्दृढविक्रमः धनुर्वेदे च शिष्योऽभून्नृपः शारद्वतस्य सः
AI Translation: He was satisfied, nourished, prosperous, truthful in speech, and firm in his valor. He became a disciple in archery of the king Sharadvat.
गोविन्दस्य प्रियश्चासीत्पिता ते जनमेजय लोकस्य चैव सर्वस्य प्रिय आसीन्महायशाः
AI Translation: Your father, Janamejaya, was dear to Govinda and was of great fame and dear to all the world.
परिक्षीणेषु कुरुषु उत्तरायामजायत परिक्षिदभवत्तेन सौभद्रस्यात्मजो बली
AI Translation: When the Kurus were exhausted, he was born in the north. From him was born the powerful son of Subhadra.
राजधर्मार्थकुशलो युक्तः सर्वगुणैर्नृपः जितेन्द्रियश्चात्मवांश्च मेधावी वृद्धसेवितः
AI Translation: The king who is skilled in the duties of a king, who is endowed with all good qualities, who has conquered the senses, who is self-possessed, intelligent, and served by the elders,
षड्वर्गविन्महाबुद्धिर्नीतिधर्मविदुत्तमः प्रजा इमास्तव पिता षष्टिं वर्षाण्यपालयत् ततो दिष्टान्तमापन्नः सर्पेणानतिवर्तितम्
AI Translation: The wise one, the great intellect, the supreme knower of policy and dharma, Your father ruled over these subjects for sixty years. Then he met his end, not to be overcome by a snake.
Supplementary Passages:
1.45.15 After 15d, G3 ins.: *425 ततो गतिं समापन्नः सर्वेषामनिवर्तिनीम्
ततस्त्वं पुरुषश्रेष्ठ धर्मेण प्रतिपेदिवान् इदं वर्षसहस्राय राज्यं कुरुकुलागतम् बाल एवाभिजातोऽसि सर्वभूतानुपालकः
AI Translation: Then, O best of men, you have practiced righteousness. This kingdom, which has come to the Kuru clan, is for a thousand years. You were born as a child, but you are the protector of all beings.
जनमेजय उवाच नास्मिन्कुले जातु बभूव राजा; यो न प्रजानां हितकृत्प्रियश्च विशेषतः प्रेक्ष्य पितामहानां; वृत्तं महद्वृत्तपरायणानाम्
M. N. Dutt: Janamejaya said : None was born in our dynasty who did not look after the good of his subjects and who was not beloved by them. See specially the conduct of my grandfathers (five Pandava brothers) who were ever engaged in great deeds.
कथं निधनमापन्नः पिता मम तथाविधः आचक्षध्वं यथावन्मे श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः
M. N. Dutt: How did my such a noble father meet with his death? Describe it to me. I am desirous of hearing it.
सूत उवाच एवं संचोदिता राज्ञा मन्त्रिणस्ते नराधिपम् ऊचुः सर्वे यथावृत्तं राज्ञः प्रियहिते रताः
M. N. Dutt: Sauti said : Thus asked by the king, the ministers, the well-wishers of the king, told him everything as it had happened.
बभूव मृगयाशीलस्तव राजन्पिता सदा यथा पाण्डुर्महाभागो धनुर्धरवरो युधि अस्मास्वासज्य सर्वाणि राजकार्याण्यशेषतः
M. N. Dutt: The Ministers said: O king, that monarch, the lord of the world, greatly obedient to all Shastras like the first of all beings, became addicted to sports like the best of bow-men, the great warrior and exceedingly powerful Pandu. He made over to us all state affairs.
Supplementary Passages:
1.45.20 K4 Ñ V1 B (B2 missing) D ins. after maṃtriṇa ūcuḥ (resp. its v.l.) (Ñ3 D2 which om. the ref. altogether, after 19): *426 स राजा पृथिवीपालः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः
स कदाचिद्वनचरो मृगं विव्याध पत्रिणा विद्ध्वा चान्वसरत्तूर्णं तं मृगं गहने वने
M. N. Dutt: Once on a time he went into the forest and pierced a deer with an arrow. Having thus wounded the deer, he followed it armed with sword and quiver into the dense forest,
पदातिर्बद्धनिस्त्रिंशस्ततायुधकलापवान् न चाससाद गहने मृगं नष्टं पिता तव
M. N. Dutt: Alone on foot. But he could not, however, come upon that lost deer.
परिश्रान्तो वयःस्थश्च षष्टिवर्षो जरान्वितः क्षुधितः स महारण्ये ददर्श मुनिमन्तिके
M. N. Dutt: He, wo was sixty years old and therefore fatigued and hungry, saw a great Rishi in that great forest.
स तं पप्रच्छ राजेन्द्रो मुनिं मौनव्रतान्वितम् न च किंचिदुवाचैनं स मुनिः पृच्छतोऽपि सन्
M. N. Dutt: The king accosted that Rishi, who was then observing the vow of silence, but the Rishi did not make any reply.
ततो राजा क्षुच्छ्रमार्तस्तं मुनिं स्थाणुवत्स्थितम् मौनव्रतधरं शान्तं सद्यो मन्युवशं ययौ
M. N. Dutt: The fatigued and the hungry king grew angry with the Rishi who sat motionless as a piece of wood in observance of his vow of silence.
न बुबोध हि तं राजा मौनव्रतधरं मुनिम् स तं मन्युसमाविष्टो धर्षयामास ते पिता
M. N. Dutt: Knowing not that the Rishi was observing a vow of silence, your father, being angry, insulted him.
मृतं सर्पं धनुष्कोट्या समुत्क्षिप्य धरातलात् तस्य शुद्धात्मनः प्रादात्स्कन्धे भरतसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: O excellent one of the Bharata race, he took up from the ground a dead snake with the end of his bow and placed it on the shoulder of that holy Rishi.
न चोवाच स मेधावी तमथो साध्वसाधु वा तस्थौ तथैव चाक्रुध्यन्सर्पं स्कन्धेन धारयन्
M. N. Dutt: But that wise man did not speak a word, good or bad and he did not become angry. He remained as he was, bearing the snake on his shoulder.