Critical Edition
कुन्त्युवाच कुतोमूलमिदं दुःखं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः विदित्वा अपकर्षेयं शक्यं चेदपकर्षितुम्
M. N. Dutt: Kunti said: I desire to learn from you what is the cause of this grief. Learning it, I shall remove it, if is capable of being removed.
ब्राह्मण उवाच उपपन्नं सतामेतद्यद्ब्रवीषि तपोधने न तु दुःखमिदं शक्यं मानुषेण व्यपोहितुम्
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said : O ascetic lady, what you say is no doubt worthy of virtuous men. But this grief cannot be removed by any human being.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.2 After 2, S ins.: *1625 तथापि तत्त्वमाख्यास्ये एतद्दुःखस्य संभवम् शक्यं वा यदि वाशक्यं शृणु भद्रे यथातथम्
समीपे नगरस्यास्य बको वसति राक्षसः ईशो जनपदस्यास्य पुरस्य च महाबलः
AI Translation: Near this city lives a demon named Baka, The lord of this country and city, of great strength.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.3 After 3ab, S ins.: *1626 इतो गव्यूतिमात्रेऽस्ति यमुनागह्वरे गुहा तस्यां घोरः स वसति जिघांसुः पुरुषादकः बको नाम स नाम्ना वै दुष्टात्मा राक्षसाधमः After 3, S (G6 om. line 1) ins.: *1627 प्रलम्बकः कामरूपी राक्षसो वै महाबलः तेनोपसृष्टा नगरी वर्षमद्य त्रयोदशम्
पुष्टो मानुषमांसेन दुर्बुद्धिः पुरुषादकः रक्षत्यसुरराण्नित्यमिमं जनपदं बली
AI Translation: The demon, who is nourished by human flesh, is of evil mind, and is a man-eater. The powerful one, who is always protected by the demons, protects this country.
नगरं चैव देशं च रक्षोबलसमन्वितः तत्कृते परचक्राच्च भूतेभ्यश्च न नो भयम्
AI Translation: With the army of demons, he protects the city and the country. For that reason, we have no fear from foreign armies or from spirits.
वेतनं तस्य विहितं शालिवाहस्य भोजनम् महिषौ पुरुषश्चैको यस्तदादाय गच्छति
M. N. Dutt: His remuneration however is fixed to supply his food, which consists of one cart load of rice, two buffaloes and the man who takes them to him.
एकैकश्चैव पुरुषस्तत्प्रयच्छति भोजनम् स वारो बहुभिर्वर्षैर्भवत्यसुतरो नरैः
M. N. Dutt: One after another all (men of this town) send him his food. Though it is very difficult to be kept, yet the turn comes to a particular family at intervals of many years.
तद्विमोक्षाय ये चापि यतन्ते पुरुषाः क्वचित् सपुत्रदारांस्तान्हत्वा तद्रक्षो भक्षयत्युत
M. N. Dutt: If people try to avoid it, the Rakshasas then eats them up with their wives and children.
वेत्रकीयगृहे राजा नायं नयमिहास्थितः अनामयं जनस्यास्य येन स्यादद्य शाश्वतम्
M. N. Dutt: There is a king in a place called Vetrakiyagriha, but that foolish man does not know how to govern (his kingdom) and he does not take any step by which this country may be rendered safe.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.9 After 9ab, K4 Ñ2 V1 B D ins.: *1628 उपायं तं न कुरुते यत्नादपि स मन्दधीः
एतदर्हा वयं नूनं वसामो दुर्बलस्य ये विषये नित्यमुद्विग्नाः कुराजानमुपाश्रिताः
M. N. Dutt: We certainly deserve it all, for we live in everlasting anxiety in the kingdom of a wretched and weak king.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.10 After 10, K4 ins.: *1629 पुरातनस्य वासस्य गृहक्षेत्रादिकस्य च परित्यागं नेच्छमाना वसामो नगरे ततः एकचक्रापि वसतिः स्ववाचो दुष्परित्यजः दीयमाने नरकरे सततं बकराक्षसे
ब्राह्मणाः कस्य वक्तव्याः कस्य वा छन्दचारिणः गुणैरेते हि वास्यन्ते कामगाः पक्षिणो यथा
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmanas can never be made to live (permanently) in the house of any one, (for) they are free men. They depend upon their own accomplishments and roam (over the world) like a bird, free to fly at pleasure.
राजानं प्रथमं विन्देत्ततो भार्यां ततो धनम् त्रयस्य संचये चास्य ज्ञातीन्पुत्रांश्च धारयेत्
M. N. Dutt: It is said that a (good) king should be saved first, them a wife and then wealth, by the acquisition of the three, one can rescue his relatives and sons.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.12 After 12ab, G1.2.4 ins.: *1630 राजन्यसति लोकेऽस्मिन्कुतो भार्या कुतो धनम्
विपरीतं मया चेदं त्रयं सर्वमुपार्जितम् त इमामापदं प्राप्य भृशं तप्स्यामहे वयम्
M. N. Dutt: In the matter of the acquisition of these three, my course has been (quite) the reserve. Therefore falling into this danger, I am suffering great affections.
सोऽयमस्माननुप्राप्तो वारः कुलविनाशनः भोजनं पुरुषश्चैकः प्रदेयं वेतनं मया
M. N. Dutt: The race destroying turn of (supplying food to the Rakshsasa) has come round to me. I shall have to give the food and a man as the remuneration of the (Rakshasas).
न च मे विद्यते वित्तं संक्रेतुं पुरुषं क्वचित् सुहृज्जनं प्रदातुं च न शक्ष्यामि कथंचन गतिं चापि न पश्यामि तस्मान्मोक्षाय रक्षसः
M. N. Dutt: I have no wealth to buy a man. I shall not bu able to give one who is dear to me.
सोऽहं दुःखार्णवे मग्नो महत्यसुतरे भृशम् सहैवैतैर्गमिष्यामि बान्धवैरद्य राक्षसम् ततो नः सहितन्क्षुद्रः सर्वानेवोपभोक्ष्यति
M. N. Dutt: I shall today with all my family, go to that Rakshasas so that, that wretch may devour us all at once.
Supplementary Passages:
1.148.16 After 16, T G ins.: *1631 दुःखमूलमिदं भद्रे मयोक्तं प्रश्नतोऽनघे