Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच ततः प्रज्वलिते शुक्रे शार्ङ्गकास्ते सुदुःखिताः व्यथिताः परमोद्विग्ना नाधिजग्मुः परायणम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said: When the fire blazed up the Sharangakas became very much distressed. Afflicted with anxiety, they did not fine any means of escape.
निशाम्य पुत्रकान्बालान्माता तेषां तपस्विनी जरिता दुःखसंतप्ता विललाप नरेश्वर
M. N. Dutt: Their ascetic mother Jarita, full of grief and sorrow, seeing that her sons were too young to escape, wept and lamented in grief.
अयमग्निर्दहन्कक्षमित आयाति भीषणः जगत्संदीपयन्भीमो मम दुःखविवर्धनः
M. N. Dutt: Jarita said : Alas, the terrible fire, the enhancer of my misery, is coming towards us, illuminating the whole universe and burning the forest.
इमे च मां कर्षयन्ति शिशवो मन्दचेतसः अबर्हाश्चरणैर्हीनाः पूर्वेषां नः परायणम् त्रासयंश्चायमायाति लेलिहानो महीरुहान्
M. N. Dutt: I am filled with sorrow for the sake of these infants with immature understanding and without feathers and feet, who are the sole refuge of our deceased ancestors.
अशक्तिमत्त्वाच्च सुता न शक्ताः सरणे मम आदाय च न शक्तास्मि पुत्रान्सरितुमन्यतः
AI Translation: And because of my weakness, my sons are not able to flee with me. And I am not able to take my sons and flee elsewhere.
न च त्यक्तुमहं शक्ता हृदयं दूयतीव मे कं नु जह्यामहं पुत्रं कमादाय व्रजाम्यहम्
AI Translation: I am not able to abandon him. My heart is pained. Which son should I abandon? Which one should I take with me?
Supplementary Passages:
1.221.6 After 6ab, K0.3.4 D4 (marg. sec. m.).5 ins.: *2145 कथं प्रदीप्ताज्ज्वलनाद्विमुच्येरन्सुता मम मन्दभाग्या सपुत्राहं किं करिष्यामि शोचती
किं नु मे स्यात्कृतं कृत्वा मन्यध्वं पुत्रकाः कथम् चिन्तयाना विमोक्षं वो नाधिगच्छामि किंचन छादयित्वा च वो गात्रैः करिष्ये मरणं सह
M. N. Dutt: Even after good deal of reflection, I do not see any way of escape for you. I shall now cover you with my wings and die with you.
जरितारौ कुलं हीदं ज्येष्ठत्वेन प्रतिष्ठितम् सारिसृक्वः प्रजायेत पितॄणां कुलवर्धनः
AI Translation: The two Jāritras have established this family as the foremost. Sārisṛkva will be born, the increaser of the family of the ancestors.
स्तम्बमित्रस्तपः कुर्याद्द्रोणो ब्रह्मविदुत्तमः इत्येवमुक्त्वा प्रययौ पिता वो निर्घृणः पुरा
AI Translation: Stambamitra should perform austerities, Drona is the best knower of the Vedas. Having said this, your father, the cruel one, went away in the past.
Supplementary Passages:
1.221.9 After 9, S ins.: *2146 सहैव चरितुं बालैर्न शक्नोमि तपोवने
कमुपादाय शक्येत गन्तुं कस्यापदुत्तमा किं नु कृत्वा कृतं कार्यं भवेदिति च विह्वला
M. N. Dutt: Now this great calamity has befallen on us, whom shall I take with me? I am deprived of my judgement. What should I do consistent with duty? By exercising my judgement, I do not find any means of escape for my children from this fire.
नापश्यत्स्वधिया मोक्षं स्वसुतानां तदानलात् एवं ब्रुवन्तीं शार्ङ्गास्ते प्रत्यूचुरथ मातरम्
AI Translation: He did not see the liberation of his sons from the fire by his own intellect. Thus speaking, the Sharnga brothers then replied to their mother:
स्नेहमुत्सृज्य मातस्त्वं पत यत्र न हव्यवाट् अस्मासु हि विनष्टेषु भवितारः सुतास्तव त्वयि मातर्विनष्टायां न नः स्यात्कुलसंततिः
M. N. Dutt: If we are killed, you might have other children born to you, but, O mother, if you are killed, we shall have no children in our race.
अन्ववेक्ष्यैतदुभयं क्षमं स्याद्यत्कुलस्य नः तद्वै कर्तुं परः कालो मातरेष भवेत्तव
M. N. Dutt: O mother, taking into your consideration both these two calamities, the time has come for you to do that which will be for the good of our race.
मा वै कुलविनाशाय स्नेहं कार्षीः सुतेषु नः न हीदं कर्म मोघं स्याल्लोककामस्य नः पितुः
M. N. Dutt: Do not perform anything out of affection for your children. If you are saved, our father who is desirous of acquiring regions of felicity will have his wishes fulfilled.
जरितोवाच इदमाखोर्बिलं भूमौ वृक्षस्यास्य समीपतः तदाविशध्वं त्वरिता वह्नेरत्र न वो भयम्
M. N. Dutt: Jarita said: There is a hole here in the ground near to this tree; enter this hole without any delay; you shall then have no fear from fire.
ततोऽहं पांसुना छिद्रमपिधास्यामि पुत्रकाः एवं प्रतिकृतं मन्ये ज्वलतः कृष्णवर्त्मनः
M. N. Dutt: O children, when you will enter it, I shall then cover its mouth with dust. This is the only means that I see for your escape from this blazing fire.
तत एष्याम्यतीतेऽग्नौ विहर्तुं पांसुसंचयम् रोचतामेष वोपायो विमोक्षाय हुताशनात्
M. N. Dutt: When the fire will be out, I shall then come back here to remove the ashes. If you want to escape from the fire, follow my advice.
शार्ङ्गका ऊचुः अबर्हान्मांसभूतान्नः क्रव्यादाखुर्विनाशयेत् पश्यमाना भयमिदं न शक्ष्यामो निषेवितुम्
M. N. Dutt: The Sharangakas said : We are but so many balls of flesh without having our feathers. if we enter the hole, there is no doubt the carnivorous mouse will destroy us all. Seeing this fear before us, we cannot enter the hole.
कथमग्निर्न नो दह्यात्कथमाखुर्न भक्षयेत् कथं न स्यात्पिता मोघः कथं माता ध्रियेत नः
M. N. Dutt: We do not know how we may escape from the fire, or from the mouse. We do not see how our father's act of procreation may not be in vain and how our mother may be saved.
बिल आखोर्विनाशः स्यादग्नेराकाशचारिणाम् अन्ववेक्ष्यैतदुभयं श्रेयान्दाहो न भक्षणम्
M. N. Dutt: If we enter the hole, the mouse will kill us. If we remain where we are, the sky-ranger Agni will destroys us. Taking both the (two) calamities into our consideration, (we think) death from the fire is preferable to the death by being eaten up.
गर्हितं मरणं नः स्यादाखुना खादता बिले शिष्टादिष्टः परित्यागः शरीरस्य हुताशनात्
M. N. Dutt: To be eaten up by the mouse in the hole is a most ignoble death. But destruction of the body by fire is praised by the wise.
Supplementary Passages:
1.221.21 After 21, D4 (marg. sec. m.) S ins.: *2147 अग्निदाहे तु नियतं ब्रह्मलोके ध्रुवा गतिः