Critical Edition
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच यदिदं धर्मगहनं बुद्ध्या समनुगम्यते एतद्विस्तरशः सर्वं बुद्धिमार्गं प्रशंस मे
M. N. Dutt: Dhritarashtra said Describ: fully to me the ways of that intelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely crossed.
विदुर उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि नमस्कृत्वा स्वयंभुवे यथा संसारगहनं वदन्ति परमर्षयः
M. N. Dutt: Vidura said “Having saluted the Self-create, I will obey your command by telling, you how the great sages speak of the wilderness of life.
कश्चिन्महति संसारे वर्तमानो द्विजः किल वनं दुर्गमनुप्राप्तो महत्क्रव्यादसंकुलम्
M. N. Dutt: A cretin Brahmana, living in the great world, found himself on one occasion in a large inaccessible forest abounding with beasts of prey.
सिंहव्याघ्रगजाकारैरतिघोरैर्महाशनैः समन्तात्संपरिक्षिप्तं मृत्योरपि भयप्रदम्
AI Translation: Surrounded on all sides by very terrible, huge-bodied creatures resembling lions, tigers, and elephants, it is terrifying even to death.
Supplementary Passages:
11.5.4 After 4ab, K1.2 D4.5 ins.: *18 पिशितादैरतिभयैर्महोग्राकृतिभिस्तथा
तदस्य दृष्ट्वा हृदयमुद्वेगमगमत्परम् अभ्युच्छ्रयश्च रोम्णां वै विक्रियाश्च परंतप
M. N. Dutt: Seeing the forest, the heart of the Brahmana was greatly agitated. His hairs stood erect, and other signs of fear manifested themselves, O destroyer of enemies.
Supplementary Passages:
11.5.5 Ś1 K0-3.5 B4 D2.5 subst. for 5cd: D6 (before corr.).7 ins. after 5cd: *19 वेपथुश्चाभवद्गात्रे रोमहर्षश्च भारत
स तद्वनं व्यनुसरन्विप्रधावनितस्ततः वीक्षमाणो दिशः सर्वाः शरणं क्व भवेदिति
M. N. Dutt: Entering it, he began to run hither and thither, looking every side for finding out somebody whose shelter he might seek.
स तेषां छिद्रमन्विच्छन्प्रद्रुतो भयपीडितः न च निर्याति वै दूरं न च तैर्विप्रयुज्यते
M. N. Dutt: Wishing to avoid those terrible creatures, he ran about in fear. He could not go far away from them or free himself from their presence.
अथापश्यद्वनं घोरं समन्ताद्वागुरावृतम् बाहुभ्यां संपरिष्वक्तं स्त्रिया परमघोरया
M. N. Dutt: He then saw that terrible forest was surrounded with a net, and that a dreadful woman stood there, stretching her arms.
पञ्चशीर्षधरैर्नागैः शैलैरिव समुन्नतैः नभःस्पृशैर्महावृक्षैः परिक्षिप्तं महावनम्
M. N. Dutt: That large forest was also beset with many five-headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as mountain summits touching the very sky.
वनमध्ये च तत्राभूदुदपानः समावृतः वल्लीभिस्तृणछन्नाभिर्गूढाभिरभिसंवृतः
M. N. Dutt: Within it was a pit whose mouth was covered with many hard and strong creepers and herbs.
पपात स द्विजस्तत्र निगूढे सलिलाशये विलग्नश्चाभवत्तस्मिँल्लतासंतानसंकटे
AI Translation: The Brāhman fell into that concealed pool of water, and was entangled in the mass of creepers.
पनसस्य यथा जातं वृन्तबद्धं महाफलम् स तथा लम्बते तत्र ऊर्ध्वपादो ह्यधःशिराः
AI Translation: Just as a large fruit of the breadfruit tree is attached to its stalk, so he hangs there, with his feet up and his head down.
अथ तत्रापि चान्योऽस्य भूयो जात उपद्रवः कूपवीनाहवेलायामपश्यत महागजम्
M. N. Dutt: While in that state, he was visited by various other calamities. He saw a large and mighty snake within the pit. He also saw a gigantic elephant near its mouth.
Supplementary Passages:
11.5.13 For 13ab, T1 G1 subst.: T2 ins. after 12: *20 तथा तत्रैव चायातो दन्ती दळितपर्वतः On the other hand, K0 (marg.).3 Dn2 D1.3-7.9 ins. after 13ab: *21 कूपमध्ये महानागमपश्यत महाबलम्
षड्वक्त्रं कृष्णशबलं द्विषट्कपदचारिणम् क्रमेण परिसर्पन्तं वल्लीवृक्षसमावृतम्
AI Translation: Six-faced, black and white, moving in six and six steps, Gradually creeping, surrounded by vines and trees,
तस्य चापि प्रशाखासु वृक्षशाखावलम्बिनः नानारूपा मधुकरा घोररूपा भयावहाः आसते मधु संभृत्य पूर्वमेव निकेतजाः
M. N. Dutt: About the twigs of the tree which was at the mouth of the pit. moved about many bees of dreadful forms, engaged from before in drinking the honey gathered in their comb.
भूयो भूयः समीहन्ते मधूनि भरतर्षभ स्वादनीयानि भूतानां न यैर्बालोऽपि तृप्यते
M. N. Dutt: They repeatedly desired, O foremost of Bharata's race, to taste that honey which though sweet to all creatures could, however, attract children only. was not
तेषां मधूनां बहुधा धारा प्रस्रवते सदा तां लम्बमानः स पुमान्धारां पिबति सर्वदा न चास्य तृष्णा विरता पिबमानस्य संकटे
AI Translation: From those honey-trees, streams of honey always flow in many ways. That man, hanging from them, always drinks from those streams. And his thirst is not satisfied while he drinks in that predicament.
अभीप्सति च तां नित्यमतृप्तः स पुनः पुनः न चास्य जीविते राजन्निर्वेदः समजायत
AI Translation: And he always desired her again and again, not being satisfied. And, O king, he did not become disgusted with life.
तत्रैव च मनुष्यस्य जीविताशा प्रतिष्ठिता कृष्णाः श्वेताश्च तं वृक्षं कुट्टयन्ति स्म मूषकाः
M. N. Dutt: Even then, O king, he could not give up hopes of life. Still, the man expected to live. A number of black and white rates were eating away the roots of that tree.
व्यालैश्च वनदुर्गान्ते स्त्रिया च परमोग्रया कूपाधस्ताच्च नागेन वीनाहे कुञ्जरेण च
AI Translation: By wild beasts, and by the most terrible woman at the end of the forest wilderness, And by the serpent under the well, and by the elephant in the forest.
वृक्षप्रपाताच्च भयं मूषकेभ्यश्च पञ्चमम् मधुलोभान्मधुकरैः षष्ठमाहुर्महद्भयम्
AI Translation: And from falling from trees, and from mice, the fifth. And from bees, out of greed for honey, the sixth, they say, is a great fear.
एवं स वसते तत्र क्षिप्तः संसारसागरे न चैव जीविताशायां निर्वेदमुपगच्छति
M. N. Dutt: He lived in that condition, deprived of his senses, in that forest, never losing at any time the hope of continuing his life.”