Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच तूष्णींभूतं तु राजानं पुनरेवार्जुनोऽब्रवीत् संतप्तः शोकदुःखाभ्यां राज्ञो वाक्शल्यपीडितः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said When after saying these words, Yudhishthira became silent, Arjuna, pained by that speech of the king, and burning with sorrow and grief, once more said to his eldest brother,
कथयन्ति पुरावृत्तमितिहासमिमं जनाः विदेहराज्ञः संवादं भार्यया सह भारत
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said People recite this old history, O Bharata, about the discourse between the king of the Videhas and his queen.
उत्सृज्य राज्यं भैक्षार्थं कृतबुद्धिं जनेश्वरम् विदेहराजं महिषी दुःखिता प्रत्यभाषत
M. N. Dutt: It is the account of the words which the grief-stricken wife of the king of the Videhas had said to her lord when the latter, leaving his kingdom, had resolved to live like a mendicant.
धनान्यपत्यं मित्राणि रत्नानि विविधानि च पन्थानं पावनं हित्वा जनको मौण्ड्यमास्थितः
M. N. Dutt: Leaving off wealth and children and wives and valuable possessions of all sorts and the established path for acquiring religious merit and fire itself, king Janaka shaved his head.
तं ददर्श प्रिया भार्या भैक्ष्यवृत्तिमकिंचनम् धानामुष्टिमुपासीनं निरीहं गतमत्सरम्
M. N. Dutt: His dear wife saw him deprived of wealth, practising the vow of mendicancy resolved to abstain from inflicting any kind of injury on others, shorn of vanity and prepared to subsist upon a handful of barley fallen off from the stalk.
तमुवाच समागम्य भर्तारमकुतोभयम् क्रुद्धा मनस्विनी भार्या विविक्ते हेतुमद्वचः
M. N. Dutt: Approaching her husband when he was alone, the queen possessing great strength of mind, fearlessly and in anger, told him these reasonable words:-
कथमुत्सृज्य राज्यं स्वं धनधान्यसमाचितम् कापालीं वृत्तिमास्थाय धानामुष्टिर्वनेऽचरः
M. N. Dutt: 'Why have you adopted a life of mendicancy, leaving your prosperous kingdom : full of corn? A handful of fallen off barley is not your becoming diet.
प्रतिज्ञा तेऽन्यथा राजन्विचेष्टा चान्यथा तव यद्राज्यं महदुत्सृज्य स्वल्पे तुष्यसि पार्थिव
M. N. Dutt: Your resolution does not agree with your acts, since leaving your large kingdom you, O king, seek a handful of grain.
नैतेनातिथयो राजन्देवर्षिपितरस्तथा शक्यमद्य त्वया भर्तुं मोघस्तेऽयं परिश्रमः
M. N. Dutt: With this handful of barley, O king, you will not be able to gratify your guests, gods, Rishis, and Pitris? This your labour, therefore, is in vain.
देवतातिथिभिश्चैव पितृभिश्चैव पार्थिव सर्वैरेतैः परित्यक्तः परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः
M. N. Dutt: Alas forsaken by gods, guests, and Pitris, you live like a wandering mendicant, o king, having cast off all action.
यस्त्वं त्रैविद्यवृद्धानां ब्राह्मणानां सहस्रशः भर्ता भूत्वा च लोकस्य सोऽद्यान्यैर्भृतिमिच्छसि
M. N. Dutt: You, before this, supported thousands of Brahmanas versed in the three Vedas and many more others. How can you desire to beg of them your own food today.
श्रियं हित्वा प्रदीप्तां त्वं श्ववत्संप्रति वीक्ष्यसे अपुत्रा जननी तेऽद्य कौसल्या चापतिस्त्वया
M. N. Dutt: Forsaking your blazing prosperity, you look about like a dog for his food. Your mother has to-day been made sonless by you, and your wife, the princess of Koshala, a widow.
अशीतिर्धर्मकामास्त्वां क्षत्रियाः पर्युपासते त्वदाशामभिकाङ्क्षन्त्यः कृपणाः फलहेतुकाः
M. N. Dutt: These helpless Kshatriyas, expecting fruits of religious merit, wait upon you, placing all their hopes on you.
ताश्च त्वं विफलाः कुर्वन्काँल्लोकान्नु गमिष्यसि राजन्संशयिते मोक्षे परतन्त्रेषु देहिषु
M. N. Dutt: By dissipating their hopes, to what regions will you go, O king, especially when salvation is doubtful and creatures are dependent on actions?
नैव तेऽस्ति परो लोको नापरः पापकर्मणः धर्म्यान्दारान्परित्यज्य यस्त्वमिच्छसि जीवितुम्
M. N. Dutt: Sinful as you are, you will acquire neither this world nor the next, since you wish to live, having cast off your married wife?
स्रजो गन्धानलंकारान्वासांसि विविधानि च किमर्थमभिसंत्यज्य परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः
M. N. Dutt: Why, indeed, do you lead a life of roving mendicancy, abstaining from all actions, after having forsaken garlands and perfumes and ornaments and robes of various sorts.
निपानं सर्वभूतानां भूत्वा त्वं पावनं महत् आढ्यो वनस्पतिर्भूत्वा सोऽद्यान्यान्पर्युपाससे
M. N. Dutt: Having been, like a large and sacred lake to all creatures, having been a mighty tree worthy of adoration, alas, how can you wait upon and adore others?
खादन्ति हस्तिनं न्यासे क्रव्यादा बहवोऽप्युत बहवः कृमयश्चैव किं पुनस्त्वामनर्थकम्
M. N. Dutt: If even an elephant gives up all work, carnivorous creatures and innumerable worms would eat it up. What need be said of yourself who are so powerless?
य इमां कुण्डिकां भिन्द्यात्त्रिविष्टब्धं च ते हरेत् वासश्चापहरेत्तस्मिन्कथं ते मानसं भवेत्
AI Translation: If someone were to break this water-pot, or steal your three-fold wealth, or steal your clothes, how would you feel?
यस्त्वयं सर्वमुत्सृज्य धानामुष्टिपरिग्रहः यदानेन समं सर्वं किमिदं मम दीयते धानामुष्टिरिहार्थश्चेत्प्रतिज्ञा ते विनश्यति
AI Translation: But this one, having abandoned everything, has taken up the handful of barley. When all is equal with him, why is this given to me? If the handful of barley is the meaning here, your promise is lost.
का वाहं तव को मे त्वं कोऽद्य ते मय्यनुग्रहः प्रशाधि पृथिवीं राजन्यत्र तेऽनुग्रहो भवेत् प्रासादं शयनं यानं वासांस्याभरणानि च
M. N. Dutt: If you wish to show your favour, rule then this Earth! They who seeks happiness but are very poor and abandoned by friends may adopt Renunciation.
श्रिया निराशैरधनैस्त्यक्तमित्रैरकिंचनैः सौखिकैः संभृतानर्थान्यः संत्यजसि किं नु तत्
M. N. Dutt: But he who imitates those men by leaving off palatial edifices and beds and vehicles and dresses and ornaments, acts improperly, indeed.
योऽत्यन्तं प्रतिगृह्णीयाद्यश्च दद्यात्सदैव हि तयोस्त्वमन्तरं विद्धि श्रेयांस्ताभ्यां क उच्यते
M. N. Dutt: One always accepts gifts from others, while another always makes gifts. You know the difference between the two, Who, indeed, of these two should be considered superior?
सदैव याचमानेषु सत्सु दम्भविवर्जिषु एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता दावाग्नाविव दुर्हुतम्
M. N. Dutt: If a gift is made to one who always accepts gifts, or to one who is proud, that gift, becomes useless like the clarified butter that is poured upon a forest-fire.
जातवेदा यथा राजन्नादग्ध्वैवोपशाम्यति सदैव याचमानो वै तथा शाम्यति न द्विजः
M. N. Dutt: As a fire, o king, never dies till it has consumed all that has been thrown into it, even so a beggar is silenced till he receives something.
सतां च वेदा अन्नं च लोकेऽस्मिन्प्रकृतिर्ध्रुवा न चेद्दाता भवेद्दाता कुतः स्युर्मोक्षकाङ्क्षिणः
M. N. Dutt: In this world, the food given by a charitable person, is the support of the pious. If, therefore, the king does not give (food), where will the pious go to, who aspire for salvation.
अन्नाद्गृहस्था लोकेऽस्मिन्भिक्षवस्तत एव च अन्नात्प्राणः प्रभवति अन्नदः प्राणदो भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: They that have food (in their houses) are householders. Mendicants are supported by them. Life is kept up by food. Therefore, the giver of food is the giver of life.
गृहस्थेभ्योऽभिनिर्वृत्ता गृहस्थानेव संश्रिताः प्रभवं च प्रतिष्ठां च दान्ता निन्दन्त आसते
M. N. Dutt: Coming out from among those who live as householders, mendicants depend upon those very persons from whom they come. By doing this, those self-controlled men acquire and enjoy fame and power.
त्यागान्न भिक्षुकं विद्यान्न मौण्ड्यान्न च याचनात् ऋजुस्तु योऽर्थं त्यजति तं सुखं विद्धि भिक्षुकम्
M. N. Dutt: One cannot be called a mendicant for his having only renounced his worldly possessions, or for his having only led a life of dependence on charity. He who forsakes sincerely the possessions and pleasures of the world to be regarded a true mendicant.
असक्तः सक्तवद्गच्छन्निःसङ्गो मुक्तबन्धनः समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च स वै मुक्तो महीपते
M. N. Dutt: Unattachment at heart though showing attachment outwardly, standing aloof from the world, having broken all his fetters, regarding friend and foe in the same light, such a man, O king, is regarded to be liberated.
परिव्रजन्ति दानार्थं मुण्डाः काषायवाससः सिता बहुविधैः पाशैः संचिन्वन्तो वृथामिषम्
M. N. Dutt: Having shaved their heads clean and put on the brown robe, people rove like mendicants, though fettered by various ties and though always seeking useless wealth.
त्रयीं च नाम वार्तां च त्यक्त्वा पुत्रांस्त्यजन्ति ये त्रिविष्टब्धं च वासश्च प्रतिगृह्णन्त्यबुद्धयः
M. N. Dutt: They who, casting off the three Vedas, their usual avocations and children, live like mendicants by taking up the triple-headed rod and the brown robe, are really persons of weak understanding.
अनिष्कषाये काषायमीहार्थमिति विद्धि तत् धर्मध्वजानां मुण्डानां वृत्त्यर्थमिति मे मतिः
M. N. Dutt: Without having cast off anger and other passions, wearing only the brown robe, O king, is due to the desire of earning the means of livelihood. Those persons of clean-shaved heads who hold up the banner of virtue, have the acquisition of sustenance for their only object in life.
काषायैरजिनैश्चीरैर्नग्नान्मुण्डाञ्जटाधरान् बिभ्रत्साधून्महाराज जय लोकाञ्जितेन्द्रियः
M. N. Dutt: Therefore, O king, controlling your passions do you secure blissful regions for yourself hereafter by maintaining them that are truly pious amongst those having matted locks or clean-shaved heads, naked or clad in rags, or skins or brown clothes.
अग्न्याधेयानि गुर्वर्थान्क्रतून्सपशुदक्षिणान् ददात्यहरहः पूर्वं को नु धर्मतरस्ततः
M. N. Dutt: Who is there that is more virtuous then he who maintains his sacred fire, who celebrates sacrifices with presents of animals and money, and who administers charity day and night?
तत्त्वज्ञो जनको राजा लोकेऽस्मिन्निति गीयते सोऽप्यासीन्मोहसंपन्नो मा मोहवशमन्वगाः
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said King Janaka was known as a truth-knowing person in the world. Even he, was bewildered in the ascertainment of duty. Do not yield to stupefaction.
एवं धर्ममनुक्रान्तं सदा दानपरैर्नरैः आनृशंस्यगुणोपेतैः कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः
AI Translation: Thus, the Dharma is practiced by people who are always devoted to giving, who possess the quality of non-violence and are free from desire and anger.
पालयन्तः प्रजाश्चैव दानमुत्तममास्थिताः इष्टाँल्लोकानवाप्स्यामो ब्रह्मण्याः सत्यवादिनः
AI Translation: Protecting the subjects, they have resorted to the supreme gift. We shall attain the desired worlds, being truthful and devoted to Brahman.
Supplementary Passages:
12.18.38 After 38c, K3-5 V1 B0.2-5 Da Dn D1-3.5.6.8 ins.: *25 गुरुवृद्धोपचायिनः देवतातिथिभृत्यानां निर्वपन्तो यथाविधि स्थानमिष्टमवाप्स्यामो