Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच ततस्तेषां समस्तानामृषीणामृषिसत्तमः ऋषभो नाम विप्रर्षिः स्मयन्निव ततोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Then the best of Rishis, viz., the twice-born Rishabha, sitting in the midst of all those Rishis, smiled a little and said
पुराहं राजशार्दूल तीर्थान्यनुचरन्प्रभो समासादितवान्दिव्यं नरनारायणाश्रमम्
M. N. Dutt: Formerly, O foremost of Kings, while sojourning among sacred places, I arrived O lord, at the beautiful hermitage of Nara and Narayana.
यत्र सा बदरी रम्या ह्रदो वैहायसस्तथा यत्र चाश्वशिरा राजन्वेदान्पठति शाश्वतान्
M. N. Dutt: There lies the charming spot called Badari, and there also is that lake in the sky. There the sage Ashvashiras, O king, reads the eternal Vedas.
तस्मिन्सरसि कृत्वाहं विधिवत्तर्पणं पुरा पितॄणां देवतानां च ततोऽऽश्रममियां तदा
M. N. Dutt: Having performed my ablutions in that lake duly offered libations of water to the departed manes and the gods, I entered the hermitage.
रेमाते यत्र तौ नित्यं नरनारायणावृषी अदूरादाश्रमं कंचिद्वासार्थमगमं ततः
M. N. Dutt: Within that retreat the Rishis Nara and Narayana always spend their time happily. Not far from that place I went to another hermitage for taking up my quarter.
ततश्चीराजिनधरं कृशमुच्चमतीव च अद्राक्षमृषिमायान्तं तनुं नाम तपोनिधिम्
M. N. Dutt: While seated there I saw a very tall and emaciated Rishi, clad in rags and skins, coming towards me. Rich in penances, he was named Tanu,
अन्यैर्नरैर्महाबाहो वपुषाष्टगुणान्वितम् कृशता चापि राजर्षे न दृष्टा तादृशी क्वचित्
M. N. Dutt: Compared, O mighty-armed one, with other men, his height was eight times greater. Regarding his leanness, O royal sage, I can say that I have never seen its like.
शरीरमपि राजेन्द्र तस्य कानिष्ठिकासमम् ग्रीवा बाहू तथा पादौ केशाश्चाद्भुतदर्शनाः
M. N. Dutt: His body, O king, was as thin as one's little finger. His neck and arms and legs and hair were all of extraordinary character.
शिरः कायानुरूपं च कर्णौ नेत्रे तथैव च तस्य वाक्चैव चेष्टा च सामान्ये राजसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: His head was proportionate to his body, and his ears and eyes, also, were the same. His speech, O best of kings, and his movements were highly feeble.
दृष्ट्वाहं तं कृशं विप्रं भीतः परमदुर्मनाः पादौ तस्याभिवाद्याथ स्थितः प्राञ्जलिरग्रतः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that highly emaciated Brahmana I became very dispirited and frightened. Saluting his feet, I stood before him with clasped hands.
निवेद्य नाम गोत्रं च पितरं च नरर्षभ प्रदिष्टे चासने तेन शनैरहमुपाविशम्
M. N. Dutt: Having given out to him my name and family, and having told him also the name of my father, O foremost of men, I slowly sat myself down on a seat that was pointed out by him.
ततः स कथयामास कथा धर्मार्थसंहिताः ऋषिमध्ये महाराज तत्र धर्मभृतां वरः
M. N. Dutt: Then, o king, that foremost of virtuous men, viz., Tanu, began to describe in the midst of the Rishis living in that hermitage the topics regarding Righteousness and Profit.
तस्मिंस्तु कथयत्येव राजा राजीवलोचनः उपायाज्जवनैरश्वैः सबलः सावरोधनः
M. N. Dutt: While engaged in discourse, a king, having eyes like lotus-petals and accompanied by his forces and the ladies of his seraglio, came on a car drawn by quick-coursing horses.
स्मरन्पुत्रमरण्ये वै नष्टं परमदुर्मनाः भूरिद्युम्नपिता धीमान्रघुश्रेष्ठो महायशाः
M. N. Dutt: The name of that king was Viradyumna. Of beautiful features, he was highly illustrious. His son's name was Bhuridyumna. The child has been missing, and the father, highly dispirited, came there in there in course of his wanderings amid the forest in pursuit of the missing one.
इह द्रक्ष्यामि तं पुत्रं द्रक्ष्यामीहेति पार्थिवः एवमाशाकृतो राजंश्चरन्वनमिदं पुरा
M. N. Dutt: I shall find my son here!-I shall find my son here!-Carried on by hope in this way, the king wandered through that forest in those days.
दुर्लभः स मया द्रष्टुं नूनं परमधार्मिकः एकः पुत्रो महारण्ये नष्ट इत्यसकृत्तदा
M. N. Dutt: Addressing the emaciated Rishi he said,-Forsooth, that highly virtuous son of mine cannot be traced by me. Alas, he was my only son. He is lost and can nowhere be found.
दुर्लभः स मया द्रष्टुमाशा च महती मम तया परीतगात्रोऽहं मुमूर्षुर्नात्र संशयः
M. N. Dutt: Though he cannot be discovered my hope, however, of finding him is very great! With that hope (which is frequently disappointed) I am almost on the point of death.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा स भगवांस्तनुर्मुनिवरोत्तमः अवाक्शिरा ध्यानपरो मुहूर्तमिव तस्थिवान्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words of the king, that foremost of ascetics, viz., the holy Tanu, remained for a short while with head lowering down and himself immersed in contemplation.
तमनुध्यान्तमालक्ष्य राजा परमदुर्मनाः उवाच वाक्यं दीनात्मा मन्दं मन्दमिवासकृत्
AI Translation: Seeing him meditating on him, the king, extremely distressed, spoke these words, with a sad heart, slowly and repeatedly.
दुर्लभं किं नु विप्रर्षे आशायाश्चैव किं भवेत् ब्रवीतु भगवानेतद्यदि गुह्यं न तन्मयि
AI Translation: What is difficult to obtain, O Brāhmaṇa sage? What is the hope? May the Blessed One tell this, if it is not a secret to me.
महर्षिर्भगवांस्तेन पूर्वमासीद्विमानितः बालिशां बुद्धिमास्थाय मन्दभाग्यतयात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: The ascetic said A holy and great ascetic had been insulted by your son. He had done it through ill luck, actuated by his foolish understanding.
अर्थयन्कलशं राजन्काञ्चनं वल्कलानि च निर्विण्णः स तु विप्रर्षिर्निराशः समपद्यत
M. N. Dutt: The ascetic has asked your son for a golden jar and vegetable barks. Your son refused, out of contempt, to please the ascetic.
Supplementary Passages:
12.126.22 After 22ab, K4.5 V1 B Da Dn D2.3.5.6.8 ins.: *291 अवज्ञापूर्वकेनापि न संपादितवांस्ततः
एवमुक्त्वाभिवाद्याथ तमृषिं लोकपूजितम् श्रान्तो न्यषीदद्धर्मात्मा यथा त्वं नरसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Thus treated by your son, the great sage became disappointed!-Thus addressed, the king adored that ascetic worshipped of all the world. Of virtuous soul, Viradyumna sat there, worn out with toil even as you, O best of men, noware.
अर्घ्यं ततः समानीय पाद्यं चैव महानृषिः आरण्यकेन विधिना राज्ञे सर्वं न्यवेदयत्
M. N. Dutt: The great ascetic, in return, offered the dwellers, water to wash his feet and the Arghya.
ततस्ते मुनयः सर्वे परिवार्य नरर्षभम् उपाविशन्पुरस्कृत्य सप्तर्षय इव ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: Then all the ascetics, O. foremost of kings, sat there, encircling that foremost of men like the stars of the constellation of Ursa Major surrounding the Pole star.
अपृच्छंश्चैव ते तत्र राजानमपराजितम् प्रयोजनमिदं सर्वमाश्रमस्य प्रवेशनम्
M. N. Dutt: And they asked the unvanquished king about the cause of his arrival at that hermitage.
राजोवाच वीरद्युम्न इति ख्यातो राजाहं दिक्षु विश्रुतः भूरिद्युम्नं सुतं नष्टमन्वेष्टुं वनमागतः
M. N. Dutt: The king said I am a king named Viradyumna. My fame has travelled everywhere. My Bhuridyumna has been lost. To find him out I have come to this forest.
एकपुत्रः स विप्राग्र्य बाल एव च सोऽनघ न दृश्यते वने चास्मिंस्तमन्वेष्टुं चराम्यहम्
M. N. Dutt: O ye foremost of Brahmanas, that child was my only son and, O ye of sinless ones, he is very young. He cannot, however, be found here. I am travelling everywhere for finding him out. son
ऋषभ उवाच एवमुक्ते तु वचने राज्ञा मुनिरधोमुखः तूष्णीमेवाभवत्तत्र न च प्रत्युक्तवान्नृपम्
M. N. Dutt: Rishabha said After the king had said so, the ascetic Tanu lowered his head. He remained absolutely silent, without giving any response.
स हि तेन पुरा विप्रो राज्ञा नात्यर्थमानितः आशाकृशं च राजेन्द्र तपो दीर्घं समास्थितः
AI Translation: For that king had formerly honored that brahmin greatly. And the king, emaciated by hope, had undertaken a long penance.
प्रतिग्रहमहं राज्ञां न करिष्ये कथंचन अन्येषां चैव वर्णानामिति कृत्वा धियं तदा
AI Translation: I will not accept anything from kings in any way, and I will not accept anything from the other castes either.' Having made this resolve,
आशा हि पुरुषं बालं लालापयति तस्थुषी तामहं व्यपनेष्यामि इति कृत्वा व्यवस्थितः
AI Translation: For hope, like a mother, nourishes the child-like man. I have decided to remove it.
Supplementary Passages:
12.126.32 After 32, Dn ins.: *292 वीरद्युम्नस्तु तं भूयः पप्रच्छ मुनिसत्तमम्
राजोवाच आशायाः किं कृशत्वं च किं चेह भुवि दुर्लभम् ब्रवीतु भगवानेतत्त्वं हि धर्मार्थदर्शिवान्
M. N. Dutt: What is the extent of the faintness of Hope? What on Earth is highly difficult to acquire? Tell me this, O holy one, for you are master of virtue and profit.
ऋषभ उवाच ततः संस्मृत्य तत्सर्वं स्मारयिष्यन्निवाब्रवीत् राजानं भगवान्विप्रस्ततः कृशतनुस्तनुः
M. N. Dutt: Rishabha said Remembering all the past incidents and calling them back to the recollection of the king also, that holy Brahmana of emaciated body said to the king.
कृशत्वे न समं राजन्नाशाया विद्यते नृप तस्या वै दुर्लभत्वात्तु प्रार्थिताः पार्थिवा मया
M. N. Dutt: The sage said-There is nothing, o king, which is so slender as Hope, I had requested many kings and found that there is nothing which is so The sage difficult of acquiring as an image presented by Hope before the mind!-
राजोवाच कृशाकृशे मया ब्रह्मन्गृहीते वचनात्तव दुर्लभत्वं च तस्यैव वेदवाक्यमिव द्विज
M. N. Dutt: The king said At your words, O Brahmana, I understand what is feeble and what is not so. I understand also now difficult it is to acquire the images placed by hope before the mind. I consider these words of yours as Shruti.
संशयस्तु महाप्राज्ञ संजातो हृदये मम तन्मे सत्तम तत्त्वेन वक्तुमर्हसि पृच्छतः
M. N. Dutt: O you of great wisdom, one doubt, however, is in my mind. You should, O sage, explain it fully to me.
त्वत्तः कृशतरं किं नु ब्रवीतु भगवानिदम् यदि गुह्यं न ते विप्र लोकेऽस्मिन्किं नु दुर्लभम्
M. N. Dutt: What is slenderer than your body? Tell me this, O holy one, if, however, O best of sages, the subject is one, which may fairly be dealt with.
कृशतनुरुवाच दुर्लभोऽप्यथ वा नास्ति योऽर्थी धृतिमिवाप्नुयात् सुदुर्लभतरस्तात योऽर्थिनं नावमन्यते
M. N. Dutt: It highly difficult to find a contented applicant. Perhaps, there is none such in the world. Still rare, O sire, is the man who never disregards an applicant.
संश्रुत्य नोपक्रियते परं शक्त्या यथार्हतः सक्ता या सर्वभूतेषु साशा कृशतरी मया
M. N. Dutt: The hope in persons who do not, after making promises, do good to others, to the best of their abilities and according to the fitness of the applicant, is slenderer than even my body.
Supplementary Passages:
12.126.40 After 40, K3.5 V1 B Da Dn D2.3.5-8 S (G3 missing) ins.: *293 कृतघ्नेषु च या सक्ता नृशंसेष्वलसेषु च अपकारिषु या सक्ता साशा कृशतरी मया
एकपुत्रः पिता पुत्रे नष्टे वा प्रोषिते तथा प्रवृत्तिं यो न जानाति साशा कृशतरी मया
M. N. Dutt: The hope entertained by a father who has only one son, of once more seeing him after he has been lost or missed, is slenderer than even my body.
प्रसवे चैव नारीणां वृद्धानां पुत्रकारिता तथा नरेन्द्र धनिनामाशा कृशतरी मया
M. N. Dutt: The hope that old women hold of giving birth to sons, O king, and which is cherished by rich men, is slenderer than even my body.
Supplementary Passages:
12.126.42 K3.5 V1 (marg.) B Da Dn D2-6.8 ins. after 42: T2 G1.2.4 M2.4 after 41: *294 प्रदानकाङ्क्षिणीनां च कन्यानां वयसि स्थिते श्रुत्वा कथास्तथायुक्ताः साशा कृशतरी मया
ऋषभ उवाच एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो राजन्स राजा सावरोधनः संस्पृश्य पादौ शिरसा निपपात द्विजर्षभे
M. N. Dutt: Hearing these words, O monarch, king Viradyumna, and the ladies of his household, laid themselves low before that foremost of Brahmanas and touched his feet with their bent heads.
राजोवाच प्रसादये त्वा भगवन्पुत्रेणेच्छामि संगतिम् वृणीष्व च वरं विप्र यमिच्छसि यथाविधि
AI Translation: The king said: "I seek your grace, O Lord, I wish to be united with my son." "Choose a boon, O Brahmin, as you wish, according to the proper
Supplementary Passages:
12.126.44 For 44ab, K5 V1 B Da Dn D2.3.5.6.8 subst.: *295 यदेतदुक्तं भवता संप्रति द्विजसत्तम
ऋषभ उवाच अब्रवीच्च हि तं वाक्यं राजा राजीवलोचनः सत्यमेतद्यथा विप्र त्वयोक्तं नास्त्यतो मृषा
AI Translation: Ṛṣabha said: And the king with lotus-like eyes spoke these words to him: "This is true, O Brāhman, as you have said, there is no
ततः प्रहस्य भगवांस्तनुर्धर्मभृतां वरः पुत्रमस्यानयत्क्षिप्रं तपसा च श्रुतेन च
AI Translation: Then the Blessed One, the best of those who uphold Dharma, laughed and quickly brought forth this son through his austerities and learning.
तं समानाय्य पुत्रं तु तदोपालभ्य पार्थिवम् आत्मानं दर्शयामास धर्मं धर्मभृतां वरः
AI Translation: Having summoned his son, the best of the upholders of dharma revealed himself to the king, reproaching him.
संदर्शयित्वा चात्मानं दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् विपाप्मा विगतक्रोधश्चचार वनमन्तिकात्
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, having shown his own wonderful and celestials form, he entered an adjacent forest, with heart shorn of anger and the desire of revenge.
एतद्दृष्टं मया राजंस्ततश्च वचनं श्रुतम् आशामपनयस्वाशु ततः कृशतरीमिमाम्
M. N. Dutt: I saw all this, O king, and heard the words I have said. Dispell your hope that is even slenderer than any of those which the sage pointed out.
भीष्म उवाच स तत्रोक्तो महाराज ऋषभेण महात्मना सुमित्रोऽपनयत्क्षिप्रमाशां कृशतरीं तदा
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Thus addressed, O king, by the great Rishabha, king Sumitra quickly renounced the hope that was in his heart and which was slenderer than any of the various sorts of hope pointed out by the emaciated Rishi.
एवं त्वमपि कौन्तेय श्रुत्वा वाणीमिमां मम स्थिरो भव यथा राजन्हिमवानचलोत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: Do you also, O son of Kunti, hearing these words of mine, be calm and composed like Himavat.
त्वं हि द्रष्टा च श्रोता च कृच्छ्रेष्वर्थकृतेष्विह श्रुत्वा मम महाराज न संतप्तुमिहार्हसि
M. N. Dutt: Stricken with distress you have questioned me and heard my answer. Fiaving heard it, O monarch, you should remove these regrets of yours.