Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच अत्रैव चेदमव्यग्रः शृण्वाख्यानमनुत्तमम् दीर्घसूत्रं समाश्रित्य कार्याकार्यविनिश्चये
M. N. Dutt: About it, listen attentively to the following excellent story of an idle person, who is expert to take decision in good or bed deeds.
Supplementary Passages:
12.135.1 After the ref., K3-5 V1 B Da Dn1.n3 D2.3. 5.8 G1 ins. (Dn3 D2.3 repeating it after 19): *307 अनागतविधाता च प्रत्युत्पन्नमतिश्च यः द्वावेव सुखमेधेते दीर्घसूत्री विनश्यति
नातिगाधे जलस्थाये सुहृदः शकुलास्त्रयः प्रभूतमत्स्ये कौन्तेय बभूवुः सहचारिणः
M. N. Dutt: In shallow lake which abounded with fishes, there lived three Shakula fishes who were friends and constant companions.
अत्रैकः प्राप्तकालज्ञो दीर्घदर्शी तथापरः दीर्घसूत्रश्च तत्रैकस्त्रयाणां जलचारिणाम्
AI Translation: Here one knows the right time, another is far-sighted, and one is long-winded among the three aquatic ones.
कदाचित्तज्जलस्थायं मत्स्यबन्धाः समन्ततः निःस्रावयामासुरथो निम्नेषु विविधैर्मुखैः
M. N. Dutt: One day certain fishermen came to that lake and began to draw out its waters to a lower ground through various channels,
प्रक्षीयमाणं तं बुद्ध्वा जलस्थायं भयागमे अब्रवीद्दीर्घदर्शी तु तावुभौ सुहृदौ तदा
M. N. Dutt: Seeing the water of the lake gradually decreasing, the fish that had much foresight, said to his two companions about the coming danger.
इयमापत्समुत्पन्ना सर्वेषां सलिलौकसाम् शीघ्रमन्यत्र गच्छामः पन्था यावन्न दुष्यति
M. N. Dutt: A great danger is about to befall the aquatic animals living in this lake. Let us quickly go to some other place before our path becomes obstructed.
अनागतमनर्थं हि सुनयैर्यः प्रबाधते न स संशयमाप्नोति रोचतां वां व्रजामहे
M. N. Dutt: He, who resists future evil by the help of good policy, never meets with serious danger. You follow my advice. Lest us all quit this place.
दीर्घसूत्रस्तु यस्तत्र सोऽब्रवीत्सम्यगुच्यते न तु कार्या त्वरा यावदिति मे निश्चिता मतिः
M. N. Dutt: That one, amongst the three, who was idle then answered,-It is well said. There is, however, no necessity of such haste. This is my opinion.
अथ संप्रतिपत्तिज्ञः प्राब्रवीद्दीर्घदर्शिनम् प्राप्ते काले न मे किंचिन्न्यायतः परिहास्यते
M. N. Dutt: Then the other fish, who had presence of mind, said to his idle companion,-When the time for anything comes, I take the necessary precautions.
एवमुक्तो निराक्रामद्दीर्घदर्शी महामतिः जगाम स्रोतसैकेन गम्भीरसलिलाशयम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing the replies of his two companions, the one, which had fore-thought and intelligence, immediately started by a current and reached another deep lake.
ततः प्रस्रुततोयं तं समीक्ष्य सलिलाशयम् बबन्धुर्विविधैर्योगैर्मत्स्यान्मत्स्योपजीविनः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that all the water had been drawn out, the fishermen shut in the fishes which remained by various means.
विलोड्यमाने तस्मिंस्तु स्रुततोये जलाशये अगच्छद्ग्रहणं तत्र दीर्घसूत्रः सहापरैः
M. N. Dutt: Then they began to agitate the little remaining water, and as they began to catch the fish, the idle Shakula was caught with many others.
उद्दानं क्रियमाणं च मत्स्यानां वीक्ष्य रज्जुभिः प्रविश्यान्तरमन्येषामग्रसत्प्रतिपत्तिमान्
AI Translation: Seeing the fish being caught with nets, he made an announcement: Entering the midst of others, he swallowed the understanding.
ग्रस्तमेव तदुद्दानं गृहीत्वास्त तथैव सः सर्वानेव तु तांस्तत्र ते विदुर्ग्रथिता इति
AI Translation: Having taken up the uddāna that was swallowed, he did the same. And all of them there knew that they were bound.
ततः प्रक्षाल्यमानेषु मत्स्येषु विमले जले त्यक्त्वा रज्जुं विमुक्तोऽभूच्छीघ्रं संप्रतिपत्तिमान्
M. N. Dutt: They then removed them to a deep, water for washing them, Just then the Shakula known for presence of mind, left the string, and quickly escaped.
दीर्घसूत्रस्तु मन्दात्मा हीनबुद्धिरचेतनः मरणं प्राप्तवान्मूढो यथैवोपहतेन्द्रियः
M. N. Dutt: That fish, however, who had been idle. foolish, and senseless and without intelligence, and, therefore, unable to escape, met with his death.
एवं प्राप्ततमं कालं यो मोहान्नावबुध्यते स विनश्यति वै क्षिप्रं दीर्घसूत्रो यथा झषः
M. N. Dutt: Like the idle fish, who from want of intelligence could not forsee the danger, every one meets with destruction.
आदौ न कुरुते श्रेयः कुशलोऽस्मीति यः पुमान् स संशयमवाप्नोति यथा संप्रतिपत्तिमान्
M. N. Dutt: Again, a man, who knowing himself as clever, does not seek his own good improper time, is visited by great dangers like the Shakula who had presence of mind.
अनागतविधानं तु यो नरः कुरुते क्षमम् श्रेयः प्राप्नोति सोऽत्यर्थं दीर्घदर्शी यथा ह्यसौ
AI Translation: He who is able to make provision for the future, attains the highest good, as one who sees far into the future.
कलाः काष्ठा मुहूर्ताश्च दिना नाड्यः क्षणा लवाः पक्षा मासाश्च ऋतवस्तुल्याः संवत्सराणि च
AI Translation: The arts, the measures of time, the hours, the days, the measures of time, the moments, the instants, The fortnights, the months, the seasons, the years, the
पृथिवी देश इत्युक्तः कालः स च न दृश्यते अभिप्रेतार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं न्यायतो यच्च तत्तथा
M. N. Dutt: The divisions of the Earth are called place. Time is not seen. Regarding the success of any object or purpose, it is gained or not gained according to the manner in which the mind is engaged to think of it.
एतौ धर्मार्थशास्त्रेषु मोक्षशास्त्रेषु चर्षिभिः प्रधानाविति निर्दिष्टौ कामेशाभिमतौ नृणाम्
M. N. Dutt: Therefore, the person of forethought and the person of presence of mind, have been described by the Rishis, to be the foremost of men in all works on virtue, profit and emancipation.
परीक्ष्यकारी युक्तस्तु सम्यक्समुपपादयेत् देशकालावभिप्रेतौ ताभ्यां फलमवाप्नुयात्
M. N. Dutt: One, however, who does everything after reflection and scrutiny, one, who takes the advantage of proper means for the achievement of his objects, always succeeds in achieving much. Those, again, who work with proper attention to time and place, succeed in acquiring fruits better than the mere man of foresight and the man of presence of mind.'