Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच पितामह महाप्राज्ञ कुरूणां कीर्तिवर्धन प्रश्नं कंचित्प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: O grandfather, you of great wisdom, I shall ask you a question. You should, O enhancer of the joy of the Kurus, to describe it fully to me.
कीदृशा मानवाः सौम्याः कैः प्रीतिः परमा भवेत् आयत्यां च तदात्वे च के क्षमास्तान्वदस्व मे
M. N. Dutt: What kind of man are gentle by nature? With whom may the best friendship exists? Tell us also who are able to do good now and in the future.
न हि तत्र धनं स्फीतं न च संबन्धिबान्धवाः तिष्ठन्ति यत्र सुहृदस्तिष्ठन्तीति मतिर्मम
M. N. Dutt: I think that neither increasing wealth, nor relatives, nor kinsmen occupy that place which well-meaning friends do.
दुर्लभो हि सुहृच्छ्रोता दुर्लभश्च हितः सुहृत् एतद्धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ सर्वं व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: A friend capable of hearing beneficial advice, and also of doing good, is highly rare! You should foremost of virtuous men, describe fully those subjects.
भीष्म उवाच संधेयान्पुरुषान्राजन्नसंधेयांश्च तत्त्वतः वदतो मे निबोध त्वं निखिलेन युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Hear, O Yudhishthira, as I speak to you fully of those men with whom friendships may be contracted and those with whom friendships should not be made.
लुब्धः क्रूरस्त्यक्तधर्मा निकृतः शठ एव च क्षुद्रः पापसमाचारः सर्वशङ्की तथालसः
AI Translation: Greedy, cruel, abandoned dharma, deceitful, and deceitful, mean, of evil conduct, suspicious, and lazy,
दीर्घसूत्रोऽनृजुः कष्टो गुरुदारप्रधर्षकः व्यसने यः परित्यागी दुरात्मा निरपत्रपः
AI Translation: One who is long-winded, crooked, difficult, one who violates the wife of his Guru, One who abandons in adversity, one who is evil-minded, shameless,
सर्वतः पापदर्शी च नास्तिको वेदनिन्दकः संप्रकीर्णेन्द्रियो लोके यः कामनिरतश्चरेत्
AI Translation: One who sees evil everywhere, an atheist, one who criticizes the Vedas, One whose senses are scattered in the world, one who indulges in desires,
असत्यो लोकविद्विष्टः समये चानवस्थितः पिशुनोऽथाकृतप्रज्ञो मत्सरी पापनिश्चयः
AI Translation: who is untrue, who is hated by the world, who is not steadfast in his word, who is a slanderer, who is not wise, who is envious, who is determined to do evil,
दुःशीलोऽथाकृतात्मा च नृशंसः कितवस्तथा मित्रैरर्थकृती नित्यमिच्छत्यर्थपरश्च यः
AI Translation: One who is of bad character, one who is not self-controlled, one who is cruel, one who is a gambler, One who is always successful in friendship, one who is always desirous of wealth,
वहतश्च यथाशक्ति यो न तुष्यति मन्दधीः अमित्रमिव यो भुङ्क्ते सदा मित्रं नरर्षभ
AI Translation: One who is not satisfied with what is given to him according to one's ability, and who eats like an enemy, O bull among men, is not a friend.
अस्थानक्रोधनो यश्च अकस्माच्च विरज्यते सुहृदश्चैव कल्याणानाशु त्यजति किल्बिषी
AI Translation: One who is angry without reason, and who is suddenly detached, And who quickly abandons good friends and virtuous deeds, is sinful.
अल्पेऽप्यपकृते मूढस्तथाज्ञानात्कृतेऽपि च कार्योपसेवी मित्रेषु मित्रद्वेषी नराधिप
AI Translation: Even when a small wrong is done, the fool is angry; and even when a good deed is done, he is angry. One who is devoted to his own interests, who hates his friends, and who is a king.
शत्रुर्मित्रमुखो यश्च जिह्मप्रेक्षी विलोभनः न रज्यति च कल्याणे यस्त्यजेत्तादृशं नरम्
AI Translation: One who is an enemy but appears to be a friend, one who looks askance and is deceitful, One who is not pleased with the good, one should abandon such a person.
पानपो द्वेषणः क्रूरो निर्घृणः परुषस्तथा परोपतापी मित्रध्रुक्तथा प्राणिवधे रतः
AI Translation: A drinker, a hater, cruel, merciless, harsh, One who harms others, a friend-breaker, and one who delights in killing living beings,
कृतघ्नश्चाधमो लोके न संधेयः कथंचन छिद्रान्वेषी न संधेयः संधेयानपि मे शृणु
AI Translation: One who is ungrateful is the lowest in the world and should not be associated with in any way. One who seeks loopholes should not be associated with. Listen to those with whom one should associate.
कुलीना वाक्यसंपन्ना ज्ञानविज्ञानकोविदाः मित्रज्ञाश्च कृतज्ञाश्च सर्वज्ञाः शोकवर्जिताः
AI Translation: Those who are of noble birth, eloquent, skilled in knowledge and wisdom, who are friends to the wise, grateful, omniscient, and free from sorrow,
माधुर्यगुणसंपन्नाः सत्यसंधा जितेन्द्रियाः व्यायामशीलाः सततं भृतपुत्राः कुलोद्गताः
AI Translation: endowed with the quality of sweetness, true to their word, with senses under control, always engaged in exercise, with sons, born in good families,
रूपवन्तो गुणोपेतास्तथालुब्धा जितश्रमाः दोषैर्वियुक्ताः प्रथितैस्ते ग्राह्याः पार्थिवेन ह
AI Translation: Those who are handsome, endowed with virtues, not greedy, and who have conquered fatigue, and who are free from faults, should be chosen by the king.
यथाशक्तिसमाचाराः सन्तस्तुष्यन्ति हि प्रभो नास्थाने क्रोधवन्तश्च न चाकस्माद्विरागिणः
AI Translation: Those who are content with whatever they can do, O Lord, are satisfied. They are not angry without reason, nor are they suddenly detached.
विरक्ताश्च न रुष्यन्ति मनसाप्यर्थकोविदाः आत्मानं पीडयित्वापि सुहृत्कार्यपरायणाः न विरज्यन्ति मित्रेभ्यो वासो रक्तमिवाविकम्
AI Translation: The wise, who are free from attachment, do not get angry, even in their minds. Even though they may be afflicted, they are devoted to the welfare of their friends. They do not become detached from their friends, like a red garment that does not fade.
दोषांश्च लोभमोहादीनर्थेषु युवतिष्वथ न दर्शयन्ति सुहृदां विश्वस्ता बन्धुवत्सलाः
AI Translation: They do not show their faults to their friends, who are trusted and who are affectionate like relatives, in regard to wealth and women. They do not show their faults to their friends, who are trusted and who are affectionate like relatives, in regard to wealth and women.
लोष्टकाञ्चनतुल्यार्थाः सुहृत्स्वशठबुद्धयः ये चरन्त्यनभीमाना निसृष्टार्थविभूषणाः संगृह्णन्तः परिजनं स्वाम्यर्थपरमाः सदा
AI Translation: Those whose minds are not deceitful, who are equal to a stone or gold, who wander without fear, adorned with the wealth of renunciation, who gather a retinue, always devoted to the welfare of their master,
ईदृशैः पुरुषश्रेष्ठैः संधिं यः कुरुते नृपः तस्य विस्तीर्यते राष्ट्रं ज्योत्स्ना ग्रहपतेरिव
AI Translation: The king who makes an alliance with such excellent men his kingdom expands like the light of the lord of planets.
शास्त्रनित्या जितक्रोधा बलवन्तो रणप्रियाः क्षान्ताः शीलगुणोपेताः संधेयाः पुरुषोत्तमाः
M. N. Dutt: Friendship should be formed with men who are well-practised in weapons, who have completely subjugated their anger, who are always strong in battle and are highly born, and are of good behaviour, and varied accomplishments.
Supplementary Passages:
12.162.25 After 25, D4 ins.: *432 मन्त्रिहीनस्तु यो राजन्नचिरायुर्भवेन्नृप तस्मात्सुशीलं विज्ञाय मन्त्रिणं च बहुश्रुतम् नियोजयेद्गुणकरमात्मनः सुखमिच्छता
ये च दोषसमायुक्ता नराः प्रोक्ता मयानघ तेषामप्यधमो राजन्कृतघ्नो मित्रघातकः त्यक्तव्यः स दुराचारः सर्वेषामिति निश्चयः
M. N. Dutt: Amongst the vicious men, O sinless one, that I have mentioned, the vilest, o king, are those who are ungrateful and who injure friends. Those wicked persons should be shunned by all. This, indeed, is a settled injunction.'
युधिष्ठिर उवाच विस्तरेणार्थसंबन्धं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पार्थिव मित्रद्रोही कृतघ्नश्च यः प्रोक्तस्तं च मे वद
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said I wish to hear fully this description. Tell me who they are who injure friends and ungrateful persons.
भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते वर्तयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम् उदीच्यां दिशि यद्वृत्तं म्लेच्छेषु मनुजाधिप
M. N. Dutt: I shall recite to you an old story the incidents of which took place in the country, O king, of the Mlecchas that lies to the north.
ब्राह्मणो मध्यदेशीयः कृष्णाङ्गो ब्रह्मवर्जितः ग्रामं प्रेक्ष्य जनाकीर्णं प्राविशद्भैक्षकाङ्क्षया
M. N. Dutt: There was a certain Brahmana of the middle country. He had no Vedic learning. (One day), seeing a prosperous village, the man entered it from desire of getting alms.
तत्र दस्युर्धनयुतः सर्ववर्णविशेषवित् ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यसंधश्च दाने च निरतोऽभवत्
M. N. Dutt: In that village lived a very rich robber conversant with the characteristics of all the castes, devoted to the Brahmanas, firm in truth, and always engaged in making gifts.
तस्य क्षयमुपागम्य ततो भिक्षामयाचत प्रतिश्रयं च वासार्थं भिक्षां चैवाथ वार्षिकीम्
M. N. Dutt: Going to the house of that robber, the Brahmana begged for alms. Indeed, he prayed for a house to live in and the necessaries of life lasting for a year.
प्रादात्तस्मै स विप्राय वस्त्रं च सदृशं नवम् नारीं चापि वयोपेतां भर्त्रा विरहितां तदा
M. N. Dutt: Thus begged by the Brahmana, the robber gave him a piece of new cloth with its ends complete, and a young widow.
एतत्संप्राप्य हृष्टात्मा दस्योः सर्वं द्विजस्तदा तस्मिन्गृहवरे राजंस्तया रेमे स गौतमः
M. N. Dutt: Getting all those things from the robber, the Brahmana become filled with joy. Gautama began to live happily in that big house given to him by the robber.
कुटुम्बार्थेषु दस्योः स साहाय्यं चाप्यथाकरोत् तत्रावसत्सोऽथ वर्षाः समृद्धे शबरालये बाणवेध्ये परं यत्नमकरोच्चैव गौतमः
M. N. Dutt: He began to help the relatives and kinsmen of the female slave the robber-chief gave him. Thus he lived for many years in that prosperous village of hunters.
वक्राङ्गांस्तु स नित्यं वै सर्वतो बाणगोचरे जघान गौतमो राजन्यथा दस्युगणस्तथा
AI Translation: He always struck the crooked-bodied ones who were within the range of his arrows. O king, Gautama struck them just as a group of robbers would.
हिंसापरो घृणाहीनः सदा प्राणिवधे रतः गौतमः संनिकर्षेण दस्युभिः समतामियात्
AI Translation: One who is devoted to violence, devoid of compassion, always engaged in killing living beings, Gautama would become equal to robbers through association.
तथा तु वसतस्तस्य दस्युग्रामे सुखं तदा अगच्छन्बहवो मासा निघ्नतः पक्षिणो बहून्
M. N. Dutt: Living happily in that robber village for many months, he killed a number of wild cranes.
ततः कदाचिदपरो द्विजस्तं देशमागमत् जटी चीराजिनधरः स्वाध्यायपरमः शुचिः
M. N. Dutt: One day another Brahmana came to that village. He was clad in rags and deer-skins and bore matted locks on his head. Of highly pure conduct, he was devoted to the study of the Vedas.
विनीतो नियताहारो ब्रह्मण्यो वेदपारगः सब्रह्मचारी तद्देश्यः सखा तस्यैव सुप्रियम् तं दस्युग्राममगमद्यत्रासौ गौतमोऽभवत्
M. N. Dutt: Of a humble disposition, of restricted diet, devoted to the Brahmanas, well-read in ihe Vedas, and observant of Brahmacharya vows, that Brahmana had been a dear friend of Gautama and belonged to that part of the country from which Gautama had come.
स तु विप्रगृहान्वेषी शूद्रान्नपरिवर्जकः ग्रामे दस्युजनाकीर्णे व्यचरत्सर्वतोदिशम्
AI Translation: Searching for a brahmin's house, avoiding food from a shudra, he wandered in all directions in the village infested with robbers.
ततः स गौतमगृहं प्रविवेश द्विजोत्तमः गौतमश्चापि संप्राप्तस्तावन्योन्येन संगतौ
AI Translation: Then the best of Brahmins entered Gautama's house. And Gautama also arrived, and they met each other.
वक्राङ्गभारहस्तं तं धनुष्पाणिं कृतागसम् रुधिरेणावसिक्ताङ्गं गृहद्वारमुपागतम्
AI Translation: With a body bent under the weight of the bow, with a hand holding a bow, with a body smeared with blood, he came to the door of the house.
तं दृष्ट्वा पुरुषादाभमपध्वस्तं क्षयागतम् अभिज्ञाय द्विजो व्रीडामगमद्वाक्यमाह च
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that man who looked like a cannibal and who had fallen away from the pure practices of his caste, and entering his house, the newly-arrived guest, recognising him, O king, said these words
किमिदं कुरुषे मौढ्याद्विप्रस्त्वं हि कुलोद्गतः मध्यदेशपरिज्ञातो दस्युभावं गतः कथम्
AI Translation: What is this you are doing, O fool? You are a Brahmin, born in a good family. You are known in the Madhyadeśa, how have you fallen into the state of a bandit?
पूर्वान्स्मर द्विजाग्र्यांस्तान्प्रख्यातान्वेदपारगान् येषां वंशेऽभिजातस्त्वमीदृशः कुलपांसनः
AI Translation: Remember those best of Brahmins, those famous ones who had mastered the Vedas. In whose lineage you were born, you who are like this, a disgrace to the family.
अवबुध्यात्मनात्मानं सत्यं शीलं श्रुतं दमम् अनुक्रोशं च संस्मृत्य त्यज वासमिमं द्विज
M. N. Dutt: Recollect, O twice-born one, your famous kinsmen of former times, all of whom were well-read in the Vedas. Born in their family, alas, you have sullied it.
Supplementary Passages:
12.162.46 After 46, D4 ins.: *433 कुग्रामवासं च कुमित्रसङ्गं कुदाररागं कुनरेन्द्रसेवाम् कुब्राह्मणे प्रीतिमकारणं वै कुर्वन्ति ये पापतरास्त एव
एवमुक्तः स सुहृदा तदा तेन हितैषिणा प्रत्युवाच ततो राजन्विनिश्चित्य तदार्तवत्
M. N. Dutt: Awake yourself by your own exertions. Remembering the power, the conduct, the learning, the self-control, the mercy (which belong to your caste), leave this your present house, O twice-born one.
अधनोऽस्मि द्विजश्रेष्ठ न च वेदविदप्यहम् वृत्त्यर्थमिह संप्राप्तं विद्धि मां द्विजसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Thus spoken to by that well-meaning friend of his, O king, Gautama answered him in great distress of heart, saying,-O foremost of twiceborn ones, I am poor. I have no knowledge of the Vedas. Know, O best of Brahmanas, that I have taken up my quarters here for the sake of money only.
त्वद्दर्शनात्तु विप्रर्षे कृतार्थं वेद्म्यहं द्विज आत्मानं सह यास्यावः श्वो वसाद्येह शर्वरीम्
M. N. Dutt: Seeing you, however, I am blessed to-day. We shall together leave this place tomorrow. Do you spend the night here with me.
Supplementary Passages:
12.162.49 After 49, K3 D4 ins.: *434 गौतमेन तथेत्युक्ते सुष्वाप द्विजसत्तमः On the other hand, K5 V1 B Da Dn1.n3 D2.3.5.8 ins. after 49: *435 स तत्र न्यवसद्विप्रो घृणी किंचिदसंस्पृशन् क्षुधितश्छन्द्यमानोऽपि भोजनं नाभ्यनन्दत