Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्तो मतङ्गस्तु भृशं शोकपरायणः अतिष्ठत गयां गत्वा सोऽङ्गुष्ठेन शतं समाः
AI Translation: Bhishma said: Thus addressed, Matanga, deeply immersed in grief, went to Gayā and stood there on his big toe for a hundred years.
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.1 After the ref, N (V1 missing) ins.: *254 एवमुक्तो मतङ्गस्तु संशितात्मा यतव्रतः सहस्रमेकपादेन ततोऽब्दानामतिष्ठत तं सहस्रावरे काले शक्रो द्रष्टुमुपागमत् तदेव च पुनर्वाक्यमुवाच बलवृत्रहा मतङ्ग उवाच इदं वर्षसहस्रं वै ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः अतिष्ठमेकपादेन ब्राह्मण्यं नाप्नुयां कथम् शक्र उवाच चण्डालयोनौ जातेन नावाप्यं वै कथंचन अन्यं कामं वृणीष्व त्वं मा वृथा तेऽस्त्वयं श्रमः
सुदुष्करं वहन्योगं कृशो धमनिसंततः त्वगस्थिभूतो धर्मात्मा स पपातेति नः श्रुतम्
M. N. Dutt: On account of the observance of such Yoga which was extremely difficult to bear, he became very much emaciated and his arteries and veins became swollen and visible. He was reduced to only skin and bones. We have heard that righteous person, while practising those austerities at Gaya, dropped down on the ground from sheer exhaustion.
तं पतन्तमभिद्रुत्य परिजग्राह वासवः वराणामीश्वरो दाता सर्वभूतहिते रतः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing him falling down the lord and giver of boons, engaged in the behoof of all creatures viz., Vasava, speedily came to that spot and held him fast.
शक्र उवाच मतङ्ग ब्राह्मणत्वं ते संवृतं परिपन्थिभिः पूजयन्सुखमाप्नोति दुःखमाप्नोत्यपूजयन्
AI Translation: Śakra said: O Matanga, your brahminhood has been concealed by your enemies. One who worships attains happiness, one who does not worship attains suffering.
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.4 After 4a, N (V1 missing) ins.: *255 विरुद्धमिह दृश्यते ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्लभतरं
ब्राह्मणे सर्वभूतानां योगक्षेमः समाहितः ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽनुतृप्यन्ति पितरो देवतास्तथा
AI Translation: The welfare and protection of all beings is well-established in the Brahmanas. The ancestors and the gods are never satisfied with the Brahmanas.
ब्राह्मणः सर्वभूतानां मतङ्ग पर उच्यते ब्राह्मणः कुरुते तद्धि यथा यद्यच्च वाञ्छति
AI Translation: The Brāhmaṇa is declared to be the highest of all beings, O Matanga. The Brāhmaṇa does that, whatever he desires.
बह्वीस्तु संसरन्योनीर्जायमानः पुनः पुनः पर्याये तात कस्मिंश्चिद्ब्राह्मण्यमिह विन्दति
AI Translation: But, being born again and again in many wombs of transmigration, In the course of time, O son, he obtains the state of a Brāhman here.
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.7 After 7, N (V1 missing) ins.: *256 तदुत्सृज्येह दुष्प्रापं ब्राह्मण्यमकृतात्मभिः अन्यं वरं वृणीष्व त्वं दुर्लभोऽयं हि ते वरः
मतङ्ग उवाच किं मां तुदसि दुःखार्तं मृतं मारयसे च माम् तं तु शोचामि यो लब्ध्वा ब्राह्मण्यं न बुभूषते
AI Translation: Matanga said: Why do you strike me, who am already suffering from grief, and kill me, who am already dead? I grieve for him who, having attained the state of a Brahmin, does not strive for it.
ब्राह्मण्यं यदि दुष्प्रापं त्रिभिर्वर्णैः शतक्रतो सुदुर्लभं तदावाप्य नानुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः
AI Translation: If brahminhood is difficult to attain for the other three castes, O Indra, then having attained it, men do not practice it.
यः पापेभ्यः पापतमस्तेषामधम एव सः ब्राह्मण्यं योऽवजानीते धनं लब्ध्वेव दुर्लभम्
AI Translation: He who is the worst of sinners, the lowest of them all, He who despises the state of a Brahmin, as if he has obtained wealth that is difficult to obtain,
दुष्प्रापं खलु विप्रत्वं प्राप्तं दुरनुपालनम् दुरवापमवाप्यैतन्नानुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः
AI Translation: It is difficult to attain the state of a brahmin, which is difficult to observe. Having attained what is difficult to attain, men do not observe it.
एकारामो ह्यहं शक्र निर्द्वंद्वो निष्परिग्रहः अहिंसादमदानस्थः कथं नार्हामि विप्रताम्
AI Translation: I am one who is content, O Śakra, free from duality, free from possessions, Abiding in non-violence, self-control, and restraint - how can I not be worthy of the state of a brahmin?
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.12 After 12, N (V1 missing) ins.: *257 दैवं तु नूनमेतद्वै यदहं मातृदोषतः एतामवस्थां संप्राप्तो धर्मज्ञः सन्पुरंदर नूनं दैवं न शक्यं हि पौरुषेणातिवर्तितुम् यदहं यत्नवानेवं न लभे विप्रतां विभो एवं गते तु धर्मज्ञ दातुमर्हसि मे वरम् यदि तेऽहमनुग्राह्यः किंचिद्वा सुकृतं मम भीष्म उवाच वृणीष्वेति तदा प्राह ततस्तं बलवृत्रहा चोदितस्तु महेन्द्रेण मतङ्गः प्राब्रवीदिदम् While S ins. after 12: *258 एवं वरं वृणे देव स मे सिध्यतु वासव
यथाकामविहारी स्यां कामरूपी विहंगमः ब्रह्मक्षत्राविरोधेन पूजां च प्राप्नुयामहम् यथा ममाक्षया कीर्तिर्भवेच्चापि पुरंदर
M. N. Dutt: I bow to you by bending my head, O god! You should do that also by which my fame, O Purandara, may live eternally in the world!
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.13 After 13, N (V1 missing) ins.: *259 कर्तुमर्हसि तद्देव शिरसा त्वां प्रसादये
इन्द्र उवाच छन्दोदेव इति ख्यातः स्त्रीणां पूज्यो भविष्यसि
AI Translation: Indra said: You will be known as Chandodeva, the worshipable one of women.
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.14 After the ref., S ins.: *260 मतङ्ग गम्यतां शीघ्रमेवमेतद्भविष्यति स्त्रियश्च सर्वास्त्वा लोके यक्ष्यन्ते भूतिकर्मणि एवं तवाक्षया कीर्तिर्भविष्यति तपोधन After 14, N (V1 missing) ins.: *261 कीर्तिश्च तेऽतुला वत्स त्रिषु लोकेषु यास्यति
भीष्म उवाच एवं तस्मै वरं दत्त्वा वासवोऽन्तरधीयत प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा मतङ्गोऽपि प्राप तत्स्थानमुत्तमम्
AI Translation: Bhishma said: Having thus granted the boon to him, Vasava disappeared. Having given up his life, Matanga also attained that supreme place.
एवमेतत्परं स्थानं ब्राह्मण्यं नाम भारत तच्च दुष्प्रापमिह वै महेन्द्रवचनं यथा
M. N. Dutt: You may thus see, O Bharata that the dignity of a Brahmana is very high. That dignity is incapable of being acquired here as said by the great Indra himself.
Supplementary Passages:
13.30.16 For 16bcd, S subst.: *262 मर्त्यानां भरतर्षभ ब्राह्मण्यं नाम दुष्प्रापमिन्द्रेणोक्तं महात्मना