Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच ब्राह्मणस्वानि ये मन्दा हरन्ति भरतर्षभ नृशंसकारिणो मूढाः क्व ते गच्छन्ति मानवाः
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said Where do those foolish, wretched, and sinful men go, O king, who steal misappropriate such articles as belong to Brahmanas? or
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् चण्डालस्य च संवादं क्षत्रबन्धोश्च भारत
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said I shall, about it, O Bharata, recite to you the conversation between a Chandala and a low Kshatriya.
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.2 D2 om. 2 (cf. v.l. 1). After the ref., S ins.: *464 पातकानां परं ह्येतद्ब्रह्मस्वहरणं बलात् सान्वयास्ते विनश्यन्ति चण्डालाः प्रेत्य चेह च
राजन्य उवाच वृद्धरूपोऽसि चण्डाल बालवच्च विचेष्टसे श्वखराणां रजःसेवी कस्मादुद्विजसे गवाम्
M. N. Dutt: This Kshatriya said You seem, O Chandala, to be old in years, but your conduct appears to be like that of a boy! Your body is besmeared with the dust raised by dogs and asses, but without minding thal dust you are anxious about the little drops of milk that have fallen upon you persons.
साधुभिर्गर्हितं कर्म चण्डालस्य विधीयते कस्माद्गोरजसा ध्वस्तमपां कुण्डे निषिञ्चसि
M. N. Dutt: It is plain that such acts as are censured by the pious are ordained for the Chandala. Why, indeed, do you seek to wash off the spots of milk from your body.
चण्डाल उवाच ब्राह्मणस्य गवां राजन्ह्रियतीनां रजः पुरा सोममुद्ध्वंसयामास तं सोमं येऽपिबन्द्विजाः
AI Translation: The Cāṇḍāla said: In ancient times, the dust of the cows of the brahmin was carried away, and the Soma was destroyed. Those brahmins who drank that Soma,
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.5 After 5, S (except G4) ins.: *465 भृत्यानामपि राज्ञां तु रजसा ध्वंसितं मखे तत्पानाच्च द्विजाः सर्वे क्षिप्रं नरकमाविशन्
दीक्षितश्च स राजापि क्षिप्रं नरकमाविशत् सह तैर्याजकैः सर्वैर्ब्रह्मस्वमुपजीव्य तत्
AI Translation: And the king, who had been initiated, quickly entered hell, together with all those priests, having lived off the property of the Brahmins.
येऽपि तत्रापिबन्क्षीरं घृतं दधि च मानवाः ब्राह्मणाः सहराजन्याः सर्वे नरकमाविशन्
M. N. Dutt: All those men also, Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, who drank milk or clarified butter or curds, in the palace of the king who had stolen the Brahmana's kine, had to fall into hell.
जघ्नुस्ताः पयसा पुत्रांस्तथा पौत्रान्विधुन्वतीः पशूनवेक्षमाणाश्च साधुवृत्तेन दंपती
M. N. Dutt: The stolen kine also, shaking their bodies, killed with their milk the sons and grandsons of those who had stolen them, as also the king and the queen although the latter treated the animals, with great care and attention.
अहं तत्रावसं राजन्ब्रह्मचारी जितेन्द्रियः तासां मे रजसा ध्वस्तं भैक्षमासीन्नराधिप
M. N. Dutt: As for myself, O king, I used to live the life of a celibate in that place where these kine were placed after they had been stolen away. The food I had got by begging became sprinkled over with the milk of those kine.
चण्डालोऽहं ततो राजन्भुक्त्वा तदभवं मृतः ब्रह्मस्वहारी च नृपः सोऽप्रतिष्ठां गतिं ययौ
M. N. Dutt: Having taken that food, O Kshatriya, I have, in this life, become a Chandala. The king who had stolen the kine belonging to a Brahmana came by a wretched end.
तस्माद्धरेन्न विप्रस्वं कदाचिदपि किंचन ब्रह्मस्वरजसा ध्वस्तं भुक्त्वा मां पश्य यादृशम्
M. N. Dutt: Hence, one should never steal or appropriate anything belonging to a Brahmana. Mark, to what state I am reduced on account of my having eaten food that had been sprinkled over with milk belonging to a Brahmana.
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.11 After 11ab, T1.2 G M ins.: *466 न पश्येन्नानुमोदेच्च न हर्तुं किंचिदाचरेत्
तस्मात्सोमोऽप्यविक्रेयः पुरुषेण विपश्चिता विक्रयं हीह सोमस्य गर्हयन्ति मनीषिणः
M. N. Dutt: It is for this reason that Soma plants should never be destroyed by wise men. They who sell the Soma plant are held in low esteem by the wise.
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.12 After 12ab, S (except T1) ins.: *467 एतद्धि धनमुत्कृष्टं द्विजानामविशेषतः
ये चैनं क्रीणते राजन्ये च विक्रीणते जनाः ते तु वैवस्वतं प्राप्य रौरवं यान्ति सर्वशः
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, O son, they who purchase Soma and they who sell it, both sink in the hell called Raurava after death.
सोमं तु रजसा ध्वस्तं विक्रीयाद्बुद्धिपूर्वकम् श्रोत्रियो वार्धुषी भूत्वा चिररात्राय नश्यति नरकं त्रिंशतं प्राप्य श्वविष्ठामुपजीवति
AI Translation: Having sold Soma, which has been damaged by passion, with prior knowledge, one becomes a householder, a householder, and perishes for a long time. Having attained hell thirty times, one lives on dog feces.
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.14 After 14, S (except M1) ins.: *468 ब्रह्मस्वहारी नरकान्यातनाश्चानुभूय तु मलेषु च कृमिर्भूत्वा श्वविष्ठामुपजीवति
श्वचर्यामतिमानं च सखिदारेषु विप्लवम् तुलयाधारयद्धर्मो ह्यतिमानोऽतिरिच्यते
AI Translation: The excess of pride over the Dharma is seen in the case of a dog, in the case of a person who is very proud, and in the case of a person who is in conflict with his friends and relatives. The Dharma is weighed down by pride.
श्वानं वै पापिनं पश्य विवर्णं हरिणं कृशम् अतिमानेन भूतानामिमां गतिमुपागतम्
AI Translation: Look at this sinful dog, pale and emaciated, who, due to excessive pride, has attained this state among beings.
अहं वै विपुले जातः कुले धनसमन्विते अन्यस्मिञ्जन्मनि विभो ज्ञानविज्ञानपारगः
AI Translation: I was born in a wealthy family, endowed with wealth. In another birth, O Lord, I attained the other shore of knowledge and wisdom.
अभवं तत्र जानानो ह्येतान्दोषान्मदात्तदा संरब्ध एव भूतानां पृष्ठमांसान्यभक्षयम्
AI Translation: Knowing these faults, I became angry and ate the flesh of the backs of the creatures.
Supplementary Passages:
13.104.18 After 18, D10 S ins.: *469 सोऽहं वै विदितः सर्वैर्दूरगो मलिनो वने साधूनां परिभावेप्सुर्विप्राणां गर्वितो धनैः
सोऽहं तेन च वृत्तेन भोजनेन च तेन वै इमामवस्थां संप्राप्तः पश्य कालस्य पर्ययम्
AI Translation: By that conduct and by that eating, I have attained this state. See the change of time.
आदीप्तमिव चैलान्तं भ्रमरैरिव चार्दितम् धावमानं सुसंरब्धं पश्य मां रजसान्वितम्
AI Translation: And my clothes are on fire, as it were, and I am tormented, as it were, by bees. Look at me, running with great fury, covered with dust.
स्वाध्यायैस्तु महत्पापं तरन्ति गृहमेधिनः दानैः पृथग्विधैश्चापि यथा प्राहुर्मनीषिणः
AI Translation: Those who perform the householder's rites are freed from great sins by studying the Vedas. And by various kinds of gifts, as the wise have said.
तथा पापकृतं विप्रमाश्रमस्थं महीपते सर्वसङ्गविनिर्मुक्तं छन्दांस्युत्तारयन्त्युत
AI Translation: Similarly, O king, the brahmin who has committed a sin and is in the hermitage, and who is free from all attachments, recites the Vedic texts.
अहं तु पापयोन्यां वै प्रसूतः क्षत्रियर्षभ निश्चयं नाधिगच्छामि कथं मुच्येयमित्युत
AI Translation: O bull among the Kshatriyas, I have been born in a sinful lineage. I do not know for certain how I can be liberated.
जातिस्मरत्वं तु मम केनचित्पूर्वकर्मणा शुभेन येन मोक्षं वै प्राप्तुमिच्छाम्यहं नृप
M. N. Dutt: I cannot see clearly how I may succeed in purifying myself from all sins. On account of some meritorious deed of a former life, I have not lost the memory of my previous births.
त्वमिमं मे प्रपन्नाय संशयं ब्रूहि पृच्छते चण्डालत्वात्कथमहं मुच्येयमिति सत्तम
M. N. Dutt: O king, I throw myself on your mercy! I ask you. Do you remove my doubt. By what auspicious course of conduct should I wish to acquire my liberation? O foremost of men, by what means shall I succeed in getting rid of my Chandalahood.
राजन्य उवाच चण्डाल प्रतिजानीहि येन मोक्षमवाप्स्यसि ब्राह्मणार्थे त्यजन्प्राणान्गतिमिष्टामवाप्स्यसि
M. N. Dutt: The Kshatriya said Know, O Chandala, the means by which you may be able to acquire liberation. By renouncing your life for the sake of a Brahmana, you may come by a desirable end.
दत्त्वा शरीरं क्रव्याद्भ्यो रणाग्नौ द्विजहेतुकम् हुत्वा प्राणान्प्रमोक्षस्ते नान्यथा मोक्षमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: By throwing your body on the fire of battle as a libation to the beasts and birds of prey for the sake of a Brahmana, indeed, by renouncing your life thus, you may achieve liberation. By no other means will you succeed in acquitting it.
भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तः स तदा राजन्ब्रह्मस्वार्थे परंतप हुत्वा रणमुखे प्राणान्गतिमिष्टामवाप ह
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Thus accosted, that Chandala, O scorcher of enemies, poured his lifebreaths as a libation on the fire of battle for the sake of protecting a Brahmana's riches and as the result of that act attained to a very desirable end.
तस्माद्रक्ष्यं त्वया पुत्र ब्रह्मस्वं भरतर्षभ यदीच्छसि महाबाहो शाश्वतीं गतिमुत्तमाम्
M. N. Dutt: Hence, O son, you should always protect the property of the Brahmanas, if, O chicf of Bharata's race, you wish, O you of mighty arms, an end consisting of eternal happiness. Hence, O son, you should always protect the property of the Brahmanas, if, O chicf of Bharata's race, you wish, O you of mighty arms, an end consisting of eternal happiness.