Critical Edition
जनमेजय उवाच यज्ञे सक्ता नृपतयस्तपःसक्ता महर्षयः शान्तिव्यवसिता विप्राः शमो दम इति प्रभो
M. N. Dutt: Janamejaya said O powerful Rishi, kings are attached to sacrifices. The great Rishis are attached to penances. Learned Brahmanas observe tranquillity of mind, peacefulness of conduct and self-control.
तस्माद्यज्ञफलैस्तुल्यं न किंचिदिह विद्यते इति मे वर्तते बुद्धिस्तथा चैतदसंशयम्
M. N. Dutt: Hence it appears that nothing can be seen in this world which can compare with the fruits of sacrifices. This is my conviction. That conviction, again scems to be surely correct.
यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा हि बहवो राजानो द्विजसत्तम इह कीर्तिं परां प्राप्य प्रेत्य स्वर्गमितो गताः
M. N. Dutt: Numberless kings, O best of twice-born persons, having adored the celestials in sacrifices, acquired high fame here and obtained the celestial region hercafter.
देवराजः सहस्राक्षः क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः देवराज्यं महातेजाः प्राप्तवानखिलं विभुः
M. N. Dutt: Gifted with great energy, the powerful king of the deities, viz., Indra of a thousand eyes, obtained the sovereignty over the deities through the many sacrifices he performed with gifts in profusion and attained to the fruition of all his desires.
Supplementary Passages:
14.94.4 After 4, Dc1 ins.: *187 यज्ञैस्तपोभिर्विपुलै राजानो द्विजसत्तमाः इह लोके परां कीर्तिं विमुच्य दिवि संस्थिताः
यथा युधिष्ठिरो राजा भीमार्जुनपुरःसरः सदृशो देवराजेन समृद्ध्या विक्रमेण च
AI Translation: Just as King Yudhishthira, with Bhima and Arjuna at the forefront, is equal to the king of the gods in prosperity and valor.
अथ कस्मात्स नकुलो गर्हयामास तं क्रतुम् अश्वमेधं महायज्ञं राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः
AI Translation: Why did Nakula criticize that sacrifice? The horse sacrifice, the great sacrifice, of that great king.
Supplementary Passages:
14.94.6 After 6, D1 ins.: *188 इति हेतोर्महाराज नकुलोऽगर्हयच्च तत् कर्म राज्ञो महाबुद्धे धर्मः सूक्ष्मो महीपते Colophon.
वैशंपायन उवाच यज्ञस्य विधिमग्र्यं वै फलं चैव नरर्षभ गदतः शृणु मे राजन्यथावदिह भारत
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Do you listen to me, O king, as I describe to you duly, O Bharata, the excellent ordinances about sacrifice and the fruits also, O king, that sacrifice yields.
पुरा शक्रस्य यजतः सर्व ऊचुर्महर्षयः ऋत्विक्षु कर्मव्यग्रेषु वितते यज्ञकर्मणि
M. N. Dutt: Formerly, occasion Shakra celebrated a particular sacrifice. While the limbs of the sacrifice were spread out, the Ritvijas became busy in performing the various rites ordained in the scriptures.
हूयमाने तथा वह्नौ होत्रे बहुगुणान्विते देवेष्वाहूयमानेषु स्थितेषु परमर्षिषु
AI Translation: When the fire was being offered into the fire, and the Hotṛ was endowed with many qualities, and the gods were being invoked and the supreme sages were present,
सुप्रतीतैस्तदा विप्रैः स्वागमैः सुस्वनैर्नृप अश्रान्तैश्चापि लघुभिरध्वर्युवृषभैस्तथा
AI Translation: Then, O king, with the well-known Brahmins, with their own scriptures, with their good voices, And with the tireless, the swift, and the bulls among the Adhvaryus,
आलम्भसमये तस्मिन्गृहीतेषु पशुष्वथ महर्षयो महाराज संबभूवुः कृपान्विताः
M. N. Dutt: The time came for killing the animals. When the animals selected for sacrifice were seized, the great Rishis, O king, felt mercy for them.
ततो दीनान्पशून्दृष्ट्वा ऋषयस्ते तपोधनाः ऊचुः शक्रं समागम्य नायं यज्ञविधिः शुभः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that the animals had all become dispirited, those Rishis, gifted with wealth of penances, approached Shakra and said to him, “This method of sacrifice is not auspicious.'
अपविज्ञानमेतत्ते महान्तं धर्ममिच्छतः न हि यज्ञे पशुगणा विधिदृष्टाः पुरंदर
M. N. Dutt: Desirous of winning great merit as you are, this is, indeed, a mark of your ignorance of the rites of sacrifice. O Purandara, animals have not been ordained to be killed in sacrifices,
धर्मोपघातकस्त्वेष समारम्भस्तव प्रभो नायं धर्मकृतो धर्मो न हिंसा धर्म उच्यते
M. N. Dutt: O powerful one, these preparations of yours are destructive of merit! This sacrifice is not consistent with virtue. The destruction of creatures can never be said to be an act of virtue!
आगमेनैव ते यज्ञं कुर्वन्तु यदि हेच्छसि विधिदृष्टेन यज्ञेन धर्मस्ते सुमहान्भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: If you wish it, let your priests perform your sacrifice according to the Agama. By performing a sacrifice according to the scriptural ordinance, great will be the merit acquired by you.
यज बीजैः सहस्राक्ष त्रिवर्षपरमोषितैः एष धर्मो महाञ्शक्र चिन्त्यमानोऽधिगम्यते
M. N. Dutt: you of a hundred eyes do you perform the sacrifice with seeds of grain which have been kept for three years. This, O Shakra, would be fraught with great virtue and productive of fruits of high efficacy.
शतक्रतुस्तु तद्वाक्यमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः उक्तं न प्रतिजग्राह मानमोहवशानुगः
M. N. Dutt: were The deity of a hundred sacrifices, however, moved by pride and overwhelmed by stupefaction, did not accept these words uttered by the Rishis.
तेषां विवादः सुमहाञ्जज्ञे शक्रमहर्षिणाम् जङ्गमैः स्थावरैर्वापि यष्टव्यमिति भारत
AI Translation: There was a great dispute between the gods and the great sages, O descendant of Bharata, as to whether the sacrifice should be performed by the mobile or the immobile.
ते तु खिन्ना विवादेन ऋषयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ततः संधाय शक्रेण पप्रच्छुर्नृपतिं वसुम्
AI Translation: But those sages, who saw the truth, were tired of the dispute. Then, having agreed with Shakra, they asked King Vasu,
Supplementary Passages:
14.94.19 After 19, Dc1 ins.: *189 धर्मसंशयमापन्नान्सत्यं ब्रूहि महामते
महाभाग कथं यज्ञेष्वागमो नृपते स्मृतः यष्टव्यं पशुभिर्मेध्यैरथो बीजैरजैरपि
M. N. Dutt: O highly blessed one, what is the Vedic declaration about sacrifices? Is it preferable to perform sacrifices with animals or with seeds and juices.
तच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचस्तेषामविचार्य बलाबलम् यथोपनीतैर्यष्टव्यमिति प्रोवाच पार्थिवः
M. N. Dutt: Hearing the question, king Vasu, without at all judging the merits of the arguments advanced on both sides, at once answered, saying, 'Sacrifices may be performed with any of the two kinds of objects ready.'
एवमुक्त्वा स नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम् उक्त्वेह वितथं राजंश्चेदीनामीश्वरः प्रभुः
M. N. Dutt: Having answered the question thus, he had to enter the nether regions. Indeed, the powerful king of the Chedis had to undergo that misery for having answered falsely.
Supplementary Passages:
14.94.22 After 22, K1.5 B1.3-5 D (except D1; Dn1 missing) ins.: *190 तस्मान्न वाच्यं ह्येकेन बहुज्ञेनापि संशये प्रजापतिमपाहाय स्वयंभुवमृते प्रभुम्
अन्यायोपगतं द्रव्यमतीतं यो ह्यपण्डितः धर्माभिकाङ्क्षी यजते न धर्मफलमश्नुते
M. N. Dutt: That person of little intelligence, who, from desire of acquiring merit, celebrates sacrifices with wealth acquired by unfair means, never succeeds in acquiring merit.
धर्मवैतंसिको यस्तु पापात्मा पुरुषस्तथा ददाति दानं विप्रेभ्यो लोकविश्वासकारकम्
M. N. Dutt: That low wretch of sin who hypocritically assuming a garb of virtue makes gifts to Brahmanas, only created the conviction in men about his own virtue.
पापेन कर्मणा विप्रो धनं लब्ध्वा निरङ्कुशः रागमोहान्वितः सोऽन्ते कलुषां गतिमाप्नुते
M. N. Dutt: That Brahmana of uncontrolled conduct, who acquires wealth by sinful deeds, overwhelmed by passion and stupefaction, attains at last to the goal of the sinful.
तेन दत्तानि दानानि पापेन हतबुद्धिना तानि सत्त्वमनासाद्य नश्यन्ति विपुलान्यपि
AI Translation: The gifts given by him, whose mind is destroyed by sin, those gifts, not reaching the living beings, perish, even though they are vast.
तस्याधर्मप्रवृत्तस्य हिंसकस्य दुरात्मनः दाने न कीर्तिर्भवति प्रेत्य चेह च दुर्मतेः
AI Translation: For that wicked one who is engaged in unrighteousness, who is violent, there is no fame in giving, either in this world or the next, for the evil-minded.
अपि संचयबुद्धिर्हि लोभमोहवशंगतः उद्वेजयति भूतानि हिंसया पापचेतनः
M. N. Dutt: Some one, overwhelmed by cupidity and stupefaction, becomes bent on storing riches. He is seen to persecute all creatures, urged by a sinful and impure understanding.
एवं लब्ध्वा धनं लोभाद्यजते यो ददाति च स कृत्वा कर्मणा तेन न सिध्यति दुरागमात्
AI Translation: Thus, having obtained wealth, if one performs sacrifices out of greed and gives, having performed that action, one does not succeed due to bad advice.
Supplementary Passages:
14.94.29 For 29bcd, B1.3-5 Dc1 D2-6 subst.: *191 यो हि दद्याद्यजेत वा न तस्य स फलं प्रेत्य भुङ्क्ते पापधनागमात्
उञ्छं मूलं फलं शाकमुदपात्रं तपोधनाः दानं विभवतो दत्त्वा नराः स्वर्यान्ति धर्मिणः
M. N. Dutt: Men having wealth of penances, by giving away, to the best of their power, grains of corn picked up from the fields or roots or fruits or potherbs or water or leaves, acquire great merit and proceed to the celestial region.
एष धर्मो महांस्त्यागो दानं भूतदया तथा ब्रह्मचर्यं तथा सत्यमनुक्रोशो धृतिः क्षमा सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेतत्सनातनम्
M. N. Dutt: Such gifts are fraught with virtue and equal to high austerities. Such gifts, as also mercy to all creatures, and Brahmacharya, truthfulness of speech, and kindness, and fortitude, and forgiveness, form the eternal foundations of virtue which itself is eternal. We hear of Vishvamitra and other kings of ancient times.
श्रूयन्ते हि पुरा विप्रा विश्वामित्रादयो नृपाः विश्वामित्रोऽसितश्चैव जनकश्च महीपतिः कक्षसेनार्ष्टिषेणौ च सिन्धुद्वीपश्च पार्थिवः
AI Translation: For it is heard that in ancient times, the Brahmanas and kings like Vishvamitra, Vishvamitra, Asita, the lord of the earth Janaka, Kaksasena
एते चान्ये च बहवः सिद्धिं परमिकां गताः नृपाः सत्यैश्च दानैश्च न्यायलब्धैस्तपोधनाः
AI Translation: These and many others have attained the highest perfection. Kings who were rich in austerities, who attained their wealth by truth, by charity, and by justice,
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्रा ये चाश्रितास्तपः दानधर्माग्निना शुद्धास्ते स्वर्गं यान्ति भारत
M. N. Dutt: Those amongst Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, who perforin penances, O Bharata, and who purify themselves, by gifts and other deeds of righteousness, proceed to the celestial region.