Critical Edition
द्रौपद्युवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् प्रह्लादस्य च संवादं बलेर्वैरोचनस्य च
M. N. Dutt: Draupadi said : On this is cited as an example the ancient history relating to the conversation between Prahlada and Vali the son of Virochana.
असुरेन्द्रं महाप्राज्ञं धर्माणामागतागमम् बलिः पप्रच्छ दैत्येन्द्रं प्रह्लादं पितरं पितुः
M. N. Dutt: One day, Bali accosted his grandfather Prahlada, the king of Asuras and Danava, endued with great wisdom and well-versed in duties (saying).
क्षमा स्विच्छ्रेयसी तात उताहो तेज इत्युत एतन्मे संशयं तात यथावद्ब्रूहि पृच्छते
M. N. Dutt: Vali said : Does forgiveness lead to well-being, O father or prowess or energy? I have great doubt in this; father, tell me who am asking you.
श्रेयो यदत्र धर्मज्ञ ब्रूहि मे तदसंशयम् करिष्यामि हि तत्सर्वं यथावदनुशासनम्
M. N. Dutt: Tell me, without any doubt, O you conversant with duties, whatever leads to wellbeing. I shall obey duly all your commands.
तस्मै प्रोवाच तत्सर्वमेवं पृष्टः पितामहः सर्वनिश्चयवित्प्राज्ञः संशयं परिपृच्छते
M. N. Dutt: Draupadi said : Being thus accosted the wise grandfather, conversant with all truths, replied at length for the removal of his doubts.
प्रह्लाद उवाच न श्रेयः सततं तेजो न नित्यं श्रेयसी क्षमा इति तात विजानीहि द्वयमेतदसंशयम्
M. N. Dutt: Prahlada said: Do you learn, my son, these two truths without any doubt neither does prowess always lead to well-being nor does forgiveness.
यो नित्यं क्षमते तात बहून्दोषान्स विन्दति भृत्याः परिभवन्त्येनमुदासीनास्तथैव च
AI Translation: One who is always forgiving, O son, finds many faults. His servants despise him, and so do the indifferent.
सर्वभूतानि चाप्यस्य न नमन्ते कदाचन तस्मान्नित्यं क्षमा तात पण्डितैरपवादिता
AI Translation: All beings never bow to him. Therefore, O son, forbearance is always condemned by the wise.
अवज्ञाय हि तं भृत्या भजन्ते बहुदोषताम् आदातुं चास्य वित्तानि प्रार्थयन्तेऽल्पचेतसः
M. N. Dutt: Disregarding him his servants contract many vicious habits; all those evil-minded men try to deprive him of his wealth.
यानं वस्त्राण्यलंकाराञ्शयनान्यासनानि च भोजनान्यथ पानानि सर्वोपकरणानि च
AI Translation: Vehicles, clothes, ornaments, beds, seats, Food, drink, and all utensils,
आददीरन्नधिकृता यथाकाममचेतसः प्रदिष्टानि च देयानि न दद्युर्भर्तृशासनात्
AI Translation: Those who were appointed would take what they wanted, without any consideration. Those who were ordered to give would not give, out of fear of their husbands.
न चैनं भर्तृपूजाभिः पूजयन्ति कदाचन अवज्ञानं हि लोकेऽस्मिन्मरणादपि गर्हितम्
AI Translation: And they never worship him with worship of their husbands. For in this world, disrespect is condemned even more than death.
क्षमिणं तादृशं तात ब्रुवन्ति कटुकान्यपि प्रेष्याः पुत्राश्च भृत्याश्च तथोदासीनवृत्तयः
M. N. Dutt: O my child, sons, servants attendants and even strangers use harsh words to such a forgiving person.
अप्यस्य दारानिच्छन्ति परिभूय क्षमावतः दाराश्चास्य प्रवर्तन्ते यथाकाममचेतसः
M. N. Dutt: Disregarding him even they wish to have the wife of a forgiving person and his wife too does whatever she likes.
तथा च नित्यमुदिता यदि स्वल्पमपीश्वरात् दण्डमर्हन्ति दुष्यन्ति दुष्टाश्चाप्यपकुर्वते
M. N. Dutt: The pleasure-loving servants, if a slight punishment is not meted out to them, contract all sorts of vices and the wicked always injure such a master.
एते चान्ये च बहवो नित्यं दोषाः क्षमावताम् अथ वैरोचने दोषानिमान्विद्ध्यक्षमावताम्
M. N. Dutt: These and various other evils attend always upon the forgiving. Listen, O son of Virochana, to (other) evils that beset a person that never forgives.
अस्थाने यदि वा स्थाने सततं रजसावृतः क्रुद्धो दण्डान्प्रणयति विविधान्स्वेन तेजसा
AI Translation: Even when he is in the wrong, or even when he is in the right, he is always covered with dust. He applies various punishments with his own energy.
मित्रैः सह विरोधं च प्राप्नुते तेजसावृतः प्राप्नोति द्वेष्यतां चैव लोकात्स्वजनतस्तथा
AI Translation: He is obstructed by his friends and becomes separated from his splendor. He becomes hated by the world and by his own relatives.
सोऽवमानादर्थहानिमुपालम्भमनादरम् संतापद्वेषलोभांश्च शत्रूंश्च लभते नरः
M. N. Dutt: Such a man who insults others is subject to loss of wealth, disregard, misery and hatred and creates enemies.
क्रोधाद्दण्डान्मनुष्येषु विविधान्पुरुषो नयन् भ्रश्यते शीघ्रमैश्वर्यात्प्राणेभ्यः स्वजनादपि
M. N. Dutt: A man, in anger, inflicts various punishments upon people and is soon deprived of his wealth, life and even kinsmen.
योऽपकर्तॄंश्च कर्तॄंश्च तेजसैवोपगच्छति तस्मादुद्विजते लोकः सर्पाद्वेश्मगतादिव
M. N. Dutt: People are afraid of him who abuses his power equally upon his benefactor and enemy, as the inmates of a house are of a snake.
यस्मादुद्विजते लोकः कथं तस्य भवो भवेत् अन्तरं ह्यस्य दृष्ट्वैव लोको विकुरुते ध्रुवम् तस्मान्नात्युत्सृजेत्तेजो न च नित्यं मृदुर्भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: How can good betide him of whom the people are afraid-forsooth do the people injure him as soon as they find a hole.
Supplementary Passages:
3.29.22 After 22, N (K1.4 D1.3 missing) M2 ins.: *99 काले काले तु संप्राप्ते मृदुस्तीक्ष्णोऽपि वा भवेत्
काले मृदुर्यो भवति काले भवति दारुणः स वै सुखमवाप्नोति लोकेऽमुष्मिन्निहैव च
M. N. Dutt: He, who is forgiving in proper hour and angry when the occasion arises, attains to happiness both in this world and in the next.
क्षमाकालांस्तु वक्ष्यामि शृणु मे विस्तरेण तान् ये ते नित्यमसंत्याज्या यथा प्राहुर्मनीषिणः
M. N. Dutt: Hear, I shall now describe to you the hours of forgiveness as pointed out by the learned and which should always be followed.
पूर्वोपकारी यस्तु स्यादपराधेऽगरीयसि उपकारेण तत्तस्य क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनः
M. N. Dutt: If your former benefactor commits a heinous offence you should forgive him considering his former benefaction.
अबुद्धिमाश्रितानां च क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनाम् न हि सर्वत्र पाण्डित्यं सुलभं पुरुषेण वै
M. N. Dutt: Those that commit an offence out of ignorance or foolishness should be forgiven-for people cannot always easily attain to learning.
अथ चेद्बुद्धिजं कृत्वा ब्रूयुस्ते तदबुद्धिजम् पापान्स्वल्पेऽपि तान्हन्यादपराधे तथानृजून्
M. N. Dutt: Those crooked men, who having committed an offence wittingly plead ignorance should be punished even if their offence by trifling.
सर्वस्यैकोऽपराधस्ते क्षन्तव्यः प्राणिनो भवेत् द्वितीये सति वध्यस्तु स्वल्पेऽप्यपकृते भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: The first offence of all men should be forgiven; when they commit the second, however insignificant it might be they should be punished.
अजानता भवेत्कश्चिदपराधः कृतो यदि क्षन्तव्यमेव तस्याहुः सुपरीक्ष्य परीक्षया
M. N. Dutt: If a person unknowingly commits an offence-he should be pardoned, it is said, after having made a proper enquiry.
मृदुना मार्दवं हन्ति मृदुना हन्ति दारुणम् नासाध्यं मृदुना किंचित्तस्मात्तीक्ष्णतरो मृदुः
M. N. Dutt: Strength might be vanquished by forgiveness, weakness might be vanquished by forgiveness; there is nothing which forgiveness cannot accomplish, therefore forgiveness is truly fiercer.
देशकालौ तु संप्रेक्ष्य बलाबलमथात्मनः नादेशकाले किंचित्स्याद्देशः कालः प्रतीक्ष्यते तथा लोकभयाच्चैव क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनः
M. N. Dutt: Considering his own strength or weakness one should act with reference to time or place; nothing is successful that is not taken in hand with reference to time or place; therefore wait for place or time; sometimes, offenders should be forgiven for fear of people.
Supplementary Passages:
3.29.31 After 31ab, S ins.: *100 अन्वीक्ष्य कारणं चैव कार्यं तेजः क्षमापि वा
एत एवंविधाः कालाः क्षमायाः परिकीर्तिताः अतोऽन्यथानुवर्तत्सु तेजसः काल उच्यते
M. N. Dutt: These have been described as the proper hours of forgiveness; and at other times besides these one should exhibit his prowess.
द्रौपद्युवाच तदहं तेजसः कालं तव मन्ये नराधिप धार्तराष्ट्रेषु लुब्धेषु सततं चापकारिषु
M. N. Dutt: I therefore consider, O king, this to be the time when you should display your might to the avaricious sons of Dhritarashtra who always injure others.
न हि कश्चित्क्षमाकालो विद्यतेऽद्य कुरून्प्रति तेजसश्चागते काले तेज उत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: This is not the time for showing forgiveness towards the Kurus; when the hour for showing might arrives, it behoves you to display it.
मृदुर्भवत्यवज्ञातस्तीक्ष्णादुद्विजते जनः काले प्राप्ते द्वयं ह्येतद्यो वेद स महीपतिः
M. N. Dutt: The humble and forgiving person is always neglected; while those that are powerful assail others; he is the king who takes recourse to both in proper time.