Adi Parwa 11

Mahabharata 1.11

 

Adi Parwa 11

 

  1 [दु]
     सखा बभूव मे पूर्वं खगमॊ नाम वै दविजः
     भृशं संशितवाक तात तपॊबलसमन्वितः
 2 स मया करीडता बाल्ये कृत्वा तार्णम अथॊरगम
     अग्निहॊत्रे परसक्तः सन भीषितः परमुमॊह वै
 3 लब्ध्वा च स पुनः संज्ञां माम उवाच तपॊधनः
     निर्दहन्न इव कॊपेन सत्यवाक संशितव्रतः
 4 यथा वीर्यस तवया सर्पः कृतॊ ऽयं मद विभीषया
     तथा वीर्यॊ भुजंगस तवं मम कॊपाद भविष्यसि
 5 तस्याहं तपसॊ वीर्यं जानमानस तपॊधन
     भृशम उद्विग्नहृदयस तम अवॊचं वनौकसम
 6 परयतः संभ्रमाच चैव पराञ्जलिः परणतः सथितः
     सखेति हसतेदं ते नर्मार्थं वै कृतं मया
 7 कषन्तुम अर्हसि मे बरह्मञ शापॊ ऽयं विनिवर्त्यताम
     सॊ ऽथ माम अब्रवीद दृष्ट्वा भृशम उद्विग्नचेतसम
 8 मुहुर उष्णं विनिःश्वस्य सुसंभ्रान्तस तपॊधनः
     नानृतं वै मया परॊक्तं भवितेदं कथं चन
 9 यत तु वक्ष्यामि ते वाक्यं शृणु तन मे धृतव्रत
     शरुत्वा च हृदि ते वाक्यम इदम अस्तु तपॊधन
 10 उत्पत्स्यति रुरुर नाम परमतेर आत्मजः शुचिः
    तं दृष्ट्वा शापमॊक्षस ते भविता नचिराद इव
 11 स तवं रुरुर इति खयातः परमतेर आत्मजः शुचिः
    सवरूपं परतिलभ्याहम अद्य वक्ष्यामि ते हितम
 12 अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः सर्वप्राणभृतां समृतः
    तस्मात पराणभृतः सर्वान न हिंस्याद बराह्मणः कव चित
 13 बराह्मणः सौम्य एवेह जायतेति परा शरुतिः
    वेदवेदाङ्गवित तात सर्वभूताभय परदः
 14 अहिंसा सत्यवचनं कषमा चेति विनिश्चितम
    बराह्मणस्य परॊ धर्मॊ वेदानां धरणाद अपि
 15 कषत्रियस्य तु यॊ धर्मः स नेहेष्यति वै तव
    दण्डधारणम उग्रत्वं परजानां परिपालनम
 16 तद इदं कषत्रियस्यासीत कर्म वै शृणु मे रुरॊ
    जनमेजयस्य धर्मात्मन सर्पाणां हिंसनं पुरा
 17 परित्राणं च भीतानां सर्पाणां बराह्मणाद अपि
    तपॊ वीर्यबलॊपेताद वेदवेदाङ्गपारगात
    आस्तीकाद दविजमुख्याद वै सर्पसत्त्रे दविजॊत्तम

 

 1 [du]
     sakhā babhūva me pūrvaṃ khagamo nāma vai dvijaḥ
     bhṛśaṃ saṃśitavāk tāta tapobalasamanvitaḥ
 2 sa mayā krīḍatā bālye kṛtvā tārṇam athoragam
     agnihotre prasaktaḥ san bhīṣitaḥ pramumoha vai
 3 labdhvā ca sa punaḥ saṃjñāṃ mām uvāca tapodhanaḥ
     nirdahann iva kopena satyavāk saṃśitavrataḥ
 4 yathā vīryas tvayā sarpaḥ kṛto 'yaṃ mad vibhīṣayā
     tathā vīryo bhujaṃgas tvaṃ mama kopād bhaviṣyasi
 5 tasyāhaṃ tapaso vīryaṃ jānamānas tapodhana
     bhṛśam udvignahṛdayas tam avocaṃ vanaukasam
 6 prayataḥ saṃbhramāc caiva prāñjaliḥ praṇataḥ sthitaḥ
     sakheti hasatedaṃ te narmārthaṃ vai kṛtaṃ mayā
 7 kṣantum arhasi me brahmañ śāpo 'yaṃ vinivartyatām
     so 'tha mām abravīd dṛṣṭvā bhṛśam udvignacetasam
 8 muhur uṣṇaṃ viniḥśvasya susaṃbhrāntas tapodhanaḥ
     nānṛtaṃ vai mayā proktaṃ bhavitedaṃ kathaṃ cana
 9 yat tu vakṣyāmi te vākyaṃ śṛṇu tan me dhṛtavrata
     śrutvā ca hṛdi te vākyam idam astu tapodhana
 10 utpatsyati rurur nāma pramater ātmajaḥ śuciḥ
    taṃ dṛṣṭvā śāpamokṣas te bhavitā nacirād iva
 11 sa tvaṃ rurur iti khyātaḥ pramater ātmajaḥ śuciḥ
    svarūpaṃ pratilabhyāham adya vakṣyāmi te hitam
 12 ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ smṛtaḥ
    tasmāt prāṇabhṛtaḥ sarvān na hiṃsyād brāhmaṇaḥ kva cit
 13 brāhmaṇaḥ saumya eveha jāyateti parā śrutiḥ
    vedavedāṅgavit tāta sarvabhūtābhaya pradaḥ
 14 ahiṃsā satyavacanaṃ kṣamā ceti viniścitam
    brāhmaṇasya paro dharmo vedānāṃ dharaṇād api
 15 kṣatriyasya tu yo dharmaḥ sa neheṣyati vai tava
    daṇḍadhāraṇam ugratvaṃ prajānāṃ paripālanam
 16 tad idaṃ kṣatriyasyāsīt karma vai śṛṇu me ruro
    janamejayasya dharmātman sarpāṇāṃ hiṃsanaṃ purā
 17 paritrāṇaṃ ca bhītānāṃ sarpāṇāṃ brāhmaṇād api
    tapo vīryabalopetād vedavedāṅgapāragāt
    āstīkād dvijamukhyād vai sarpasattre dvijottama

 

Sauti continued 'The Dundubha then said, 'In former times, I had a friend Khagama by name. He was impetuous in his speech and possessed of spiritual power by virtue of his austerities. And one day when he was engaged in the Agni-hotra (Fire-sacrifice), I made a mock snake of blades of grass, and in a frolic attempted to frighten him with it. And anon he fell into a swoon. On recovering his senses, that truth-telling and vow-observing ascetic, burning with wrath, exclaimed, 'Since thou hast made a powerless mock snake to frighten me, thou shalt be turned even into a venomless serpent thyself by my curse.' O ascetic, I well knew the power of his penances; therefore with an agitated heart, I addressed him thus, bending low with joined hands, 'Friend, I did this by way of a joke, to excite thy laughter. It behoveth thee to forgive me and revoke thy curse.' And seeing me sorely troubled, the ascetic was moved, and he replied, breathing hot and hard. 'What I have said must come to pass. Listen to what I say and lay it to thy heart. O pious one! when Ruru the pure son of Pramati, will appear, thou shall be delivered from the curse the moment thou seest him. Thou art the very Ruru and the son of Pramati. On regaining my native form, I will tell thee something for thy good.

 

"And that illustrious man and the best of Brahmanas then left his snake-body, and attained his own form and original brightness. He then addressed the following words to Ruru of incomparable power, 'O thou first of created beings, verily the highest virtue of man is sparing the life of others. Therefore a Brahmana should never take the life of any creature. A Brahmana should ever be mild. This is the most sacred injunction of the Vedas. A Brahmana should be versed in the Vedas and Vedangas, and should inspire all creatures with belief in God. He should be benevolent to all creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is his paramount duty to retain the Vedas in his memory. The duties of the Kshatriya are not thine. To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule the subjects properly are the duties of the Kshatriya. Listen, O Ruru, to the account of the destruction of snakes at the sacrifice of Janamejaya in days of yore, and the deliverance of the terrified reptiles by that best of Dwijas, Astika, profound in Vedic lore and might in spiritual energy.'"