The Curse of Kindama

Verse 1 (1.123.1)

धृतराष्ट्राभ्यनुज्ञातः स्वबाहुविजितं धनम् । भीष्माय सत्यवत्यै च मात्रे चोपजहार सः ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭrābhyanujñātaḥ svabāhuvijitaṃ dhanam | bhīṣmāya satyavatyai ca mātre copajahāra saḥ

Vaishampayana said: With Dhritarashtra's leave, Pandu presented the wealth he had won by the strength of his own arms to Bhishma, to Satyavati and to his mother.

Verse 2 (1.123.2)

विदुराय च वै पाण्डुः प्रेषयामास तद्धनम् । सुहृदश्चापि धर्मात्मा धनेन समतर्पयत् ॥

vidurāya ca vai pāṇḍuḥ preṣayāmāsa taddhanam | suhṛdaścāpi dharmātmā dhanena samatarpayat

Pandu sent some of that wealth to Vidura as well, and the righteous prince gladdened his friends too with gifts of wealth.

Verse 3 (1.123.3)

ततः सत्यवतीं भीष्मं कौसल्यां च यशस्विनीम् । शुभैः पाण्डुर्जितैरर्थैस्तोषयामास भारत ॥

tataḥ satyavatīṃ bhīṣmaṃ kausalyāṃ ca yaśasvinīm | śubhaiḥ pāṇḍurjitairarthaistoṣayāmāsa bhārata

Then, O Bharata, Pandu pleased Satyavati, Bhishma and the illustrious Kausalya with the fine riches he had won.

Verse 4 (1.123.4)

ननन्द माता कौसल्या तमप्रतिमतेजसम् । जयन्तमिव पौलोमी परिष्वज्य नर्षभम् ॥

nananda mātā kausalyā tamapratimatejasam | jayantamiva paulomī pariṣvajya narṣabham

His mother Kausalya rejoiced as she embraced that bull among men of matchless splendour, as Paulomi embraced Jayanta.

Verse 5 (1.123.5)

तस्य वीरस्य विक्रान्तैः सहस्रशतदक्षिणैः । अश्वमेधशतैरीजे धृतराष्ट्रो महामखैः ॥

tasya vīrasya vikrāntaiḥ sahasraśatadakṣiṇaiḥ | aśvamedhaśatairīje dhṛtarāṣṭro mahāmakhaiḥ

Through that hero's valour Dhritarashtra performed a hundred great horse sacrifices, each with sacrificial fees of a hundred thousand.

Verse 6 (1.123.6)

संप्रयुक्तस्तु कुन्त्या च माद्र्या च भरतर्षभ । जिततन्द्रीस्तदा पाण्डुर्बभूव वनगोचरः ॥

saṃprayuktastu kuntyā ca mādryā ca bharatarṣabha | jitatandrīstadā pāṇḍurbabhūva vanagocaraḥ

Then, O bull of the Bharatas, Pandu, accompanied by Kunti and Madri and having overcome all sloth, took to the forest.

Verse 7 (1.123.7)

हित्वा प्रासादनिलयं शुभानि शयनानि च । अरण्यनित्यः सततं बभूव मृगयापरः ॥

hitvā prāsādanilayaṃ śubhāni śayanāni ca | araṇyanityaḥ satataṃ babhūva mṛgayāparaḥ

Leaving his palace home and its fine beds, he lived always in the forest and was ever given to the hunt.

Verse 8 (1.123.8)

स चरन्दक्षिणं पार्श्वं रम्यं हिमवतो गिरेः । उवास गिरिपृष्ठेषु महाशालवनेषु च ॥

sa carandakṣiṇaṃ pārśvaṃ ramyaṃ himavato gireḥ | uvāsa giripṛṣṭheṣu mahāśālavaneṣu ca

Roaming the lovely southern slope of the Himalaya mountain, he dwelt on its ridges and in forests of tall sal trees.

Note on the text: Corrected गिरः → गिरेः (misprint in Wikisource; the genitive of giri is needed, and the critical edition reads gireḥ).

Verse 9 (1.123.9)

रराज कुन्त्या माद्र्या च पाण्डुः सह वने चरन् । करेण्वोरिव मध्यस्थः श्रीमान्पौरन्दरो गजः ॥

rarāja kuntyā mādryā ca pāṇḍuḥ saha vane caran | kareṇvoriva madhyasthaḥ śrīmānpaurandaro gajaḥ

As he roamed the forest with Kunti and Madri, Pandu shone like a splendid elephant of Indra's between two she-elephants.

Verse 10 (1.123.10)

भारतं सह भार्याभ्यां खड्गबाणधनुर्धरम् । विचित्रकवचं वीरं परमास्त्रविदं नृपम् । देवोऽयमित्यमन्यन्त चरन्तं वनवासिनः ॥

bhārataṃ saha bhāryābhyāṃ khaḍgabāṇadhanurdharam | vicitrakavacaṃ vīraṃ paramāstravidaṃ nṛpam | devo'yamityamanyanta carantaṃ vanavāsinaḥ

The forest-dwellers saw the Bharata king with his two wives, bearing sword, arrows and bow, clad in bright armour, a hero who knew the highest weapons, and as he roamed among them they took him for a god.

Note on the text: Corrected खङ्ग → खड्ग (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads khaḍga).

Verse 11 (1.123.11)

तस्य कामांश्च भोगांश्च नरा नित्यमतन्द्रिताः । उपजह्रुर्वनान्तेषु धृतराष्ट्रेण चोदिताः ॥

tasya kāmāṃśca bhogāṃśca narā nityamatandritāḥ | upajahrurvanānteṣu dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa coditāḥ

At Dhritarashtra's bidding, men tirelessly brought him, deep in the forest, everything he wished for and everything to enjoy.

Verse 12 (1.123.12)

तदासाद्य महारण्यं मृगव्यालनिषेवितम् । तत्र मैथुनकालस्थं ददर्श मृगयूथपम् ॥

tadāsādya mahāraṇyaṃ mṛgavyālaniṣevitam | tatra maithunakālasthaṃ dadarśa mṛgayūthapam

Coming to a great forest haunted by deer and beasts of prey, he saw there the leader of a herd of deer in the act of mating.

Verse 13 (1.123.13)

ततस्तं च मृगीं चैव रुक्मपुङ्खैः सुपत्रिभिः । निर्बिभेद शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पाण्डुः पञ्चभिराशुगैः ॥

tatastaṃ ca mṛgīṃ caiva rukmapuṅkhaiḥ supatribhiḥ | nirbibheda śaraistīkṣṇaiḥ pāṇḍuḥ pañcabhirāśugaiḥ

Then Pandu pierced both him and the doe with five sharp, swift arrows, gold-nocked and finely feathered.

Verse 14 (1.123.14)

स च राजन्महातेजा ऋषिपुत्रस्तपोधनः । भार्यया सह तेजस्वी मृगरूपेण सङ्गतः ॥

sa ca rājanmahātejā ṛṣiputrastapodhanaḥ | bhāryayā saha tejasvī mṛgarūpeṇa saṅgataḥ

That stag, O king, was a sage's son of great energy, rich in austerity, a powerful being who was mating with his wife in the form of a deer.

Verse 15 (1.123.15)

स संयुक्तस्तया मृग्या मानुषीं वाचमीरयन् । क्षणेन पतितो भूमौ विललापातुरो मृगः ॥

sa saṃyuktastayā mṛgyā mānuṣīṃ vācamīrayan | kṣaṇena patito bhūmau vilalāpāturo mṛgaḥ

Still joined with the doe, the deer fell to the ground in an instant and, stricken, lamented in a human voice.

Verse 16 (1.123.16)

काममन्युवशं प्राप्ता बुद्ध्यन्तरगता अपि । वर्जयन्ति नृशंसानि पापेष्वपि रता नराः ॥

kāmamanyuvaśaṃ prāptā buddhyantaragatā api | varjayanti nṛśaṃsāni pāpeṣvapi ratā narāḥ

The Deer said: "Even men who are in the grip of lust and anger, even those whose reason has strayed, even those who delight in sin, shrink from cruel deeds.

Verse 17 (1.123.17)

न विधिं ग्रसते प्रज्ञा प्रज्ञां तु ग्रसते विधिः । विधिपर्यागतानर्थान्प्रज्ञावान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥

na vidhiṃ grasate prajñā prajñāṃ tu grasate vidhiḥ | vidhiparyāgatānarthānprajñāvānpratipadyate

"Wisdom does not swallow fate; it is fate that swallows wisdom. The wise man accepts whatever fate brings his way.

Verse 18 (1.123.18)

शश्वद्धर्मात्मनां मुख्ये कुले जातस्य भारत । कामलोभाभिभूतस्य कथं ते चलिता मतिः ॥

śaśvaddharmātmanāṃ mukhye kule jātasya bhārata | kāmalobhābhibhūtasya kathaṃ te calitā matiḥ

"You were born, O Bharata, into the foremost of families, whose men have always been righteous. How has your mind wavered, overcome by lust and greed?"

Note on the text: Corrected शस्वद् → शश्वद् (misprint in Wikisource; स for श, the critical edition reads śaśvad).

Verse 19 (1.123.19)

शत्रूणां या वधे वृत्तिः सा मृगाणां वधे स्मृता । राज्ञां मृग न मां मोहात्त्वं गर्हयितुमर्हसि ॥

śatrūṇāṃ yā vadhe vṛttiḥ sā mṛgāṇāṃ vadhe smṛtā | rājñāṃ mṛga na māṃ mohāttvaṃ garhayitumarhasi

Pandu said: "The conduct laid down for kings in killing their enemies is the same in killing deer. You should not, O deer, censure me out of folly.

Verse 20 (1.123.20)

अच्छद्मनाऽमायया च मृगाणां वध इष्यते । स एव धर्मो राज्ञां तु तद्धि त्वं किं नु गर्हसे ॥

acchadmanā'māyayā ca mṛgāṇāṃ vadha iṣyate | sa eva dharmo rājñāṃ tu taddhi tvaṃ kiṃ nu garhase

"The killing of deer is approved when it is done openly and without trickery. That is the very dharma of kings; why then do you censure it?

Verse 21 (1.123.21)

अगस्त्यः सत्रमासीनश्चकार मृगयामृषिः । आरण्यान्सर्वदैवत्यान्मृगान्प्रोक्ष्य महावने ॥

agastyaḥ satramāsīnaścakāra mṛgayāmṛṣiḥ | āraṇyānsarvadaivatyānmṛgānprokṣya mahāvane

"The sage Agastya, while seated at a sacrificial session, went hunting; he consecrated the wild deer of the great forest to all the gods.

Verse 22 (1.123.22)

प्रमाणदृष्टधर्मेण कथमस्मान्विगर्हसे । अगस्त्यस्याभिचारेण युष्माकं विहितो वधः ॥

pramāṇadṛṣṭadharmeṇa kathamasmānvigarhase | agastyasyābhicāreṇa yuṣmākaṃ vihito vadhaḥ

"When this dharma is attested by authority, why do you censure us? By Agastya's rite your slaying was ordained."

Verse 23 (1.123.23)

न रिपून्वै समुद्दिश्य विमुञ्चन्ति नराः शरान् । रन्ध्र एषां विशेषेण वधकालः प्रशस्यते ॥

na ripūnvai samuddiśya vimuñcanti narāḥ śarān | randhra eṣāṃ viśeṣeṇa vadhakālaḥ praśasyate

The Deer said: "Men do not loose their arrows at their foes when they catch them at a disadvantage; the time for slaying them that is especially praised is open battle."

Note on the text: Speaker set to the Deer, though Wikisource prints no speaker line here: the critical edition (1.109.16) gives this verse to the deer, the commentary on the Wikisource page reads it as an objection to the hunter, and Pandu's next verse, again asking "why do you censure me, O deer?", answers it.

Verse 24 (1.123.24)

प्रमत्तमप्रमत्तं वा विवृतं घ्नन्ति चौजसा । उपायैर्विविधैस्तीक्ष्णैः कस्मान्मृग विगर्हसे ॥

pramattamapramattaṃ vā vivṛtaṃ ghnanti caujasā | upāyairvividhaistīkṣṇaiḥ kasmānmṛga vigarhase

Pandu said: "Whether the deer are heedless or watchful, men kill them openly and by force, by many sharp means. Why then, O deer, do you censure me?"

Note on the text: Speaker set back to Pandu, though Wikisource prints no speaker line here: he answers the deer's objection, as in the critical edition (1.109.17).

Verse 25 (1.123.25)

नाहं घ्नन्तं मृगान्राजन्विगर्हे चात्मकारणात् । मैथुनं तु प्रतीक्ष्यं मे त्वयेहाद्यानृशंस्यतः ॥

nāhaṃ ghnantaṃ mṛgānrājanvigarhe cātmakāraṇāt | maithunaṃ tu pratīkṣyaṃ me tvayehādyānṛśaṃsyataḥ

The Deer said: "I do not reproach you, O king, for killing deer, nor on my own account. But you should, out of kindness, have waited for my mating to end.

Note on the text: Corrected घ्न्तं मृगन्राजन् → घ्नन्तं मृगान्राजन् (misprints in Wikisource: a dropped न in ghnantam and a short a in mṛgān; the critical edition reads ghnantaṃ mṛgān).

Verse 26 (1.123.26)

सर्वभूतहिते काले सर्वभूतेप्सिते तथा । को हि विद्वान्मृगं हन्याच्चरन्तं मैथुनं वने ॥

sarvabhūtahite kāle sarvabhūtepsite tathā | ko hi vidvānmṛgaṃ hanyāccarantaṃ maithunaṃ vane

"At a time that is good for all beings and longed for by all beings, what man of understanding would kill a deer while it mates in the forest?

Verse 27 (1.123.27)

अस्यां मृग्यां च राजेन्द्र हर्षान्मैथुनमाचरम् । पुरुषार्थफलं कर्तुं तत्त्वया विफलीकृतम् ॥

asyāṃ mṛgyāṃ ca rājendra harṣānmaithunamācaram | puruṣārthaphalaṃ kartuṃ tattvayā viphalīkṛtam

"In joy, O lord of kings, I was mating with this doe to bring to fruit the purpose of a man's life, and you have made it fruitless.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its apparatus, 1.109.19*1162; found in the vulgate recension); the second line is a variant of CE 1.109.19e.

Verse 28 (1.123.28)

पौरवाणां महाराज तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम् । वंशे जातस्य कौरव्य नानुरूपमिदं तव ॥

pauravāṇāṃ mahārāja teṣāmakliṣṭakarmaṇām | vaṃśe jātasya kauravya nānurūpamidaṃ tava

"Great king, born as you are in the line of the Pauravas, whose deeds are untainted, this is unworthy of you, O Kauravya.

Verse 29 (1.123.29)

नृशंसं कर्म सुमहत्सर्वलोकविगर्हितम् । अस्वर्ग्यमयशस्यं चाप्यधर्मिष्ठं च भारत ॥

nṛśaṃsaṃ karma sumahatsarvalokavigarhitam | asvargyamayaśasyaṃ cāpyadharmiṣṭhaṃ ca bhārata

"It is a deed of great cruelty, condemned by all the world, one that shuts out heaven, brings disgrace and is utterly unrighteous, O Bharata.

Verse 30 (1.123.30)

स्त्रीभोगानां विशेषज्ञः शास्त्रधर्मार्थतत्त्ववित् । नार्हस्त्वं सुरसङ्काश कर्तुमस्वर्ग्यमीदृशम् ॥

strībhogānāṃ viśeṣajñaḥ śāstradharmārthatattvavit | nārhastvaṃ surasaṅkāśa kartumasvargyamīdṛśam

"You know well the ways of pleasure with women, and the truth of scripture, dharma and wealth; you, who are like a god, ought not to do such a thing that bars the way to heaven.

Verse 31 (1.123.31)

त्वया नृशंसकर्तारः पापाचाराश्च मानवाः । निग्राह्याः पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ त्रिवर्गपरिवर्जिताः ॥

tvayā nṛśaṃsakartāraḥ pāpācārāśca mānavāḥ | nigrāhyāḥ pārthivaśreṣṭha trivargaparivarjitāḥ

"It is for you, best of kings, to restrain men who do cruel deeds, who live in sin and have cast off the three aims of life.

Verse 32 (1.123.32)

किं कृतं ते नरश्रेष्ठ मामिहानागसं घ्नतः । मुनिं मूलफलाहारं मृगवेषधरं नृप ॥

kiṃ kṛtaṃ te naraśreṣṭha māmihānāgasaṃ ghnataḥ | muniṃ mūlaphalāhāraṃ mṛgaveṣadharaṃ nṛpa

"What have you gained, best of men, by killing me here, O king, guiltless as I am, a sage who lives on roots and fruits and has taken the guise of a deer,

Note on the text: Wikisource vv. 32–34 divide the two three-line verses CE 1.109.24–25 into three verses of two lines; this verse = CE 24ac.

Verse 33 (1.123.33)

वसमानमरण्येषु नित्यं शमपरायणम् । त्वयाऽहं हिंसितो यस्मात्तस्मात्त्वामप्यनागसः ॥

vasamānamaraṇyeṣu nityaṃ śamaparāyaṇam | tvayā'haṃ hiṃsito yasmāttasmāttvāmapyanāgasaḥ

"who dwell always in the forests, devoted to calm? Because you have struck me down, blameless as I am, you too in turn,

Note on the text: = CE 1.109.24e and 25a (Wikisource reads anāgasaḥ where the critical edition has asaṃśayam).

Verse 34 (1.123.34)

द्वयोर्नृशंसकर्तारमवशं काममोहितम् । जीवितान्तकरो भावो मैथुने समुपैष्यति ॥

dvayornṛśaṃsakartāramavaśaṃ kāmamohitam | jīvitāntakaro bhāvo maithune samupaiṣyati

"you who have done cruelty to a mating pair, helpless and deluded by desire, will meet the state that ends your life in the act of union.

Note on the text: = CE 1.109.25ce (second line a variant).

Verse 35 (1.123.35)

अहं हि किंदमो नाम तपसा भावितो मुनिः । व्यपत्रपन्मनुष्याणां मृग्यां मैथुनमाचरम् ॥

ahaṃ hi kiṃdamo nāma tapasā bhāvito muniḥ | vyapatrapanmanuṣyāṇāṃ mṛgyāṃ maithunamācaram

"For I am the sage named Kindama, made pure by austerity. Out of modesty before men, I was mating with the doe.

Verse 36 (1.123.36)

मृगो भूत्वा मृगैः सार्धं चरामि गहने वने । न तु ते ब्रह्महत्येयं भविष्यत्यविजानतः ॥

mṛgo bhūtvā mṛgaiḥ sārdhaṃ carāmi gahane vane | na tu te brahmahatyeyaṃ bhaviṣyatyavijānataḥ

"Having become a deer, I roam with the deer in the deep forest. Yet the sin of killing a brahmin will not be yours, since you did not know it

Note on the text: Corrected भत्वा → भूत्वा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign, the critical edition reads bhūtvā). Wikisource vv. 36–38 divide the three-line verses CE 1.109.27–28 into three verses of two lines; this verse = CE 27ac.

Verse 37 (1.123.37)

मृगरूपधरं हत्वा मामेवं काममोहितम् । अस्य तु त्वं फलं मूढ प्राप्स्यसीदृशमेव हि ॥

mṛgarūpadharaṃ hatvā māmevaṃ kāmamohitam | asya tu tvaṃ phalaṃ mūḍha prāpsyasīdṛśameva hi

"when you killed me in a deer's form, overcome as I was by desire. But for this, fool, you will reap a fruit of the very same kind:

Note on the text: = CE 1.109.27e and 28a.

Verse 38 (1.123.38)

प्रियया सह संवासं प्राप्य कामविमोहितः । त्वमप्यस्यामवस्थायां प्रेतलोकं गमिष्यसि ॥

priyayā saha saṃvāsaṃ prāpya kāmavimohitaḥ | tvamapyasyāmavasthāyāṃ pretalokaṃ gamiṣyasi

"when, overcome by desire, you come together with your beloved, you too, in that very state, will go to the world of the dead.

Note on the text: = CE 1.109.28ce.

Verse 39 (1.123.39)

अन्तकाले हि संवासं यया गन्तासि कान्तया । प्रेतराजपुरं प्राप्तं सर्वभूतदुरत्ययम् । भक्त्या मतिमतां श्रेष्ठ सैव त्वाऽनुगमिष्यति ॥

antakāle hi saṃvāsaṃ yayā gantāsi kāntayā | pretarājapuraṃ prāptaṃ sarvabhūtaduratyayam | bhaktyā matimatāṃ śreṣṭha saiva tvā'nugamiṣyati

"And the beloved with whom you lie at your last hour, when you have reached the city of the king of the dead, which no being can escape, will follow you there out of devotion, O best of the wise.

Verse 40 (1.123.40)

वर्तमानः सुखे दुःखं यथाऽहं प्रापितस्त्वया । तथा त्वां च सुखं प्राप्तं दुःखमभ्यागमिष्यति ॥

vartamānaḥ sukhe duḥkhaṃ yathā'haṃ prāpitastvayā | tathā tvāṃ ca sukhaṃ prāptaṃ duḥkhamabhyāgamiṣyati

"As you have brought sorrow upon me in the midst of my happiness, so sorrow will come upon you when you have found happiness."

Verse 41 (1.123.41)

एवमुक्त्वा सुदुःखार्तो जीवितात्स व्यमुच्यत । मृगः पाण्डुश्च दुःखार्तः क्षणेन समपद्यत ॥

evamuktvā suduḥkhārto jīvitātsa vyamucyata | mṛgaḥ pāṇḍuśca duḥkhārtaḥ kṣaṇena samapadyata

Vaishampayana said: Having spoken thus, the deer, in deep anguish, gave up his life; and Pandu in that instant was overwhelmed with grief.