Mandapala and the Sharngaka Birds

Verse 1 (1.255.1)

किमर्थं शार्ङ्गकानग्निर्न ददाह तथा गते । तस्मिन्वने दह्यमाने ब्रह्मन्नेतत्प्रचक्ष्व मे ॥

kimarthaṃ śārṅgakānagnirna dadāha tathā gate | tasminvane dahyamāne brahmannetatpracakṣva me

"Why did the fire not burn the Sharngakas when things had come to such a pass, while that forest was burning? Tell me this, O brahmin.

Verse 2 (1.255.2)

अदाहे ह्यश्वसेनस्य दानवस्य मयस्य च । कारणं कीर्तितं ब्रह्मञ्शार्ङ्गकाणां न कीर्तितम् ॥

adāhe hyaśvasenasya dānavasya mayasya ca | kāraṇaṃ kīrtitaṃ brahmañśārṅgakāṇāṃ na kīrtitam

You have told the reason why Ashvasena and the Danava Maya were not burned, O brahmin, but you have not told that of the Sharngakas.

Verse 3 (1.255.3)

तदेतदद्भुतं ब्रह्मञ्शार्ङ्गकाणामनामयम् । कीर्तयस्वाग्निसंमर्दे कथं ते न विनाशिताः ॥

tadetadadbhutaṃ brahmañśārṅgakāṇāmanāmayam | kīrtayasvāgnisaṃmarde kathaṃ te na vināśitāḥ

This escape of the Sharngakas unharmed is a wonder, O brahmin. Tell me how they were not destroyed in that onslaught of fire."

Verse 4 (1.255.4)

यदर्थं शार्ङ्गकानग्निर्न ददाह तथा गते । तत्ते सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा भूतमरिन्दम ॥

yadarthaṃ śārṅgakānagnirna dadāha tathā gate | tatte sarvaṃ pravakṣyāmi yathā bhūtamarindama

"Why the fire did not burn the Sharngakas when things had come to such a pass, I will tell you in full, just as it happened, O subduer of foes.

Note on the text: Aligned by hand with 1.220.4 of the critical edition; its second line reads differently there.

Verse 5 (1.255.5)

धर्मज्ञानां मुख्यतमस्तपस्वी संशितव्रतः । आसीन्महर्षिः श्रुतवान्मन्दपाल इति श्रुतः ॥

dharmajñānāṃ mukhyatamastapasvī saṃśitavrataḥ | āsīnmaharṣiḥ śrutavānmandapāla iti śrutaḥ

There was a great seer named Mandapala, foremost among those who know dharma, an ascetic of strict vows, learned and renowned.

Verse 6 (1.255.6)

स मार्गमाश्रितो राजन्नृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । स्वाध्यायवान्धर्मरतस्तपस्वी विजितेन्द्रियः ॥

sa mārgamāśrito rājannṛṣīṇāmūrdhvaretasām | svādhyāyavāndharmaratastapasvī vijitendriyaḥ

He followed, O king, the path of the seers who hold their seed in check; he was devoted to Vedic study and to dharma, an ascetic who had mastered his senses.

Verse 7 (1.255.7)

स गत्वा तपसः पारं देहमुत्सृज्य भारत । जगाम पितृलोकाय न लेभे तत्र तत्फलम् ॥

sa gatvā tapasaḥ pāraṃ dehamutsṛjya bhārata | jagāma pitṛlokāya na lebhe tatra tatphalam

Having reached the far shore of austerity, he gave up his body, O Bharata, and went to the world of the ancestors; but there he did not obtain its fruit.

Verse 8 (1.255.8)

स लोकानफलान्दृष्ट्वा तपसा निर्जितानपि । पप्रच्छ धर्मराजस्य समीपस्थान्दिवौकसः ॥

sa lokānaphalāndṛṣṭvā tapasā nirjitānapi | papraccha dharmarājasya samīpasthāndivaukasaḥ

Seeing that those worlds, though won by his austerity, yielded no fruit, he asked the gods who sat near Dharmaraja:

Verse 9 (1.255.9)

किमर्थमावृता लोका ममैते तपसाऽर्जिताः । किं मया न कृतं तत्र यस्यैतत्कर्मणः फलम् ॥

kimarthamāvṛtā lokā mamaite tapasā'rjitāḥ | kiṃ mayā na kṛtaṃ tatra yasyaitatkarmaṇaḥ phalam

"Why are these worlds of mine, won by austerity, closed to me? What did I leave undone there, that this is the fruit of my deeds?

Verse 10 (1.255.10)

तत्राहं तत्करिष्यामि यदर्थमिदमावृतम् । फलमेतस्य तपसः कथयध्वं दिवौकसः ॥

tatrāhaṃ tatkariṣyāmi yadarthamidamāvṛtam | phalametasya tapasaḥ kathayadhvaṃ divaukasaḥ

I will go there and do whatever it is for want of which this has been closed. Tell me, O dwellers of heaven, what this austerity has earned."

Verse 11 (1.255.11)

ऋणिनो मानवा ब्रह्मञ्जायन्ते येन तच्छृणु । क्रियाभिर्ब्रह्मचर्येण प्रजया च न संशयः ॥

ṛṇino mānavā brahmañjāyante yena tacchṛṇu | kriyābhirbrahmacaryeṇa prajayā ca na saṃśayaḥ

"Hear, O brahmin, how men are born as debtors: debtors to rites, to celibate study and to offspring; there is no doubt of it.

Verse 12 (1.255.12)

तदपाक्रियते सर्वं यज्ञेन तपसा सुतैः । तपस्वी यज्ञकृच्चासि न च ते विद्यते प्रजा ॥

tadapākriyate sarvaṃ yajñena tapasā sutaiḥ | tapasvī yajñakṛccāsi na ca te vidyate prajā

All these debts are discharged by sacrifice, by austerity and by sons. You are an ascetic and you perform sacrifices, but you have no offspring.

Verse 13 (1.255.13)

त इमे प्रसवस्यार्थे तव लोकाः समावृताः । प्रजायस्व ततो लोकानुपभोक्ष्यसि पुष्कलान् ॥

ta ime prasavasyārthe tava lokāḥ samāvṛtāḥ | prajāyasva tato lokānupabhokṣyasi puṣkalān

It is for want of offspring that these worlds of yours are closed. Beget children; then you will enjoy abundant worlds.

Verse 14 (1.255.14)

पुन्नाम्नो नरकात्पुत्रस्त्रायते पितरं श्रुतिः । तस्मादपत्यसन्ताने यतस्व ब्रह्मसत्तम ॥

punnāmno narakātputrastrāyate pitaraṃ śrutiḥ | tasmādapatyasantāne yatasva brahmasattama

The Veda declares that a son saves his father from the hell called Put. Therefore strive to continue your line, O best of brahmins."

Verse 15 (1.255.15)

तच्छ्रुत्वा मन्दपालस्तु वचस्तेषां दिवौकसाम् । क्व नु शीघ्रमपत्यं स्याद्बहुलं चेत्यचिन्तयत् ॥

tacchrutvā mandapālastu vacasteṣāṃ divaukasām | kva nu śīghramapatyaṃ syādbahulaṃ cetyacintayat

Hearing those words of the dwellers of heaven, Mandapala thought: "Where might I quickly get offspring, and many of them?"

Verse 16 (1.255.16)

स चिन्तयन्नभ्यगच्छत्सुबहुप्रसवान्खगान् । शार्ङ्गिकां शार्ङ्गको भूत्वा जरितां समुपेयिवान् ॥

sa cintayannabhyagacchatsubahuprasavānkhagān | śārṅgikāṃ śārṅgako bhūtvā jaritāṃ samupeyivān

Thinking this over, he went to the birds, which bear very many young; becoming a Sharngaka bird himself, he united with Jarita, a female Sharngaka.

Verse 17 (1.255.17)

तस्यां पुत्रानजनयच्चतुरो ब्रह्मवादिनः । तानपास्य स तत्रैव जगाम लपितां प्रति ॥

tasyāṃ putrānajanayaccaturo brahmavādinaḥ | tānapāsya sa tatraiva jagāma lapitāṃ prati

On her he begot four sons, expounders of the Veda. Abandoning them right there, he went off to Lapita,

Note on the text: = 1.220.17abcd of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 18 (1.255.18)

बालान्स तानण्डगतान्सह मात्रा मुनिर्वने । तस्मिन्गते महाभागे लपितां प्रति भारत ॥

bālānsa tānaṇḍagatānsaha mātrā munirvane | tasmingate mahābhāge lapitāṃ prati bhārata

the sage leaving those young ones, still in their eggs, in the forest with their mother. When that illustrious one had gone off to Lapita, O Bharata,

Note on the text: = 1.220.17ef + 1.220.18ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 19 (1.255.19)

अपत्यस्नेहसंयुक्ता जरिता बह्वचिन्तयत् । तेन त्यक्तानसंत्याज्यानृषीनण्डगतान्वने ॥

apatyasnehasaṃyuktā jaritā bahvacintayat | tena tyaktānasaṃtyājyānṛṣīnaṇḍagatānvane

Jarita, full of love for her offspring, was sorely anxious. Those seers in their eggs, abandoned by him in the forest though they should never have been abandoned,

Note on the text: = 1.220.18cd + 1.220.19ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 20 (1.255.20)

न जहौ पुत्रशोकार्ता जरिता खाण्डवे सुतान् । बभार चैतान्संजातान्स्ववृत्त्या स्नेहविक्लवा ॥

na jahau putraśokārtā jaritā khāṇḍave sutān | babhāra caitānsaṃjātānsvavṛttyā snehaviklavā

Jarita, pained with grief for her sons, did not forsake in Khandava; when they hatched she reared them by her own foraging, overcome with tenderness.

Note on the text: = 1.220.19cdef of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 21 (1.255.21)

ततोऽग्निं खाण्डवं दग्धुमायान्तं दृष्टवानृषिः । मन्दपालश्चरंस्तस्मिन्वने लपितया सह ॥

tato'gniṃ khāṇḍavaṃ dagdhumāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭavānṛṣiḥ | mandapālaścaraṃstasminvane lapitayā saha

Then the seer Mandapala, roaming that forest with Lapita, saw Agni coming to burn Khandava.

Verse 22 (1.255.22)

तं संकल्पं विदित्वाग्नेर्ज्ञात्वा पुत्रांश्च बालकान् । सोऽभितुष्टाव विप्रर्षिर्ब्राह्मणो जातवेदसम् ॥

taṃ saṃkalpaṃ viditvāgnerjñātvā putrāṃśca bālakān | so'bhituṣṭāva viprarṣirbrāhmaṇo jātavedasam

Knowing Agni's resolve, and knowing that his sons were still small, the brahmin sage praised Jatavedas,

Note on the text: Corrected विप्रर्षिब्रार्ह्मणो → विप्रर्षिर्ब्राह्मणो (misprint in Wikisource; the repha of विप्रर्षिः is misplaced onto ब्रा, as in the critical edition's viprarṣir brāhmaṇo). = 1.220.21abcd of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 23 (1.255.23)

पुत्रान्प्रतिवदन्भीतो लोकपालं महौजसम् ॥

putrānprativadanbhīto lokapālaṃ mahaujasam

fearfully pleading for his sons with that mighty guardian of the world.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the speaker line "मन्दपाल उवाच" in the middle of verse 23; split at the change of speaker (both halves keep Wikisource number 23). = 1.220.21ef of the critical edition (aligned by hand; it reads paridadad for प्रतिवदन्).

Verse 24 (1.255.24)

त्वमग्ने सर्वलोकानां मुखं त्वमसि हव्यवाट् ॥

tvamagne sarvalokānāṃ mukhaṃ tvamasi havyavāṭ

"O Agni, you are the mouth of all the worlds; you are the bearer of oblations.

Note on the text: Second half of Wikisource verse 23, after the speaker line "मन्दपाल उवाच". = 1.220.22ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand; it reads sarvadevānāṃ).

Verse 25 (1.255.25)

त्वमन्तः सर्वभूतानां गूढश्चरसि पावक । त्वामेकमाहुः कवयस्त्वामाहुस्त्रिविधं पुनः ॥

tvamantaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ gūḍhaścarasi pāvaka | tvāmekamāhuḥ kavayastvāmāhustrividhaṃ punaḥ

You move hidden within all beings, O purifier. The poets call you one, and again they call you threefold.

Note on the text: = 1.220.22cd + 1.220.23ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 26 (1.255.26)

त्वामष्टधा कल्पयित्वा यज्ञवाहमकल्पयन् । त्वया विश्वमिदं सृष्टं वदन्ति परमर्षयः ॥

tvāmaṣṭadhā kalpayitvā yajñavāhamakalpayan | tvayā viśvamidaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ vadanti paramarṣayaḥ

Dividing you eightfold, they made you the bearer of the sacrifice. The supreme seers say that this universe was created by you.

Note on the text: = 1.220.23cd + 1.220.24ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 27 (1.255.27)

त्वदृते हि जगत्कृत्स्नं सद्यो नश्येद्धुताशन । तुभ्यं कृत्वा नमो विप्राः स्वकर्मविजितां गतिम् ॥

tvadṛte hi jagatkṛtsnaṃ sadyo naśyeddhutāśana | tubhyaṃ kṛtvā namo viprāḥ svakarmavijitāṃ gatim

Without you, O eater of oblations, the whole world would perish at once. Bowing to you, brahmins reach the eternal state won by their own deeds,

Note on the text: = 1.220.24cd + 1.220.25ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 28 (1.255.28)

गच्छन्ति सह पत्नीभिः सुतैरपि च शाश्वतीम् । त्वामग्ने जलदानाहुः खेविषक्तान्सविद्युतः ॥

gacchanti saha patnībhiḥ sutairapi ca śāśvatīm | tvāmagne jaladānāhuḥ kheviṣaktānsavidyutaḥ

together with their wives and their sons. O Agni, they call you the clouds that hang in the sky with their lightning.

Note on the text: = 1.220.25cd + 1.220.26ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 29 (1.255.29)

दहन्ति सर्वभूतानि त्वत्तो निष्क्रम्य हेतयः । जातवेदस्त्वयैवेदं विश्वं सृष्टं महाद्युते ॥

dahanti sarvabhūtāni tvatto niṣkramya hetayaḥ | jātavedastvayaivedaṃ viśvaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ mahādyute

Your flames, issuing from you, burn all beings. O Jatavedas, O radiant one, by you alone this universe was created.

Note on the text: = 1.220.26cd + 1.220.27ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 30 (1.255.30)

तवैव कर्मविहितं भूतं सर्वं चराचरम् । त्वयापो विहिताः पूर्वं त्वयि सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥

tavaiva karmavihitaṃ bhūtaṃ sarvaṃ carācaram | tvayāpo vihitāḥ pūrvaṃ tvayi sarvamidaṃ jagat

All that exists, moving and unmoving, is ordained by your work alone. By you the waters were made in the beginning; in you rests this whole world.

Note on the text: = 1.220.27cd + 1.220.28ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 31 (1.255.31)

त्वयि हव्यं च कव्यं च यथावत्संप्रतिष्ठितम् । त्वमेव दहनो देव त्वं धाता त्वं बृहस्पतिः ॥

tvayi havyaṃ ca kavyaṃ ca yathāvatsaṃpratiṣṭhitam | tvameva dahano deva tvaṃ dhātā tvaṃ bṛhaspatiḥ

In you the offerings to the gods and to the ancestors are duly established. You alone are the burner, O god; you are Dhatri, you are Brihaspati;

Note on the text: = 1.220.28cd + 1.220.29ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 32 (1.255.32)

त्वमश्विनौ यमौ मित्रः सोमस्त्वमसि चानिलः ॥

tvamaśvinau yamau mitraḥ somastvamasi cānilaḥ

you are the twin Ashvins, you are Mitra, Soma and the Wind."

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the speaker line "वैशंपायन उवाच" in the middle of verse 31; split at the change of speaker (both halves keep Wikisource number 31). = 1.220.29cd of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 33 (1.255.33)

एवं स्तुतस्तदा तेन मन्दपालेन पावकः ॥

evaṃ stutastadā tena mandapālena pāvakaḥ

Thus praised then by Mandapala, the fire

Note on the text: Second half of Wikisource verse 31, after the speaker line "वैशंपायन उवाच". = 1.220.30ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 34 (1.255.34)

तुतोष तस्य नृपते मुनेरमिततेजसः । उवाच चैनं प्रीतात्मा किमिष्टं करवाणि ते ॥

tutoṣa tasya nṛpate muneramitatejasaḥ | uvāca cainaṃ prītātmā kimiṣṭaṃ karavāṇi te

was pleased with that sage of boundless energy, O king, and with a glad heart said to him, "What wish of yours shall I fulfil?"

Note on the text: = 1.220.30cdef of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 35 (1.255.35)

तमब्रवीन्मन्दपालः प्राञ्जलिर्हव्यवाहनम् । प्रदहन्खाण्डवं दावं मम पुत्रान्विसर्जय ॥

tamabravīnmandapālaḥ prāñjalirhavyavāhanam | pradahankhāṇḍavaṃ dāvaṃ mama putrānvisarjaya

Mandapala, with joined palms, said to the bearer of oblations: "When you burn the Khandava forest, spare my sons."

Verse 36 (1.255.36)

तथेति तत्प्रतिश्रुत्य भगवान्हव्यवाहनः । खाण्डवे तेन कालेन प्रजज्वाल दिधक्षया ॥

tatheti tatpratiśrutya bhagavānhavyavāhanaḥ | khāṇḍave tena kālena prajajvāla didhakṣayā

The blessed bearer of oblations promised, "So be it," and in due time blazed up in Khandava, eager to burn it.

Note on the text: Corrected काले न → कालेन (wrong word-break in Wikisource that adds a negation contrary to the sense; the critical edition reads tena kālena prajajvāla) and दिदक्षया → दिधक्षया (misprint in Wikisource; द for ध in the desiderative of दह्, "wishing to burn", as in the critical edition).