Parikshit and the Silent Sage

Verse 1 (1.40.1)

जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो यस्त्वया सूतनन्दन । इच्छामि तदहं श्रोतुं ऋषेस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥

jaratkāruriti khyāto yastvayā sūtanandana | icchāmi tadahaṃ śrotuṃ ṛṣestasya mahātmanaḥ

Son of the Suta, I wish to hear about that great-souled seer whom you have called Jaratkaru.

Verse 2 (1.40.2)

किं कारणं जरत्कारोर्नामैतत्प्रथितं भुवि । जरत्कारुनिरुक्तिं त्वं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि ॥

kiṃ kāraṇaṃ jaratkārornāmaitatprathitaṃ bhuvi | jaratkāruniruktiṃ tvaṃ yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Why is the name Jaratkaru so well known on earth? Please explain properly what the name Jaratkaru means.

Verse 3 (1.40.3)

जरेति क्षयमाहुर्वै दारुणं कारुसंज्ञितम् । शरीरं कारु तस्यासीत्तत्स धीमाञ्शनैःशनैः ॥

jareti kṣayamāhurvai dāruṇaṃ kārusaṃjñitam | śarīraṃ kāru tasyāsīttatsa dhīmāñśanaiḥśanaiḥ

"Jara," they say, means wasting away, and "karu" signifies something formidable. His body was formidable, and little by little the wise man

Verse 4 (1.40.4)

क्षपयामास तीव्रेण तपसेत्यत उच्यते । जरत्कारुरिति ब्रह्मन्वासुकेर्भगिनी तथा ॥

kṣapayāmāsa tīvreṇa tapasetyata ucyate | jaratkāruriti brahmanvāsukerbhaginī tathā

wore it away with fierce austerity; that is why he is called Jaratkaru, O brahmin. And the same holds for Vasuki's sister.

Verse 5 (1.40.5)

एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा शौनकः प्राहसत्तदा । उग्रश्रवसमामन्त्र्य उपपन्नमिति ब्रुवन् ॥

evamuktastu dharmātmā śaunakaḥ prāhasattadā | ugraśravasamāmantrya upapannamiti bruvan

At these words the righteous Shaunaka laughed, and addressing Ugrashravas he said, "That makes sense."

Verse 6 (1.40.6)

उक्तं नाम यथा पूर्वं सर्वं तच्छ्रुतवानहम् । यथा तु जातो ह्यास्तीक एतदिच्छामि वेदितुम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य सौतिः प्रोवाच शास्त्रतः ॥

uktaṃ nāma yathā pūrvaṃ sarvaṃ tacchrutavānaham | yathā tu jāto hyāstīka etadicchāmi veditum | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya sautiḥ provāca śāstrataḥ

I have heard all you said earlier about the name. Now I wish to learn how Astika was born. — Hearing his words, Sauti spoke, following the tradition.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). The third line is narration leading into Sauti's reply.

Verse 7 (1.40.7)

संदिश्य पन्नगान्सर्वान्वासुकिः सुसमाहितः । स्वसारमुद्यम्य तदा जरत्कारुमृषिं प्रति ॥

saṃdiśya pannagānsarvānvāsukiḥ susamāhitaḥ | svasāramudyamya tadā jaratkārumṛṣiṃ prati

Vasuki, fully intent on the matter, instructed all the serpents and held his sister ready for the seer Jaratkaru.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 8 (1.40.8)

अथ कालस्य महतः स मुनिः संशितव्रतः । तपस्यभिरतो धीमान्स दारान्नाभ्यकाङ्क्षत ॥

atha kālasya mahataḥ sa muniḥ saṃśitavrataḥ | tapasyabhirato dhīmānsa dārānnābhyakāṅkṣata

Then a long time passed, and that sage of rigorous vows, wise and absorbed in austerity, did not seek a wife.

Verse 9 (1.40.9)

स तूर्ध्वरेतास्तपसि प्रसक्तः । स्वाध्यायवान्वीतभयः कृतात्मा । चचार सर्वां पृथिवीं महात्मा । न चापि दारान्मनसाप्यकाङ्क्षत् ॥

sa tūrdhvaretāstapasi prasaktaḥ | svādhyāyavānvītabhayaḥ kṛtātmā | cacāra sarvāṃ pṛthivīṃ mahātmā | na cāpi dārānmanasāpyakāṅkṣat

Chaste, intent on austerity, devoted to Vedic study, free of fear and master of himself, the great-souled one wandered over the whole earth and never desired a wife, even in his mind.

Note on the text: Corrected मनसाध्यकाङ्क्षत् → मनसाप्यकाङ्क्षत् (misprint in Wikisource; ध्य for प्य, as in the critical edition).

Verse 10 (1.40.10)

ततोऽपरस्मिन्संप्राप्ते काले कस्मिंश्चिदेव तु । परिक्षिन्नाम राजासीद्ब्रह्मन्कौरववंशजः ॥

tato'parasminsaṃprāpte kāle kasmiṃścideva tu | parikṣinnāma rājāsīdbrahmankauravavaṃśajaḥ

Then, at a later time, O brahmin, there was a king named Parikshit, born in the Kaurava line.

Verse 11 (1.40.11)

यथा पाण्डुर्महाबाहुर्धनुर्धरवरो युधि । बभूव मृगयाशीलः पुरास्य प्रपितामहः ॥

yathā pāṇḍurmahābāhurdhanurdharavaro yudhi | babhūva mṛgayāśīlaḥ purāsya prapitāmahaḥ

Just as his great-grandfather of old, the mighty-armed Pandu, best of bowmen in battle, had been fond of hunting,

Verse 12 (1.40.12)

तथा विख्यातवाँल्लोके परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः । मृगान्विध्यन्वराहांश्च तरक्षून्महिषांस्तथा । अन्यांश्च विविधान्वन्यांश्चचार पृथिवीपतिः ॥

tathā vikhyātavām̐lloke parīkṣidabhimanyujaḥ | mṛgānvidhyanvarāhāṃśca tarakṣūnmahiṣāṃstathā | anyāṃśca vividhānvanyāṃścacāra pṛthivīpatiḥ

so was Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, renowned in the world. Shooting deer, boars, hyenas, buffaloes and wild creatures of many other kinds, the lord of the earth roamed the forests.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and ') and a doubled danda. The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the other two lines = 1.36.10 (aligned by hand).

Verse 13 (1.40.13)

स कदाचिन्मृगं विद्ध्वा बाणेनानतपर्वणा । पृष्ठतो धनुरादाय ससार गहने वने ॥

sa kadācinmṛgaṃ viddhvā bāṇenānataparvaṇā | pṛṣṭhato dhanurādāya sasāra gahane vane

Once he shot a deer with a smooth-jointed arrow and, bow in hand, followed it deep into the forest,

Verse 14 (1.40.14)

यथैव भगवान्रुद्रो विद्ध्वा यज्ञमृगं दिवि । अन्वगच्छद्धनुष्पाणिः पर्यन्वेष्टुमितस्ततः ॥

yathaiva bhagavānrudro viddhvā yajñamṛgaṃ divi | anvagacchaddhanuṣpāṇiḥ paryanveṣṭumitastataḥ

just as the blessed Rudra, having shot the deer of the sacrifice in heaven, followed it bow in hand, searching for it here and there.

Verse 15 (1.40.15)

न हि तेन मृगो विद्धो जीवन्गच्छति वै वने । पूर्वरूपं तु तत्तूर्णं तस्यासीत्स्वर्गतिं प्रति ॥

na hi tena mṛgo viddho jīvangacchati vai vane | pūrvarūpaṃ tu tattūrṇaṃ tasyāsītsvargatiṃ prati

No deer he had shot had ever escaped alive into the forest. That this one did was surely an early sign of his approaching passage to heaven.

Note on the text: = 1.36.13ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand). From here to verse 22 Wikisource's verse division runs half a verse behind the critical edition's.

Verse 16 (1.40.16)

परिक्षितो नरेन्द्रस्य विद्धो यन्नष्टवान्मृगः । दूरं चापहृतस्तेन मृगेण स महीपतिः ॥

parikṣito narendrasya viddho yannaṣṭavānmṛgaḥ | dūraṃ cāpahṛtastena mṛgeṇa sa mahīpatiḥ

The deer that King Parikshit had shot was lost, and the king was drawn far away by it.

Note on the text: = 1.36.13ef + 1.36.14ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 17 (1.40.17)

परिश्रान्तः पिपासार्त आससाद मुनिं वने । गवां प्रचारेष्वासीनं वत्सानां मुखनिःसृतम् ॥

pariśrāntaḥ pipāsārta āsasāda muniṃ vane | gavāṃ pracāreṣvāsīnaṃ vatsānāṃ mukhaniḥsṛtam

Weary and parched with thirst, he came upon a sage in the forest, seated in a cow pasture. The foam that flowed from the mouths of the calves

Note on the text: = 1.36.14cd + 1.36.15ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 18 (1.40.18)

भूयिष्ठमुपयुञ्जानं फेनमापिबतां पयः । तमभिद्रुत्य वेगेन स राजा संशितव्रतम् ॥

bhūyiṣṭhamupayuñjānaṃ phenamāpibatāṃ payaḥ | tamabhidrutya vegena sa rājā saṃśitavratam

as they drank their milk was what he lived on, taking it in plenty. Rushing up to that sage of rigorous vows,

Note on the text: = 1.36.15cd + 1.36.16ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 19 (1.40.19)

अपृच्छद्धनुरुद्यम्य तं मुनिं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः । भोभो ब्रह्मन्नहं राजा परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः ॥

apṛcchaddhanurudyamya taṃ muniṃ kṣucchramānvitaḥ | bhobho brahmannahaṃ rājā parīkṣidabhimanyujaḥ

the king, hungry and weary, raised his bow and asked him: "Ho there, brahmin! I am King Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu.

Note on the text: = 1.36.16cd + 1.36.17ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 20 (1.40.20)

मया विद्धो मृगो नष्टः कच्चित्तं दृष्टवानसि । स मुनिस्तं तु नोवाच किंचिन्मौनव्रते स्थितः ॥

mayā viddho mṛgo naṣṭaḥ kaccittaṃ dṛṣṭavānasi | sa munistaṃ tu novāca kiṃcinmaunavrate sthitaḥ

A deer I shot has disappeared. Have you seen it?" But the sage, keeping a vow of silence, said nothing at all to him.

Note on the text: = 1.36.17cd + 1.36.18ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 21 (1.40.21)

तस्य स्कन्धे मृतं सर्पं क्रुद्धो राजा समासजत् । समुत्क्षिप्य धनुष्कोट्या स चैनं समुपैक्षत ॥

tasya skandhe mṛtaṃ sarpaṃ kruddho rājā samāsajat | samutkṣipya dhanuṣkoṭyā sa cainaṃ samupaikṣata

Angered, the king lifted a dead snake with the tip of his bow and laid it on the sage's shoulder. The sage only looked at him and let it pass.

Note on the text: = 1.36.18cd + 1.36.19ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 22 (1.40.22)

न स किंचिदुवाचैनं शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम् । स राजा क्रोधमुत्सृज्य व्यथितस्तं तथागतम् । दृष्ट्वा जगाम नगरमृषिस्त्वासीत्तथैव सः ॥

na sa kiṃciduvācainaṃ śubhaṃ vā yadi vā'śubham | sa rājā krodhamutsṛjya vyathitastaṃ tathāgatam | dṛṣṭvā jagāma nagaramṛṣistvāsīttathaiva saḥ

He said nothing to him, good or bad. Seeing him in that state, the king let go of his anger, grew troubled and went back to his city; but the seer stayed just as he was.

Note on the text: = 1.36.19cd + 1.36.20 of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 23 (1.40.23)

न हि तं राजशार्दूलं क्षमाशीलो महामुनिः । स्वधर्मनिरतं भूपं समाक्षिप्तोऽप्यधर्षयत् ॥

na hi taṃ rājaśārdūlaṃ kṣamāśīlo mahāmuniḥ | svadharmanirataṃ bhūpaṃ samākṣipto'pyadharṣayat

For the great sage, forbearing by nature, did not strike back at that tiger among kings, a ruler devoted to his own duty, even though he had been insulted.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 24 (1.40.24)

न हि तं राजशार्दूलस्तथा धर्मपरायणम् । जानाति भरतश्रेष्ठस्तत एनमधर्षयत् ॥

na hi taṃ rājaśārdūlastathā dharmaparāyaṇam | jānāti bharataśreṣṭhastata enamadharṣayat

Nor did that tiger among kings, best of the Bharatas, know him to be so devoted to dharma; that is why he insulted him.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 25 (1.40.25)

तरुणस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूत्तिग्मतेजा महातपाः । शृङ्गी नाम महाक्रोधो दुष्प्रसादो महाव्रतः ॥

taruṇastasya putro'bhūttigmatejā mahātapāḥ | śṛṅgī nāma mahākrodho duṣprasādo mahāvrataḥ

The sage had a young son, of fierce energy and great austerity, named Shringi — very wrathful, hard to appease, and strict in his vows.

Note on the text: Corrected दुष्पसादोमहाव्रतः → दुष्प्रसादो महाव्रतः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र and two words run together, as in the critical edition).

Verse 26 (1.40.26)

स देवं परमासीनं सर्वभूतहिते रतम् । ब्रह्माणमुपतस्थे वै काले काले सुसंयतः ॥

sa devaṃ paramāsīnaṃ sarvabhūtahite ratam | brahmāṇamupatasthe vai kāle kāle susaṃyataḥ

From time to time, fully self-restrained, he would go to wait upon the god Brahma, who sits supreme and delights in the good of all beings.

Note on the text: Corrected सुंसयतः → सुसंयतः (misprint in Wikisource; misplaced anusvara, as in the critical edition). = 1.36.22abcd of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 27 (1.40.27)

स तेन समनुज्ञातो ब्रह्मणा गृहमेयिवान् । सख्योक्तः क्रीडमानेन स तत्र हसता किल ॥

sa tena samanujñāto brahmaṇā gṛhameyivān | sakhyoktaḥ krīḍamānena sa tatra hasatā kila

Given leave by Brahma, he had come home when a friend, playing and laughing there, spoke to him, so it is said.

Note on the text: Corrected सतेन → स तेन (misprint in Wikisource; two words run together). = 1.36.22ef + 1.36.23ab of the critical edition (aligned by hand).

Verse 28 (1.40.28)

संरम्भात्कोपनोऽतीव विषकल्पो मुनेः सुतः । उद्दिश्य पितरं तस्य यच्छ्रुत्वा रोषमाहरत् । ऋषिपुत्रेण नर्मार्थे कृशेन द्विजसत्तम ॥

saṃrambhātkopano'tīva viṣakalpo muneḥ sutaḥ | uddiśya pitaraṃ tasya yacchrutvā roṣamāharat | ṛṣiputreṇa narmārthe kṛśena dvijasattama

The sage's son was impetuous, extremely irascible, like poison; and what was said about his father, when he heard it, filled him with fury. It was spoken in jest, best of brahmins, by the seer's son Krisha:

Note on the text: The middle line (उद्दिश्य पितरं तस्य …) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the other two lines = 1.36.23cdef (aligned by hand).

Verse 29 (1.40.29)

तेजस्विनस्तव पिता तथैव च तपस्विनः । शवं स्कन्धेन वहति मा शृङ्गिन्गर्वितो भव ॥

tejasvinastava pitā tathaiva ca tapasvinaḥ | śavaṃ skandhena vahati mā śṛṅgingarvito bhava

Your father, for all his splendour and his austerity, is carrying a corpse on his shoulder. Don't be so proud, Shringi.

Verse 30 (1.40.30)

व्याहरत्स्वृषिपुत्रेषु मा स्म किंचिद्वचो वद । अस्मद्विधेषु सिद्धेषु ब्रह्मवित्सु तपस्विषु ॥

vyāharatsvṛṣiputreṣu mā sma kiṃcidvaco vada | asmadvidheṣu siddheṣu brahmavitsu tapasviṣu

When seers' sons like us — accomplished, knowers of Brahman, ascetics — are talking, don't you say a single word.

Verse 31 (1.40.31)

क्व ते पुरुषमानित्वं क्व ते वाचस्तथाविधाः । दर्पजाः पितरं द्रष्टा यस्त्वं शवधरं तथा ॥

kva te puruṣamānitvaṃ kva te vācastathāvidhāḥ | darpajāḥ pitaraṃ draṣṭā yastvaṃ śavadharaṃ tathā

Where now is your manly pride, where are those proud words of yours, when you will see your father carrying a corpse like that?

Verse 32 (1.40.32)

पित्रा च तव तत्कर्म नानुरूपमिवात्मनः । कृतं मुनिजनश्रेष्ठ येनाहं भृशदुःखितः ॥

pitrā ca tava tatkarma nānurūpamivātmanaḥ | kṛtaṃ munijanaśreṣṭha yenāhaṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ

And what your father has done, best among sages, hardly seems worthy of him; it has left me deeply grieved.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).