Shringin Curses Parikshit

Verse 1 (1.41.1)

एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी शृङ्गी कोपसमन्वितः । मृतधारं गुरुं श्रुत्वा पर्यतप्यत मन्युना ॥

evamuktaḥ sa tejasvī śṛṅgī kopasamanvitaḥ | mṛtadhāraṃ guruṃ śrutvā paryatapyata manyunā

So addressed, the fiery Shringin was filled with anger; hearing that his father and teacher was carrying a corpse, he burned with fury.

Verse 2 (1.41.2)

स तं कृशमभिप्रेक्ष्य सूनृतां वाचमुत्सृजन् । अपृच्छत्तं कथं तातः सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥

sa taṃ kṛśamabhiprekṣya sūnṛtāṃ vācamutsṛjan | apṛcchattaṃ kathaṃ tātaḥ sarvabhūtahite rataḥ

He looked at Krisha and, speaking courteously, asked him, "How is it that my father, devoted to the good of all beings,

Note on the text: Corrected स त कृशमक्षिप्रेक्ष्य → स तं कृशमभिप्रेक्ष्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara and broken अभिप्रेक्ष्य, as in the critical edition). Removed a stray wiki mark (`) before सर्वभूतहिते: the words सर्वभूतहिते रतः open a passage, running through verse 3, that is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (1.41.3)

अनन्यचेताः सततं विष्णुं देवमतोषयत् । वन्यान्नभोजी सततं मुनिर्मौनव्रते स्थितः । एवंभूतः स तेजस्वी स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः ॥

ananyacetāḥ satataṃ viṣṇuṃ devamatoṣayat | vanyānnabhojī satataṃ munirmaunavrate sthitaḥ | evaṃbhūtaḥ sa tejasvī sa me'dya mṛtadhārakaḥ

who with undivided mind has always pleased the god Vishnu, who lives on forest food, a sage firm in his vow of silence—how is it that such a radiant man today carries a dead thing?"

Note on the text: Corrected दवेमतोषयत् → देवमतोषयत् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed vowel sign). Removed a stray wiki mark (') after तेजस्वी. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), except the closing words स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः, which end 1.37.2 there.

Verse 4 (1.41.4)

राज्ञा परिक्षिता तात मृगयां परिधावता । अवसक्तः पितुस्तेऽद्य मृतः स्कन्धे भुजङ्गमः ॥

rājñā parikṣitā tāta mṛgayāṃ paridhāvatā | avasaktaḥ pituste'dya mṛtaḥ skandhe bhujaṅgamaḥ

"Dear friend, King Parikshit, ranging about on a hunt, has today hung a dead snake on your father's shoulder."

Verse 5 (1.41.5)

किं मे पित्रा कृतं तस्य राज्ञोऽनिष्टं दुरात्मनः । ब्रूहि तत्कृश तत्त्वेन पश्य मे तपसो बलम् ॥

kiṃ me pitrā kṛtaṃ tasya rājño'niṣṭaṃ durātmanaḥ | brūhi tatkṛśa tattvena paśya me tapaso balam

"What harm had my father done to that wicked king? Tell me truly, Krisha—and then see the power of my austerity."

Verse 6 (1.41.6)

स राजा मृगयां यातः परिक्षिदभिमन्युजः । ससार मृगमेकाकी विद्ध्वा बाणेन शीघ्रगम् ॥

sa rājā mṛgayāṃ yātaḥ parikṣidabhimanyujaḥ | sasāra mṛgamekākī viddhvā bāṇena śīghragam

"King Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, had gone hunting. He struck a swift deer with an arrow and followed it alone.

Verse 7 (1.41.7)

न चापश्यन्मृगं राजा चरंस्तस्मिन्महावने । पितरं ते स दृष्ट्वैव पप्रच्छानभिभाषिणम् ॥

na cāpaśyanmṛgaṃ rājā caraṃstasminmahāvane | pitaraṃ te sa dṛṣṭvaiva papracchānabhibhāṣiṇam

Roaming that great forest, the king could not find the deer. As soon as he saw your father he questioned him, but your father did not speak.

Verse 8 (1.41.8)

तं स्थाणुभूतं तिष्ठन्तं क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमातुरः । पुनःपुनर्मृगं नष्टं पप्रच्छ पितरं तव ॥

taṃ sthāṇubhūtaṃ tiṣṭhantaṃ kṣutpipāsāśramāturaḥ | punaḥpunarmṛgaṃ naṣṭaṃ papraccha pitaraṃ tava

Worn out by hunger, thirst and fatigue, he asked your father again and again about the lost deer, while your father stood still as a post.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रपच्छ → पप्रच्छ (misprint in Wikisource; not a valid form, the critical edition reads papraccha).

Verse 9 (1.41.9)

स च मौनव्रतोपेतो नैव तं प्रत्यभाषत । तस्य राजा धनुष्कोट्या सर्पं स्कन्धे समासजत् ॥

sa ca maunavratopeto naiva taṃ pratyabhāṣata | tasya rājā dhanuṣkoṭyā sarpaṃ skandhe samāsajat

Bound by his vow of silence, he gave no reply. Then the king, with the tip of his bow, set a snake on his shoulder.

Verse 10 (1.41.10)

शृङ्गिंस्तव पिता सोऽपि तथैवास्ते यतव्रतः । सोऽपि राजा स्वनगरं प्रस्थितो गजसाह्वयम् ॥

śṛṅgiṃstava pitā so'pi tathaivāste yatavrataḥ | so'pi rājā svanagaraṃ prasthito gajasāhvayam

Shringin, your father is still sitting just as he was, keeping his vow, and the king has set out for his own city, Hastinapura."

Verse 11 (1.41.11)

श्रुत्वैवमृषिपुत्रस्तु शवं स्कन्धे प्रतिष्ठितम् । कोपसंरक्तनयनः प्रज्वलन्निव मन्युना ॥

śrutvaivamṛṣiputrastu śavaṃ skandhe pratiṣṭhitam | kopasaṃraktanayanaḥ prajvalanniva manyunā

When the sage's son heard this—that a corpse had been laid on his father's shoulder—his eyes turned red with anger and he seemed to blaze with fury.

Verse 12 (1.41.12)

आविष्टः स हि कोपेन शशाप नृपतिं तदा । वार्युपस्पृश्य तेजस्वी क्रोधवेगबलात्कृतः ॥

āviṣṭaḥ sa hi kopena śaśāpa nṛpatiṃ tadā | vāryupaspṛśya tejasvī krodhavegabalātkṛtaḥ

Possessed by anger, the fiery youth touched water and then, carried away by the force of his rage, cursed the king.

Verse 13 (1.41.13)

योऽसौ वृद्धस्य तातस्य तथा कृच्छ्रगतस्य ह । स्कन्धे मृतं समास्राक्षीत्पन्नगं राजकिल्विषी ॥

yo'sau vṛddhasya tātasya tathā kṛcchragatasya ha | skandhe mṛtaṃ samāsrākṣītpannagaṃ rājakilviṣī

"That king, that offender, who laid a dead serpent on the shoulder of my aged father, already in such hardship—

Verse 14 (1.41.14)

तं पापमतिसंक्रुद्धस्तक्षकः पन्नगेश्वरः । आशीविषस्तिग्मतेजा मद्वाक्यबलचोदितः ॥

taṃ pāpamatisaṃkruddhastakṣakaḥ pannageśvaraḥ | āśīviṣastigmatejā madvākyabalacoditaḥ

that sinner, Takshaka, lord of serpents, venomous and fierce in energy, roused to fury and driven by the power of my words,

Verse 15 (1.41.15)

सप्तरात्रादितो नेता यमस्य सदनं प्रति । द्विजानामवमन्तारं कुरूणामयशस्करम् ॥

saptarātrādito netā yamasya sadanaṃ prati | dvijānāmavamantāraṃ kurūṇāmayaśaskaram

shall carry to the abode of Yama within seven nights from now—this despiser of brahmins, this disgrace to the Kurus!"

Verse 16 (1.41.16)

इति शप्त्वातिसंक्रुद्धः शृङ्गी पितरमभ्यगात् । आसीनं गोव्रजे तस्मिन्वहन्तं शवपन्नगम् ॥

iti śaptvātisaṃkruddhaḥ śṛṅgī pitaramabhyagāt | āsīnaṃ govraje tasminvahantaṃ śavapannagam

Having uttered this curse in great anger, Shringin went to his father, who sat in that cow-pen bearing the dead snake.

Note on the text: Corrected ग्रोव्रजे → गोव्रजे (misprint in Wikisource; intrusive र, ग्रोव्रज is not a word). The critical edition reads gocare here.

Verse 17 (1.41.17)

स तमालक्ष्य पितरं शृङ्गी स्कन्धगतेन वै । शवेन भुजगेनासीद्भूयः क्रोधसमाकुलः ॥

sa tamālakṣya pitaraṃ śṛṅgī skandhagatena vai | śavena bhujagenāsīdbhūyaḥ krodhasamākulaḥ

Seeing his father with the dead snake still on his shoulder, Shringin was overcome with anger once more.

Note on the text: Corrected स तमलक्ष्य → स तमालक्ष्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign, the critical edition reads ālakṣya).

Verse 18 (1.41.18)

दुःखाच्चाश्रूणि मुमुचे पितरं चेदमब्रवीत् । श्रुत्वेमां धर्षणां तात तव तेन दुरात्मना ॥

duḥkhāccāśrūṇi mumuce pitaraṃ cedamabravīt | śrutvemāṃ dharṣaṇāṃ tāta tava tena durātmanā

In his grief he shed tears and said to his father, "Father, when I heard of this insult done to you by that wicked man,

Verse 19 (1.41.19)

राज्ञा परिक्षिता कोपादशपं तमहं नृपम् । यथार्हति स एवोग्रं शापं कुरुकुलाधमः । सप्तमेऽहनि तं पापं तक्षकः पन्नगोत्तमः ॥

rājñā parikṣitā kopādaśapaṃ tamahaṃ nṛpam | yathārhati sa evograṃ śāpaṃ kurukulādhamaḥ | saptame'hani taṃ pāpaṃ takṣakaḥ pannagottamaḥ

by King Parikshit, I cursed that king in my anger; that worst of the Kuru line deserves this fierce curse. On the seventh day Takshaka, best of serpents, shall take that sinner

Note on the text: Half-lines are divided differently here from the critical edition: lines 1–2 are 1.37.18 and line 3 is the first half of 1.37.19.

Verse 20 (1.41.20)

वैवस्वतस्य सदनं नेता परमदारुणम् । तमब्रवीत्पिता ब्रह्मंस्तथा कोपसमन्वितम् ॥

vaivasvatasya sadanaṃ netā paramadāruṇam | tamabravītpitā brahmaṃstathā kopasamanvitam

to the most dreadful abode of Vaivasvata." Then, O brahmin, his father spoke to his angry son:

Note on the text: Spans the second half of 1.37.19 and the first half of 1.37.20 in the critical edition.

Verse 21 (1.41.21)

न मे प्रियं कृतं तात नैष धर्मस्तपस्विनाम् । वयं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य विषये निवसामहे ॥

na me priyaṃ kṛtaṃ tāta naiṣa dharmastapasvinām | vayaṃ tasya narendrasya viṣaye nivasāmahe

"You have not done what pleases me, my son; this is not the way of ascetics. We live in the realm of that lord of men,

Note on the text: Spans the second half of 1.37.20 and the first half of 1.37.21 in the critical edition.

Verse 22 (1.41.22)

न्यायतो रक्षितास्तेन तस्य पापं न रोचये । सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञो ह्यस्मद्विधैः सदा ॥

nyāyato rakṣitāstena tasya pāpaṃ na rocaye | sarvathā vartamānasya rājño hyasmadvidhaiḥ sadā

and he protects us justly; I do not wish him harm. However a king may behave, people like us must always forgive him,

Note on the text: Spans the second half of 1.37.21 and the first half of 1.37.22 in the critical edition.

Verse 23 (1.41.23)

क्षन्तव्यं पुत्र धर्मो हि हतो हन्ति न संशयः । यदि राजा न संरक्षेत्पीडा नः परमा भवेत् ॥

kṣantavyaṃ putra dharmo hi hato hanti na saṃśayaḥ | yadi rājā na saṃrakṣetpīḍā naḥ paramā bhavet

my son, for dharma, once violated, destroys the violator—of that there is no doubt. If the king did not protect us, we would suffer greatly;

Note on the text: Spans the second half of 1.37.22 and the first half of 1.37.23 in the critical edition.

Verse 24 (1.41.24)

न शक्नुयाम चरितुं धर्मं पुत्र यथासुखम् । रक्षमाणा वयं तात राजभिर्धर्मदृष्टिभिः ॥

na śaknuyāma carituṃ dharmaṃ putra yathāsukham | rakṣamāṇā vayaṃ tāta rājabhirdharmadṛṣṭibhiḥ

we could not practise dharma at our ease, my son. It is because we are protected by kings who keep dharma in view

Note on the text: Spans the second half of 1.37.23 and the first half of 1.37.24 in the critical edition.

Verse 25 (1.41.25)

चरामो विपुलं धर्मं तेषां भागोऽस्ति धर्मतः । सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञः क्षन्तव्यमेव हि ॥

carāmo vipulaṃ dharmaṃ teṣāṃ bhāgo'sti dharmataḥ | sarvathā vartamānasya rājñaḥ kṣantavyameva hi

that we practise dharma in abundance, and by right they have a share in it. However a king may behave, he is surely to be forgiven.

Note on the text: The first line is the second half of 1.37.24 in the critical edition. Second line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 26 (1.41.26)

परिक्षित्तु विशेषेण यथाऽस्य प्रपितामहः । रक्षत्यस्मांस्तथा राज्ञा रक्षितव्याः प्रजा विभो ॥

parikṣittu viśeṣeṇa yathā'sya prapitāmahaḥ | rakṣatyasmāṃstathā rājñā rakṣitavyāḥ prajā vibho

And Parikshit above all protects us as his great-grandfather did. That is how a king ought to protect his subjects, O mighty one.

Verse 27 (1.41.27)

अराजके जनपदे दोषा जायन्ति वै सदा । उद्वृत्तं सततं लोकं राजा दण्डेन शास्ति वै ॥

arājake janapade doṣā jāyanti vai sadā | udvṛttaṃ satataṃ lokaṃ rājā daṇḍena śāsti vai

In a land without a king, evils always arise. It is the king who, with the rod of punishment, keeps in check a world that is ever ready to break bounds.

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

Verse 28 (1.41.28)

दण्डात्प्रतिभयं भूयः शान्तिरुत्पद्यते तदा । नोद्विग्नश्चरते धर्मं नोद्विग्नश्चरते क्रियाम् ॥

daṇḍātpratibhayaṃ bhūyaḥ śāntirutpadyate tadā | nodvignaścarate dharmaṃ nodvignaścarate kriyām

Punishment brings fear, and fear in turn brings peace. Then a man practises dharma free of anxiety and performs his rites free of anxiety.

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

Verse 29 (1.41.29)

राज्ञा प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धर्मात्स्वर्गः प्रतिष्ठितः । राज्ञो यज्ञक्रियाः सर्वा यज्ञाद्देवाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥

rājñā pratiṣṭhito dharmo dharmātsvargaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ | rājño yajñakriyāḥ sarvā yajñāddevāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ

Dharma is established by the king, and heaven is established on dharma. All the rites of sacrifice depend on the king, and the gods depend on sacrifice.

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

Verse 30 (1.41.30)

देवाद्वृष्टिः प्रवर्तेत वृष्टेरोषधयः स्मृताः । ओषधिभ्यो मनुष्याणां धारयन्सततं हितम् ॥

devādvṛṣṭiḥ pravarteta vṛṣṭeroṣadhayaḥ smṛtāḥ | oṣadhibhyo manuṣyāṇāṃ dhārayansatataṃ hitam

From the gods comes rain, and from rain, it is said, come the plants; from the plants comes the welfare of men. The king, who constantly sustains that welfare,

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

Verse 31 (1.41.31)

मनुष्याणां च यो धाता राजा राज्यकरः पुनः । दशश्रोत्रियसमो राजा इत्येवं मनुरब्रवीत् ॥

manuṣyāṇāṃ ca yo dhātā rājā rājyakaraḥ punaḥ | daśaśrotriyasamo rājā ityevaṃ manurabravīt

who upholds men and maintains the kingdom—such a king is equal to ten Vedic scholars. So Manu has declared.

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

Verse 32 (1.41.32)

तेनेह क्षुधितेनैत्य श्रान्तेन मृगलिप्सुना । अजानता कृतं मन्ये व्रतमेतदिदं मम ॥

teneha kṣudhitenaitya śrāntena mṛgalipsunā | ajānatā kṛtaṃ manye vratametadidaṃ mama

He came here hungry and tired, in search of a deer. I believe he did this without knowing of this vow of mine.

Verse 33 (1.41.33)

कस्मादिदं त्वया बाल्यात्सहसा दुष्कृतं कृतम् । न ह्यर्हति नृपः शापमस्मत्तः पुत्र सर्वथा ॥

kasmādidaṃ tvayā bālyātsahasā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam | na hyarhati nṛpaḥ śāpamasmattaḥ putra sarvathā

Why, out of childishness, did you so rashly commit this wrong? The king in no way deserves a curse from us, my son."