The Worm Becomes a Brahmin

Verse 1 (13.181.1)

क्षत्रधर्ममनुप्राप्तः स्मरन्नेव च वीर्यवान् । त्यक्त्वा हि कीटतां राजंश्चचार विपुलं तपः ॥

kṣatradharmamanuprāptaḥ smaranneva ca vīryavān | tyaktvā hi kīṭatāṃ rājaṃścacāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ

Bhishma said: Having come to the duty of a kshatriya and still remembering his past, the mighty one gave up wormhood, O king, and practised vast austerity.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.1 (Wikisource 'त्यक्त्वा हि कीटतां' against CE 1c 'tyaktvā sa kīṭatāṃ', a recension variant; base reading kept).

Verse 2 (13.181.2)

तस्य धर्मार्थविदुषो दृष्ट्वा तद्विपुलं तपः । आजगाम द्विजश्रेष्ठः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥

tasya dharmārthaviduṣo dṛṣṭvā tadvipulaṃ tapaḥ | ājagāma dvijaśreṣṭhaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā

Seeing that vast austerity of his, who understood dharma and artha, Krishna Dvaipayana, best of the twice-born, came to him then.

Verse 3 (13.181.3)

क्षात्रादेव व्रतात्कीट भूतानां परिपालय । क्षात्रं देवव्रतं ध्यायंस्ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि ॥

kṣātrādeva vratātkīṭa bhūtānāṃ paripālaya | kṣātraṃ devavrataṃ dhyāyaṃstato vipratvameṣyasi

Vyasa said: By the very vow of a kshatriya, worm, protect all beings. Holding to the kshatriya way, the vow sacred to the gods, you will then attain brahminhood.

Note on the text: Corrected ध्यासंस् → ध्यायंस् (misprint in Wikisource; the य is lost; CE dhyāyaṃs). Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.3 (recension variant: Wikisource 'क्षात्रादेव व्रतात्कीट भूतानां परिपालय', 'क्षात्रं देवव्रतम्' against CE 3a 'kṣātraṃ caiva vrataṃ kīṭa bhūtānāṃ paripālanam', 3c 'kṣātraṃ caiva vrataṃ'). Base reading kept.

Verse 4 (13.181.4)

पाहि सर्वाः प्रजाः सम्यक् शुभाशुभविदात्मवान् । शुभैः संविभजन्कामैरशुभानां च भावनैः ॥

pāhi sarvāḥ prajāḥ samyak śubhāśubhavidātmavān | śubhaiḥ saṃvibhajankāmairaśubhānāṃ ca bhāvanaiḥ

Protect all your subjects well, knowing good from evil and keeping yourself in hand, sharing out good things they desire, and, to the wicked, means of reform.

Verse 5 (13.181.5)

आत्मवान्भव सुप्रीतः स्वधर्माचरणे रतः । क्षात्रीं तनुं समुत्सृज्य ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि ॥

ātmavānbhava suprītaḥ svadharmācaraṇe rataḥ | kṣātrīṃ tanuṃ samutsṛjya tato vipratvameṣyasi

Be self-controlled and well content, devoted to the practice of your own duty; when you cast off the kshatriya body, you will then attain brahminhood.

Verse 6 (13.181.6)

सोऽप्यरण्यादभिप्रेत्य पुनरेव युधिष्ठिर । महर्षेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् ॥

so'pyaraṇyādabhipretya punareva yudhiṣṭhira | maharṣervacanaṃ śrutvā prajā dharmeṇa pālayan

Bhishma said: Then, Yudhishthira, he came back from the forest, and having heard the great sage's words he protected his subjects according to dharma.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.6 (Wikisource 'सोऽप्यरण्यादभिप्रेत्य' against CE 'so 'thāraṇyam abhipretya'; 'प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्' against 'prajā dharmeṇa pālya ca', variants; base reading kept).

Verse 7 (13.181.7)

अचिरेणैव कालेन कीटः पार्थिवसत्तम । प्रजापालनधर्मेण प्रेत्य विप्रत्वमागतः ॥

acireṇaiva kālena kīṭaḥ pārthivasattama | prajāpālanadharmeṇa pretya vipratvamāgataḥ

Before long, best of kings, the worm, through the duty of protecting his subjects, passed on after death and became a brahmin.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्मेणि → धर्मेण (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि; CE dharmeṇa).

Verse 8 (13.181.8)

ततस्तं ब्राह्मणं द्रष्टुं पुनरेव महायशाः । आजगाम महाप्राज्ञः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥

tatastaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ draṣṭuṃ punareva mahāyaśāḥ | ājagāma mahāprājñaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā

Then the greatly renowned and wise Krishna Dvaipayana came again to see that brahmin.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.8.

Verse 9 (13.181.9)

भोभो ब्रह्मर्षभ श्रीमन्मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथञ्चन । शुभकृच्छुभयोनीषु पापकृत्पापयोनिषु ॥

bhobho brahmarṣabha śrīmanmā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathañcana | śubhakṛcchubhayonīṣu pāpakṛtpāpayoniṣu

Vyasa said: Hail, noble best of brahmins! Do not be distressed in any way. The doer of good is born in good wombs, the doer of evil in evil wombs,

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner. Line 1 = CE 13.120.9a (Wikisource 'ब्रह्मर्षभ' for CE 'viprarṣabha'); line 2 = CE 9c. The CE has a twelve-line Vaishnava star passage between them (13.120.009b*0603_01-12), which Wikisource lacks and which is not added.

Verse 10 (13.181.10)

उपपद्यति धर्मज्ञ यथाधर्मं यथाव्रतम् । तस्मान्मृत्युभयात्कीट मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथञ्चन । धर्मलाभात्परं न स्यात्तस्माद्धर्मं चरोत्तमम् ॥

upapadyati dharmajña yathādharmaṃ yathāvratam | tasmānmṛtyubhayātkīṭa mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathañcana | dharmalābhātparaṃ na syāttasmāddharmaṃ carottamam

each according to his dharma and his vows, O knower of dharma. So, worm, do not be distressed in any way from fear of death. There can be nothing higher than the gain of dharma; therefore practise the highest dharma.

Note on the text: Three-line verse, as the page prints it (13-181-10a, b, c). Not matched by the aligner: line 1 = CE 13.120.9e (Wikisource 'यथाव्रतम्' against CE 'yathāgamam'); line 2 = CE 10a; line 3 = CE 10c (recension variant: CE 'dharmalopād bhayaṃ te syāt tasmād dharmaṃ carottamam').

Verse 11 (13.181.11)

सुखात्सुखतरं प्राप्तो भगवंस्त्वत्कृते ह्यहम् । धर्ममूलं शुभं प्राप्य पाप्मा नष्ट इहाद्य मे ॥

sukhātsukhataraṃ prāpto bhagavaṃstvatkṛte hyaham | dharmamūlaṃ śubhaṃ prāpya pāpmā naṣṭa ihādya me

The Worm said: Lord, through you I have gone from happiness to still greater happiness; having gained the good that has dharma for its root, my sin has been destroyed here today.

Verse 12 (13.181.12)

भगवद्वचनात्कीटो ब्राह्मण्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् । अकरोत्पृथिवीं राजन्यज्ञयूपशताङ्किताम् । ततः सालोक्यमगमद्ब्रह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः ॥

bhagavadvacanātkīṭo brāhmaṇyaṃ prāpya durlabham | akarotpṛthivīṃ rājanyajñayūpaśatāṅkitām | tataḥ sālokyamagamadbrahmaṇo brahmavittamaḥ

Bhishma said: By the blessed one's word the worm, having gained the rare state of a brahmin, covered the earth, O king, with hundreds of sacrificial posts; and then, the best of knowers of Brahman, he reached the world of Brahma.

Verse 13 (13.181.13)

अथ पापहरं कीटः पार्थ ब्रह्म सनातनम् । स्वकर्मफलनिर्वृत्तं व्यासस्य वचनात्तदा ॥

atha pāpaharaṃ kīṭaḥ pārtha brahma sanātanam | svakarmaphalanirvṛttaṃ vyāsasya vacanāttadā

Then, Partha, at Vyasa's word the worm attained the eternal Brahman that takes away sin, the fruit that had come of his own deeds.

Note on the text: Corrected पार्त → पार्थ (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ; vocative of Partha, CE pārtha). Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.13 (Wikisource 'अथ पापहरं कीटः' against CE 13a 'avāpa ca paraṃ kīṭaḥ', a recension variant; line 2 = CE 13c).

Verse 14 (13.181.14)

कुरुक्षेत्रे युद्धहताः पुण्ये क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः । सम्प्राप्तास्ते गतिं पुण्यां तन्मा त्वं शोच पुत्रक ॥

kurukṣetre yuddhahatāḥ puṇye kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ | samprāptāste gatiṃ puṇyāṃ tanmā tvaṃ śoca putraka

The best of the kshatriyas who were slain in battle at holy Kurukshetra have gone to a holy destination; so do not grieve for them, my son.

Note on the text: Not matched by the aligner; = CE 13.120.14 (Wikisource line 1 'कुरुक्षेत्रे युद्धहताः पुण्ये क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः' against CE 14a 'te 'pi yasmāt svabhāvena hatāḥ kṣatriyapuṃgavāḥ', a recension variant; line 2 = CE 14c, with तन्मा for tasmān mā).