The Elephant Renuka and the Offering at the Anthill

Verse 1 (13.195.1)

ततः पद्मप्रतीकाशः पद्मोद्भूतः पितामहः । उवाच वचनं देवान्वासवं च शचीपतिम् ॥

tataḥ padmapratīkāśaḥ padmodbhūtaḥ pitāmahaḥ | uvāca vacanaṃ devānvāsavaṃ ca śacīpatim

Then the Grandsire, lotus-hued and born of the lotus, spoke to the gods and to Vasava, the lord of Shachi.

Note on the text: Removed the opening bracket and the speaker heading "भीष्म उवाच ।" printed inside the verse text (it is the speaker); the page brackets this whole passage as an interpolation. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0475-0476); ce_ref left null.

Verse 2 (13.195.2)

अयं महाबलो नागो रसातलचरो बली । तेजस्वी रेणुको नाम महासत्वपराक्रमः ॥

ayaṃ mahābalo nāgo rasātalacaro balī | tejasvī reṇuko nāma mahāsatvaparākramaḥ

"This mighty elephant, strong, who ranges in Rasatala, the radiant Renuka by name, of great courage and prowess,

Note on the text: The page prints no heading; the input carried Bhishma over. This verse and the next two are Brahma's direct speech (introduced by उवाच in verse 1). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0477-0478); ce_ref left null.

Verse 3 (13.195.3)

अतितेजस्विनः सर्वे महावीर्या महागजाः । धारयन्ति महीं कृत्स्नां सशैलवनकाननाम् ॥

atitejasvinaḥ sarve mahāvīryā mahāgajāḥ | dhārayanti mahīṃ kṛtsnāṃ saśailavanakānanām

All the great elephants are exceedingly radiant and of great valour; they bear the whole earth with its mountains, forests and groves.

Note on the text: Brahma's direct speech; see the note on the previous verse. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0479-0480); ce_ref left null.

Verse 4 (13.195.4)

भवद्भिः समनुज्ञातो रेणुकस्तान्महागजान् । धर्मगुह्यानि सर्वाणि गत्वा पृच्छतु तत्र वै ॥

bhavadbhiḥ samanujñāto reṇukastānmahāgajān | dharmaguhyāni sarvāṇi gatvā pṛcchatu tatra vai

With your leave, let Renuka go to those great elephants and ask them all the secrets of dharma."

Note on the text: Brahma's direct speech; see the note on verse 2. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0481-0482); ce_ref left null.

Verse 5 (13.195.5)

पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा ते देवा रेणुकं तदा । प्रेषयामासुरव्यग्रा यत्र ते धरणीधराः ॥

pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā te devā reṇukaṃ tadā | preṣayāmāsuravyagrā yatra te dharaṇīdharāḥ

Hearing the Grandsire's words, the gods, calm and unhurried, sent Renuka to where those earth-bearers were.

Note on the text: Corrected पितामहवचःक → पितामहवचः (misprint in Wikisource; stray footnote letter क after the visarga; CE pitāmahavacaḥ). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0483-0484); ce_ref left null.

Verse 6 (13.195.6)

अनुज्ञातोऽस्मि देवैश्च पितृभिश्च महाबलाः । धर्मगुह्यानि युष्माकं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । कथयध्वं महाभागा यद्वस्तत्त्वं मनीषितम् ॥

anujñāto'smi devaiśca pitṛbhiśca mahābalāḥ | dharmaguhyāni yuṣmākaṃ śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ | kathayadhvaṃ mahābhāgā yadvastattvaṃ manīṣitam

"I have been given leave by the gods and by the ancestors, O mighty ones. I wish to hear your secrets of dharma as they truly are. Tell me, blessed ones, the truth you have thought out."

Note on the text: Corrected पितृभिस्चक → पितृभिश्च (misprint in Wikisource; stray letter क and a broken conjunct for श्च; CE pitṛbhiś ca). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0485-0487); ce_ref left null.

Verse 7 (13.195.7)

कार्तिके मासि चाश्लेषा बहुलस्याष्टमी शिवा । तेन नक्षत्रयोगेन यो ददाति गुडौदनम् । इमं मन्त्रं जपञ्छ्राद्धे यताहारो ह्यकोपनः ॥

kārtike māsi cāśleṣā bahulasyāṣṭamī śivā | tena nakṣatrayogena yo dadāti guḍaudanam | imaṃ mantraṃ japañchrāddhe yatāhāro hyakopanaḥ

"On the auspicious eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Kartika, joined with the star Ashlesha: one who, under that conjunction, gives rice cooked with jaggery, reciting this mantra at the shraddha, restrained in food and free from anger —

Note on the text: Corrected जपच्छ्राद्धे → जपञ्छ्राद्धे (misprint in Wikisource; faulty sandhi; japan + śrāddhe gives जपञ्छ्राद्धे, CE japañ śrāddhe). Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0488-0490); ce_ref left null.

Verse 8 (13.195.8)

बलदेवप्रभृतयो ये नागा बलवत्तराः । अनन्ता ह्यक्षया नित्यं भोगिनः सुमहाबलाः ॥

baladevaprabhṛtayo ye nāgā balavattarāḥ | anantā hyakṣayā nityaṃ bhoginaḥ sumahābalāḥ

"The serpents who are the mightiest, headed by Baladeva, endless and imperishable, the hooded ones of great strength for all time,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0491-0492); ce_ref left null.

Verse 9 (13.195.9)

तेषां कुलोद्भवा ये च महाभूता भुजङ्गमाः । ते मे बलिं प्रयच्छन्तु बलतेजोभिवृद्धये ॥

teṣāṃ kulodbhavā ye ca mahābhūtā bhujaṅgamāḥ | te me baliṃ prayacchantu balatejobhivṛddhaye

and the great beings, the snakes born in their families: may they accept my offering, for the increase of strength and splendour.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0493-0494); ce_ref left null.

Verse 10 (13.195.10)

यदा नारायणः श्रीमानुज्जहार वसुन्धराम् । तद्बलं तस्य देवस्य धरामुद्धरतस्तथा ॥

yadā nārāyaṇaḥ śrīmānujjahāra vasundharām | tadbalaṃ tasya devasya dharāmuddharatastathā

When glorious Narayana lifted up the earth, that strength of the god as he raised the earth —"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0495-0496); ce_ref left null.

Verse 11 (13.195.11)

एवमुक्त्वा बलिं तत्र वल्मीके तु निवेदयेत् ॥

evamuktvā baliṃ tatra valmīke tu nivedayet

Having spoken thus, he should present the offering there at an anthill.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0497); ce_ref left null.

Verse 12 (13.195.12)

गजेन्द्रकुसुमाकीर्णं नीलवस्त्रानुलेपनम् । निर्वपेत्तं तु वल्मीके अस्तं याते दिवाकरे ॥

gajendrakusumākīrṇaṃ nīlavastrānulepanam | nirvapettaṃ tu valmīke astaṃ yāte divākare

Let him lay it at the anthill when the sun has gone down, strewn with flowers of the Gajendra, with blue cloth and ointment.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0498-0499); ce_ref left null.

Verse 13 (13.195.13)

एवं तुष्टास्ततः सर्वे अधस्ताद्भारपीडिताः । श्रमं तं नावबुध्यामो धारयन्तो वसुन्धराम् ॥

evaṃ tuṣṭāstataḥ sarve adhastādbhārapīḍitāḥ | śramaṃ taṃ nāvabudhyāmo dhārayanto vasundharām

Pleased in this way, we all, pressed down below by the burden, do not feel the weariness as we bear the earth.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0500-0501); ce_ref left null.

Verse 14 (13.195.14)

एवं मन्यामहे सर्वे भारार्ता निरपेक्षिणः । ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यः शूद्रो वा यद्युपोषितः ॥

evaṃ manyāmahe sarve bhārārtā nirapekṣiṇaḥ | brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā yadyupoṣitaḥ

So we all, weighed down by the burden and desiring nothing, hold: whether brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya or shudra, one who has fasted,

Note on the text: WS सर्वे against CE 502b dharmaṃ: a recension variant, kept. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0502-0503); ce_ref left null.

Verse 15 (13.195.15)

एवं संवत्सरं कृत्वा दानं बहुफलं लभेत् । वल्मीके बलिमादाय तन्नो बहुफलं मतम् ॥

evaṃ saṃvatsaraṃ kṛtvā dānaṃ bahuphalaṃ labhet | valmīke balimādāya tanno bahuphalaṃ matam

having done this for a year, obtains the fruit of a gift of great reward. Taking the offering to the anthill: this we hold to be of great reward.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0504-0505); ce_ref left null.

Verse 16 (13.195.16)

ये च नागा महावीर्यास्त्रिषु लोकेषु कृत्स्नशः । कृतातिथ्या भवेयुस्ते शतं वर्षाणि तत्त्वतः ॥

ye ca nāgā mahāvīryāstriṣu lokeṣu kṛtsnaśaḥ | kṛtātithyā bhaveyuste śataṃ varṣāṇi tattvataḥ

And the very mighty serpents throughout the three worlds, entertained as guests in this way, remain so for a hundred years, in truth."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0506-0507); ce_ref left null.

Verse 17 (13.195.17)

दिग्गजानां च तच्छ्रुत्वा देवताः पितरस्तथा । ऋषयश्च महाभागाः पूजयन्ति स्म रेणुकम् ॥

diggajānāṃ ca tacchrutvā devatāḥ pitarastathā | ṛṣayaśca mahābhāgāḥ pūjayanti sma reṇukam

Hearing the words of the elephants of the quarters, the gods, the ancestors and the great sages honoured Renuka.

Note on the text: Removed the closing "।।]" bracket (end of the bracketed passage) and kept the verse-end mark. The page carries the elephants' heading over; the verse reports their hearers' reaction, in the third person, so it is Bhishma's narration. Not in the critical edition proper: Appendix I No. 14 (13.125.038d@014_0508-0509); ce_ref left null.