Kartavirya Arjuna and the Voice from the Sky

Verse 1 (13.257.1)

कां तु ब्राह्मणपूजायां व्युष्टिं दृष्ट्वा जनाधिप । कं वा धर्मोदयं मत्वा तानर्चसि महामते ॥

kāṃ tu brāhmaṇapūjāyāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ dṛṣṭvā janādhipa | kaṃ vā dharmodayaṃ matvā tānarcasi mahāmate

Seeing what fruit in the worship of brahmins, O ruler of men, or reckoning what rise of dharma, do you honour them, O wise one?

Verse 2 (13.257.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । पवनस्य च संवादमर्जुनस्य च भारत ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | pavanasya ca saṃvādamarjunasya ca bhārata

On this point they tell an ancient account: the dialogue between the Wind and Arjuna, O Bharata.

Verse 3 (13.257.3)

सहस्रभुजभृच्छ्रीमान्कार्तवीर्योऽभवत्प्रभुः । अस्य लोकस्य सर्वस्य माहिष्मत्यां महाबलः ॥

sahasrabhujabhṛcchrīmānkārtavīryo'bhavatprabhuḥ | asya lokasya sarvasya māhiṣmatyāṃ mahābalaḥ

There was a splendid and mighty lord, Kartavirya, bearer of a thousand arms, who ruled this whole world from Mahishmati.

Verse 4 (13.257.4)

स तु रत्नाकरवतीं सप्तद्वीपां ससागराम् । शशास पृथिवीं सर्वां हैहयः सत्यविक्रमः ॥

sa tu ratnākaravatīṃ saptadvīpāṃ sasāgarām | śaśāsa pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ haihayaḥ satyavikramaḥ

That Haihaya, true in valour, ruled the whole earth with its seven continents, its jewelled seas and its oceans.

Note on the text: Recension variant in line 1 (Wikisource सप्तद्वीपां ससागराम्; CE sadvīpāṃ sāgarāmbarām).

Verse 5 (13.257.5)

स्ववित्तं तेन दत्तं तु दत्तात्रेयाय कर्मणे । क्षत्रधर्मं पुरस्कृत्य विनयं श्रुतमेव च ॥

svavittaṃ tena dattaṃ tu dattātreyāya karmaṇe | kṣatradharmaṃ puraskṛtya vinayaṃ śrutameva ca

He gave his own wealth to Dattatreya for the sake of the work, putting first the duty of a warrior, humility and learning.

Verse 6 (13.257.6)

आराधयामास च तं कृतवीर्यात्मजो मुनिम् । न्यमन्त्रयत संतुष्टो द्विजश्चैनं वरैस्त्रिभिः ॥

ārādhayāmāsa ca taṃ kṛtavīryātmajo munim | nyamantrayata saṃtuṣṭo dvijaścainaṃ varaistribhiḥ

The son of Kritavirya propitiated that sage, and the brahmin, pleased, invited him to choose three boons.

Note on the text: Recension variant in line 2 (Wikisource न्यमन्त्रयत संतुष्टो द्विजश्चैनं; CE nyamantrayata saṃhṛṣṭaḥ sa dvijaś ca).

Verse 7 (13.257.7)

स वरैश्छन्दितस्तेन नृपो वचनमब्रवीत् । सहस्रबाहुता मेऽस्तु यूपमध्ये ग्रहो यथा ॥

sa varaiśchanditastena nṛpo vacanamabravīt | sahasrabāhutā me'stu yūpamadhye graho yathā

Urged by him to choose boons, the king said: "May I have a thousand arms, as the libation cup stands amid the sacrificial posts.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 13.137.7a; line 2 is a recension variant (Wikisource सहस्रबाहुता मेऽस्तु यूपमध्ये ग्रहो यथा; CE sahasrabāhur bhūyāṃ vai camūmadhye gṛhe 'nyathā). The speech of the king begins in line 2.

Verse 8 (13.257.8)

मम बाहुसहस्रं तु पश्यन्तां सैनिका रणे । विक्रमेण महीं कृत्स्नां जयेयं संशितव्रत ॥

mama bāhusahasraṃ tu paśyantāṃ sainikā raṇe | vikrameṇa mahīṃ kṛtsnāṃ jayeyaṃ saṃśitavrata

Let my soldiers see my thousand arms in battle; by my valour may I conquer the whole earth, O keeper of strict vows.

Note on the text: Corrected विक्रमेणि → विक्रमेण (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign; CE 13.137.8 vikrameṇa). Lines = CE 13.137.8a and 8c (line 2 ends संशितव्रत; CE vipulavrata). The whole verse is the king's speech; the page prints no speaker heading here, and the speaker is given to Kartavirya Arjuna, whose speech it is (he is headed अर्जुन below).

Verse 9 (13.257.9)

तां च धर्मेण सम्प्राप्य पालयेयमतन्द्रितः । चतुर्थं तु वरं याचे त्वामहं द्विजसत्तम ॥

tāṃ ca dharmeṇa samprāpya pālayeyamatandritaḥ | caturthaṃ tu varaṃ yāce tvāmahaṃ dvijasattama

And having won it justly, may I rule it untiringly. A fourth boon I ask of you, best of brahmins.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 13.137.8e; line 2 = CE 13.137.9a. The whole verse is Kartavirya Arjuna's speech (no heading printed on the page).

Verse 10 (13.257.10)

तं ममानुग्रहकृते दातुमर्हस्यनिन्दित । अनुशाशन्तु मां सन्तो मिथ्यावृत्तं त्वदाश्रयम् ॥

taṃ mamānugrahakṛte dātumarhasyanindita | anuśāśantu māṃ santo mithyāvṛttaṃ tvadāśrayam

That too you should grant me, blameless one, out of kindness to me: may good men instruct me if I act falsely, for I have you as my refuge."

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 13.137.9c; line 2 is a recension variant of CE 13.137.9e (Wikisource अनुशाशन्तु मां सन्तो मिथ्यावृत्तं त्वदाश्रयम्; CE anuśāsantu māṃ santo mithyāvṛttaṃ tadāśrayam). The whole verse is Kartavirya Arjuna's speech (no heading printed on the page).

Verse 11 (13.257.11)

इत्युक्तः स द्विजः प्राह तथास्त्विति नराधिपम् । एवं समभवंस्तस्य वरास्ते दीप्ततेजसः ॥

ityuktaḥ sa dvijaḥ prāha tathāstviti narādhipam | evaṃ samabhavaṃstasya varāste dīptatejasaḥ

So addressed, the brahmin said to the king, "So be it." Thus those boons of his, blazing with energy, came to be.

Verse 12 (13.257.12)

गतः स रथमास्थाय ज्वलनार्कसमद्युतिम् । अब्रवीद्वीर्यसंमोहात्को वाऽस्ति सदृशो मम ॥

gataḥ sa rathamāsthāya jvalanārkasamadyutim | abravīdvīryasaṃmohātko vā'sti sadṛśo mama

He went forth on a chariot shining like fire and the sun, and in the delusion of his might he said, "Who is there that is my equal

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.137.11a and 11c (Wikisource गतः स...; CE tataḥ sa...; line 2 अब्रवीद्वीर्यसंमोहात्को वाऽस्ति सदृशो मम, CE ko nv asti sadṛśo mayā). The question ends in the next verse.

Verse 13 (13.257.13)

धैर्यैर्वीर्यैर्यशःशौर्यैर्विक्रमेणौजसाऽपि वा । तद्वाक्यान्ते चान्तरिक्षे वागुवाचाशरीरिणी ॥

dhairyairvīryairyaśaḥśauryairvikrameṇaujasā'pi vā | tadvākyānte cāntarikṣe vāguvācāśarīriṇī

in steadfastness, valour, fame, heroism, prowess or vigour?" At the end of his words, a bodiless voice spoke in the sky.

Note on the text: Corrected यशःशौर्यौर्विक्रमेण → यशःशौर्यैर्विक्रमेण (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign in शौर्यैः). Line 1 = CE 13.137.11e (Wikisource धैर्यैर्वीर्यैर्यशःशौर्यैर्; CE vīryadhairyayaśaḥśaucair), completing the king's speech; line 2 = CE 13.137.12a.

Verse 14 (13.257.14)

न त्वं मूढ विजानीषे ब्राह्मणं क्षत्रियाद्वरम् । सहितो ब्राह्मणेनेह क्षत्रियः शास्ति वै प्रजाः ॥

na tvaṃ mūḍha vijānīṣe brāhmaṇaṃ kṣatriyādvaram | sahito brāhmaṇeneha kṣatriyaḥ śāsti vai prajāḥ

"Fool, you do not understand that a brahmin is better than a kshatriya. It is only together with a brahmin that a kshatriya governs his subjects."

Note on the text: Lines = CE 13.137.12c and 12e (Wikisource शास्ति; CE rakṣati). The whole verse is spoken by the bodiless voice; the page heads no speaker here (the preceding heading is Bhishma's), so the speaker is given to the voice.

Verse 15 (13.257.15)

कुर्यां भूतानि तुष्टोऽहं क्रुद्धो नाशं तथा नये । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा न मत्तोस्ति वरो द्विजः ॥

kuryāṃ bhūtāni tuṣṭo'haṃ kruddho nāśaṃ tathā naye | karmaṇā manasā vācā na mattosti varo dvijaḥ

"I can create beings when I am pleased, and bring them to destruction when I am angered. In deed, in mind or in word, there is no brahmin better than I.

Note on the text: Corrected कर्म्णा → कर्मणा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel; CE 13.137.13 karmaṇā). Speaker as headed on the page (अर्जुन उवाच): Kartavirya Arjuna answering the voice.

Verse 16 (13.257.16)

पूर्वो ब्रह्मोत्तरो वादो द्वितीयः क्षत्रियोत्तरः । त्वयोक्तौ हेतुयुक्तौ तौ विशेषस्तत्र दृश्यते ॥

pūrvo brahmottaro vādo dvitīyaḥ kṣatriyottaraḥ | tvayoktau hetuyuktau tau viśeṣastatra dṛśyate

Of the two doctrines, the first puts the brahmin above, the second the kshatriya above. You have stated both with reasons, and a difference is to be seen between them.

Verse 17 (13.257.17)

ब्राह्मणाः संश्रिताः क्षत्रं न क्षत्रं ब्राह्मणाश्रितम् । श्रिता ब्रह्मोपधा विप्राः खादन्ति क्षत्रियान्भुवि ॥

brāhmaṇāḥ saṃśritāḥ kṣatraṃ na kṣatraṃ brāhmaṇāśritam | śritā brahmopadhā viprāḥ khādanti kṣatriyānbhuvi

Brahmins depend on the warrior class; the warrior class does not depend on brahmins. Having taken refuge, brahmins who use the Veda as a pretext feed on kshatriyas on earth.

Note on the text: Aligned by hand to CE 13.137.15 (line 2 Wikisource श्रिता ब्रह्मोपधा विप्राः; CE śritān brahmopadhā viprāḥ).

Verse 18 (13.257.18)

क्षत्रियेष्वाश्रितो धर्मः प्रजानां परिपालनम् । क्षत्राद्वृत्तिर्ब्राह्मणानां तैः कथं ब्राह्मणो वरः ॥

kṣatriyeṣvāśrito dharmaḥ prajānāṃ paripālanam | kṣatrādvṛttirbrāhmaṇānāṃ taiḥ kathaṃ brāhmaṇo varaḥ

Dharma rests on the kshatriyas; it lies in protecting the people. The brahmins' livelihood comes from the warrior class; how then is the brahmin the better?

Verse 19 (13.257.19)

सर्वभूतप्रधानांस्तान्भैक्षवृत्तीनहं सदा । आत्मसम्भावितान्विप्रान्स्थापयाम्यात्मनो वशे ॥

sarvabhūtapradhānāṃstānbhaikṣavṛttīnahaṃ sadā | ātmasambhāvitānviprānsthāpayāmyātmano vaśe

Though they are the foremost of all beings, living on alms and esteemed by themselves, I always keep these brahmins under my own control.

Verse 20 (13.257.20)

कथितं त्वनयाऽसत्यं गायन्त्या कन्यया दिवि । विजेष्याम्यवशान्सर्वान्ब्राह्मणांश्चर्मवाससः ॥

kathitaṃ tvanayā'satyaṃ gāyantyā kanyayā divi | vijeṣyāmyavaśānsarvānbrāhmaṇāṃścarmavāsasaḥ

This was spoken falsely by this maiden singing in heaven. I shall conquer all the brahmins in their hide garments, however unwilling they are.

Note on the text: Wikisource footnote variant (गायत्र्या कन्यया) not adopted.

Verse 21 (13.257.21)

न च मां च्यावयेद्राष्ट्रात्त्रिषु लोकेषु कश्चन । देवो वा मानुषो वाऽपि तस्माज्जेष्ये द्विजानहम् ॥

na ca māṃ cyāvayedrāṣṭrāttriṣu lokeṣu kaścana | devo vā mānuṣo vā'pi tasmājjeṣye dvijānaham

No one in the three worlds, whether god or man, can drive me out of my kingdom; therefore I shall overcome the brahmins.

Note on the text: Corrected ज्येष्ये → जेष्ये (misprint in Wikisource; ज्येष्ये is not a valid form, जेष्ये "I shall overcome" matches विजेष्यामि in the previous verse and द्विजानहम्; the CE here reads jyeṣṭho dvijād aham).

Verse 22 (13.257.22)

अद्य ब्रह्मोत्तरं लोकं करिष्ये क्षत्रियोत्तरम् । नहि मे संयुगे कश्चित्सोढुमुत्सहते बलम् ॥

adya brahmottaraṃ lokaṃ kariṣye kṣatriyottaram | nahi me saṃyuge kaścitsoḍhumutsahate balam

Today I shall make the world, which is now ruled by brahmins, ruled by kshatriyas. No one in battle can withstand my strength."

Verse 23 (13.257.23)

अर्जुनस्य वचः श्रुत्वा वित्रस्ताऽभून्निशाचरी । अथैनमन्तरिक्षस्थस्ततो वायुरभाषत ॥

arjunasya vacaḥ śrutvā vitrastā'bhūnniśācarī | athainamantarikṣasthastato vāyurabhāṣata

On hearing Arjuna's words, the night-ranging one was terrified; then the Wind, standing in the sky, spoke to him.

Note on the text: The input carried the speaker अर्जुन over from the heading above; this verse is narration (Bhishma) introducing the Wind's speech.

Verse 24 (13.257.24)

त्यजैनं कलुषं भावं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कुरु । एतेषां कुर्वतः पापं राष्ट्रक्षोभो भविष्यति ॥

tyajainaṃ kaluṣaṃ bhāvaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo namaskuru | eteṣāṃ kurvataḥ pāpaṃ rāṣṭrakṣobho bhaviṣyati

"Give up this evil mind and bow to the brahmins. If you do wrong to them, there will be unrest in your kingdom.

Note on the text: The input carried the speaker अर्जुन over from the heading above; the whole verse is the Wind's speech, so the speaker is वायु.

Verse 25 (13.257.25)

अथ च त्वां महीपाल शमयिष्यन्ति वै द्विजाः । निरसिष्यन्ति ते राष्ट्राद्धतोत्साहा महाबलाः ॥

atha ca tvāṃ mahīpāla śamayiṣyanti vai dvijāḥ | nirasiṣyanti te rāṣṭrāddhatotsāhā mahābalāḥ

Or else, O lord of the earth, the brahmins will subdue you; or those mighty ones, their spirit broken, will drive you out of the kingdom."

Note on the text: The input carried the speaker अर्जुन over from the heading above; the whole verse is the Wind's speech, so the speaker is वायु.

Verse 26 (13.257.26)

तं राजा कस्त्वमित्याह ततस्तं प्राह मारुतः । वायुर्वै देवदूतोस्मि हितं त्वां प्रब्रवीम्यहम् ॥

taṃ rājā kastvamityāha tatastaṃ prāha mārutaḥ | vāyurvai devadūtosmi hitaṃ tvāṃ prabravīmyaham

The king asked him, "Who are you?" and the Wind then answered him: "I am the Wind, a messenger of the gods, and I speak to you for your good."

Note on the text: The input carried the speaker अर्जुन over from the heading above; line 1 is narration (Bhishma) and line 2 is the Wind's reply, so the verse is kept with the narrator.

Verse 27 (13.257.27)

अहो त्वयाऽयं विप्रेषु भक्तिरागः प्रदर्शितः । यादृशं पृथिवीभूतं तादृशं ब्रूहि मे द्विजम् ॥

aho tvayā'yaṃ vipreṣu bhaktirāgaḥ pradarśitaḥ | yādṛśaṃ pṛthivībhūtaṃ tādṛśaṃ brūhi me dvijam

"Ah, what great devotion to brahmins you have shown! Then tell me of a brahmin who is to the world what the earth is.

Verse 28 (13.257.28)

वायोर्वा सदृशं किञ्चिद्ब्रूहि त्वं ब्राह्मणोत्तमम् । अपां वै सदृशं वह्नेः सूर्यस्य नभसोऽपि वा ॥

vāyorvā sadṛśaṃ kiñcidbrūhi tvaṃ brāhmaṇottamam | apāṃ vai sadṛśaṃ vahneḥ sūryasya nabhaso'pi vā

Or tell me of some excellent brahmin like the wind; like the waters, like fire, like the sun, or like the sky."