Bharadvaja's Grief and Curse

Verse 1 (3.139.1)

भरद्वाजस्तु कौन्तेय कृत्वा स्वाध्यायमाह्निकम् । समित्कलापमादाय प्रविवेश स्वमाश्रमम् ॥

bharadvājastu kaunteya kṛtvā svādhyāyamāhnikam | samitkalāpamādāya praviveśa svamāśramam

Lomasha said: Bharadvaja, son of Kunti, having finished his daily Vedic recitation, took up a bundle of firewood and entered his hermitage.

Verse 2 (3.139.2)

तं स्म दृष्ट्वा पुरा सर्वे प्रत्युत्तिष्ठन्ति पावकाः । न त्वेनमुपतिष्ठन्ति हतपुत्रं तदाऽग्नयः ॥

taṃ sma dṛṣṭvā purā sarve pratyuttiṣṭhanti pāvakāḥ | na tvenamupatiṣṭhanti hataputraṃ tadā'gnayaḥ

In the past, whenever they saw him, all the fires would rise to greet him; but now, with his son slain, the fires did not rise to meet him.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रत्युत्तिष्ठिन्ति → प्रत्युत्तिष्ठन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign, critical edition pratyuttiṣṭhanti).

Verse 3 (3.139.3)

वैकृतं त्वग्निहोत्रे स लक्षयित्वा महातपाः । तमन्धं शूद्रमासीनं गृहपालमथाब्रवीत् ॥

vaikṛtaṃ tvagnihotre sa lakṣayitvā mahātapāḥ | tamandhaṃ śūdramāsīnaṃ gṛhapālamathābravīt

Noticing this change in the sacred fire, the great ascetic said to the blind Shudra, the keeper of the house, who sat there:

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (वैकृतंत्वग्निहोत्रे → वैकृतं त्वग्निहोत्रे).

Verse 4 (3.139.4)

किंनु मे नाग्नयः शूद्र प्रतिनन्दन्ति दर्शनम् । त्वं चापि न यथापूर्वं कच्चित्क्षेममिहाश्रमे ॥

kiṃnu me nāgnayaḥ śūdra pratinandanti darśanam | tvaṃ cāpi na yathāpūrvaṃ kaccitkṣemamihāśrame

'Why, Shudra, do my fires not welcome the sight of me? And you too are not as you were before. Is all well here in the hermitage?

Verse 5 (3.139.5)

कच्चिन्न रैभ्यं पुत्रो मे गतवानल्पचेतनः । एतदाचक्ष्व मे शीघ्रं न हि शुद्ध्यति मे मनः ॥

kaccinna raibhyaṃ putro me gatavānalpacetanaḥ | etadācakṣva me śīghraṃ na hi śuddhyati me manaḥ

Surely my son, that foolish boy, has not gone to Raibhya? Tell me this quickly, for my mind is not at ease.'

Verse 6 (3.139.6)

रैभ्यं यातो नूनमयं पुत्रस्ते मन्दचेतनः । तथाहि निहतः शेते राक्षसेन महात्मना ॥

raibhyaṃ yāto nūnamayaṃ putraste mandacetanaḥ | tathāhi nihataḥ śete rākṣasena mahātmanā

The Shudra said: This dull-witted son of yours must surely have gone to Raibhya, for he lies here slain by a mighty rakshasa.

Verse 7 (3.139.7)

प्रकाल्यमानस्तेनायं शूलहस्तेन रक्षसा । अग्न्यगारं प्रतिद्वारि मया दोर्भ्यां निवारितः ॥

prakālyamānastenāyaṃ śūlahastena rakṣasā | agnyagāraṃ pratidvāri mayā dorbhyāṃ nivāritaḥ

Chased by that spear-wielding rakshasa, he made for the fire-house, and I held him back at the door with my two arms.

Verse 8 (3.139.8)

ततः स विहताशोऽत्र जलकामोऽशुचिर्ध्रुवम् । निहतः सोऽतिवेगेन शूलहस्तेन रक्षसा ॥

tataḥ sa vihatāśo'tra jalakāmo'śucirdhruvam | nihataḥ so'tivegena śūlahastena rakṣasā

Then, his hope cut off here, wanting water and plainly impure, he was struck down with great force by the spear-wielding rakshasa.

Note on the text: Corrected जलकामोशुचिः → जलकामोऽशुचिः (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha, critical edition jalakāmo 'śucir) and restored a missing word space (विहताशोऽत्रजलकामो → विहताशोऽत्र जलकामो).

Verse 9 (3.139.9)

भरद्वाजस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा शूद्रस्य विप्रियं महत् । गतासुं पुत्रमादाय विललाप सुदुःखितः ॥

bharadvājastu tacchrutvā śūdrasya vipriyaṃ mahat | gatāsuṃ putramādāya vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ

Lomasha said: Hearing this most unwelcome news from the Shudra, Bharadvaja took up his lifeless son and lamented in deep sorrow.

Verse 10 (3.139.10)

ब्राह्मणानां किलार्थाय ननु त्वं तप्तवांस्तपः । द्विजानामनधीता वै वेदाः संप्रतिभान्त्विति ॥

brāhmaṇānāṃ kilārthāya nanu tvaṃ taptavāṃstapaḥ | dvijānāmanadhītā vai vedāḥ saṃpratibhāntviti

Bharadvaja said: You practised austerities, they say, for the sake of the brahmins, so that the Vedas might come to the twice-born without study.

Note on the text: Corrected रब्राह्मणानां → ब्राह्मणानां (misprint in Wikisource; stray akshara र, critical edition brāhmaṇānāṃ).

Verse 11 (3.139.11)

तथा कल्याणशीलस्त्वं ब्राह्मणेषु महात्मसु । अनागाः सर्वभूतेषु कर्कशत्वमुपेयिवान् ॥

tathā kalyāṇaśīlastvaṃ brāhmaṇeṣu mahātmasu | anāgāḥ sarvabhūteṣu karkaśatvamupeyivān

You were of noble conduct toward the great-souled brahmins and blameless toward all beings, yet you fell into harshness.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (ब्राह्मणेषुमहात्मसु → ब्राह्मणेषु महात्मसु).

Verse 12 (3.139.12)

प्रतिषिद्धो मया तात रैभ्यावसथदर्शनात् । गतवानेव तं क्षुद्रं कालान्तकयमोपमम् ॥

pratiṣiddho mayā tāta raibhyāvasathadarśanāt | gatavāneva taṃ kṣudraṃ kālāntakayamopamam

I forbade you, my son, to go near Raibhya's dwelling, yet you went to that petty man, who is like Yama, the destroyer at the end of time.

Verse 13 (3.139.13)

यः स जानन्महातेजा वृद्धस्यैकं ममात्मजम् । गतवानेव कोपस्य वशं परमदुर्मतिः ॥

yaḥ sa jānanmahātejā vṛddhasyaikaṃ mamātmajam | gatavāneva kopasya vaśaṃ paramadurmatiḥ

That man of great power, utterly evil-minded, knowing that you were the only son of an old man, still gave himself over to anger.

Verse 14 (3.139.14)

पुत्रशोकमनुप्राप्त एष रैभ्यस्य कर्मणा । त्यक्ष्यामि त्वामृते पुत्र प्राणानिष्टतमान्भुवि ॥

putraśokamanuprāpta eṣa raibhyasya karmaṇā | tyakṣyāmi tvāmṛte putra prāṇāniṣṭatamānbhuvi

Brought to grief for my son by Raibhya's deed, I shall give up without you, my son, my life, the dearest thing on earth.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (त्वामृतेपुत्र → त्वामृते पुत्र).

Verse 15 (3.139.15)

यथाऽहं पुत्रशोकेन देहं त्यक्ष्यामि किल्विषी । तथा ज्येष्ठः सुतो रैभ्यं हिंस्याच्छीघ्रमनागसम् ॥

yathā'haṃ putraśokena dehaṃ tyakṣyāmi kilviṣī | tathā jyeṣṭhaḥ suto raibhyaṃ hiṃsyācchīghramanāgasam

As I, stricken by grief for my son, shall give up my body, so may Raibhya's eldest son soon kill him, though he is innocent.

Verse 16 (3.139.16)

सुखिनो वै नरा येषां जाया पुत्रो न विद्यते । ये पुत्रशोकमप्राप्य विचरन्ति यथासुखम् ॥

sukhino vai narā yeṣāṃ jāyā putro na vidyate | ye putraśokamaprāpya vicaranti yathāsukham

Happy indeed are the men who have no wife and son; never meeting grief for a son, they go about as they please.

Verse 17 (3.139.17)

ये तु पुत्रकृताच्छोकाद्भृशं व्याकुलचेतसः । शपन्तीष्टान्सखीनार्तास्तेभ्यः पापतरो नु कः ॥

ye tu putrakṛtācchokādbhṛśaṃ vyākulacetasaḥ | śapantīṣṭānsakhīnārtāstebhyaḥ pāpataro nu kaḥ

But who is more wicked than those who, their minds deeply shaken by grief for a son, curse even their dear friends in their anguish?

Verse 18 (3.139.18)

परासुश्च सुतो दृष्टः शप्तश्चेष्टः सखा मया । ईदृशीमापदं कोऽत्र द्वितीयोऽनुभविष्यति ॥

parāsuśca suto dṛṣṭaḥ śaptaśceṣṭaḥ sakhā mayā | īdṛśīmāpadaṃ ko'tra dvitīyo'nubhaviṣyati

I have seen my son dead, and I have cursed my dear friend. Who else here will ever meet such a calamity?

Note on the text: Corrected शप्तश्चैष्टः → शप्तश्चेष्टः (misprint in Wikisource; च + इष्टः, critical edition ceṣṭaḥ), कोत्र → कोऽत्र (missing avagraha) and ऽनुविष्यति → ऽनुभविष्यति (dropped akshara; the line is a syllable short, critical edition 'nubhaviṣyati).

Verse 19 (3.139.19)

विलप्यैवं बहुविधं भरद्वाजोऽदहत्सुतम् । सुसमिद्धं ततः पश्चात्प्रविवेश हुताशनम् ॥

vilapyaivaṃ bahuvidhaṃ bharadvājo'dahatsutam | susamiddhaṃ tataḥ paścātpraviveśa hutāśanam

Lomasha said: Having lamented thus in many ways, Bharadvaja cremated his son, and afterwards entered the blazing fire himself.