Suhotra Yields the Road to Shibi

Verse 1 (3.197.1)

ततः पाण्डवाः पुनर्मार्कण्डेयमूचुः ॥

tataḥ pāṇḍavāḥ punarmārkaṇḍeyamūcuḥ

Then the Pandavas spoke to Markandeya again:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 83–84), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 2 (3.197.2)

कथितं ब्राह्मणमहाभाग्यं राजन्यमहाभाग्यमिदानीं शुश्रूषामह इति तानुवाच मार्कण्डेयो महर्षिः श्रूयतामिति इदानीं राजन्यानां महाभाग्यमिति ॥

kathitaṃ brāhmaṇamahābhāgyaṃ rājanyamahābhāgyamidānīṃ śuśrūṣāmaha iti tānuvāca mārkaṇḍeyo maharṣiḥ śrūyatāmiti idānīṃ rājanyānāṃ mahābhāgyamiti

"You have told us of the greatness of brahmins; now we wish to hear of the greatness of kshatriyas." The great seer Markandeya said to them, "Listen, then, to the greatness of kshatriyas."

Note on the text: Wikisource's prose paragraph 2 is divided here at the change of speaker: the Pandavas' request and Markandeya's reply are the narrator's, and the tale that follows (next verse) is Markandeya's; both parts keep the number 2. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 84–86), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 3 (3.197.3)

कुरूणामन्यतमः सुहोत्रो नाम राजा महर्षीनभिगम्य निवृत्य रथस्थमेव राजानमौशीनरं शिबिं ददर्शाभिमुखं तौ समेत्य परस्परेण यथावयः पूजां प्रयुज्य गुणसाम्येन परस्परेण तुल्यात्मानौ विदित्वान्योन्यस्य पन्थानं न ददतुस्तत्र नारदः प्रादुरासीत् किमिदं भवन्तौ परस्परस्य पन्थानमावृत्य तिष्ठत इति ॥

kurūṇāmanyatamaḥ suhotro nāma rājā maharṣīnabhigamya nivṛtya rathasthameva rājānamauśīnaraṃ śibiṃ dadarśābhimukhaṃ tau sametya paraspareṇa yathāvayaḥ pūjāṃ prayujya guṇasāmyena paraspareṇa tulyātmānau viditvānyonyasya panthānaṃ na dadatustatra nāradaḥ prādurāsīt kimidaṃ bhavantau parasparasya panthānamāvṛtya tiṣṭhata iti

A king of the Kurus named Suhotra was returning from a visit to the great seers when he saw, coming towards him, King Shibi, son of Ushinara, also in his chariot. The two met and honoured each other as befitted their age; but each, judging the other his equal in virtue, would not give way. Then Narada appeared there and said, "What is this? Why do you stand blocking each other's way?"

Note on the text: Second part of Wikisource's paragraph 2, divided at the change of speaker (see the previous verse). Corrected रशस्थमेव → रथस्थमेव (misprint in Wikisource; श for थ; Appendix I.21 reads rathastham eva). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 87–92), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 4 (3.197.4)

तावूचतुर्नारद नैतद् भगवन् पूर्वकर्मकर्त्रादिभिर्विशिष्टस्य पन्था उपदिश्यते समर्थाय वा आवां च सख्यं परस्परेणोपगतौ तच्चावधानतोऽत्युत्कृष्टमधरोत्तरं परिभ्रष्टं नारदस्त्वेवमुक्तः श्लोकत्रयमपठत् ॥

tāvūcaturnārada naitad bhagavan pūrvakarmakartrādibhirviśiṣṭasya panthā upadiśyate samarthāya vā āvāṃ ca sakhyaṃ paraspareṇopagatau taccāvadhānato'tyutkṛṣṭamadharottaraṃ paribhraṣṭaṃ nāradastvevamuktaḥ ślokatrayamapaṭhat

The two replied, "It is not as it seems, Narada, lord. The rule is that the road is given to one who excels in former deeds and the like, or to the stronger. But we two have become friends, and when we look closely, any question of higher and lower vanishes entirely." So addressed, Narada recited three verses:

Note on the text: Split from the following verse: the input ran this prose paragraph together with Narada's first verse (numbered 4). The raw page closes the paragraph with ।। but no number; it is numbered 3 here, the gap between 2 and 4 confirming it. Removed a stray dash after अपठत् and restored a missing word space (अधरोत्तरंपरिभ्रष्टं → अधरोत्तरं परिभ्रष्टं). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 92–95), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 5 (3.197.5)

क्रूरः कौरव्य मृदवे मृदुः क्रूरे च कौरव । साधुश्चासाधवे साधुः साधवे नाप्नुयात् कथम् ॥

krūraḥ kauravya mṛdave mṛduḥ krūre ca kaurava | sādhuścāsādhave sādhuḥ sādhave nāpnuyāt katham

"The cruel man is cruel even to the gentle, O Kauravya; the gentle man is gentle even to the cruel, O Kaurava; the good man is good even to the wicked — how then should he not be good to the good?

Note on the text: Split from the preceding prose paragraph, with which the input ran it together. Pada breaks reformatted: Wikisource sets each quarter of this verse on its own line, with hyphens where sandhi joins the quarters; it is set here as two half-verse lines. Wording unchanged. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 96–97), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 6 (3.197.6)

कृतं शतगुणं कुर्यान्नास्ति देवेषु निर्णयः । औशीनरः साधुशीलो भवतो वै महीपतिः ॥

kṛtaṃ śataguṇaṃ kuryānnāsti deveṣu nirṇayaḥ | auśīnaraḥ sādhuśīlo bhavato vai mahīpatiḥ

A kindness should be repaid a hundredfold; not even among the gods is there a fixed rule. This lord of the earth, the son of Ushinara, is of nobler conduct than you.

Note on the text: Pada breaks reformatted: Wikisource sets each quarter of this verse on its own line, with hyphens where sandhi joins the quarters; it is set here as two half-verse lines. Wording unchanged. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 98–99), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 7 (3.197.7)

जयेत् कदर्यं दानेन सत्येनानृतवादिनम् । क्षमया क्रूरकर्माणमसाधुं साधुना जयेत् ॥

jayet kadaryaṃ dānena satyenānṛtavādinam | kṣamayā krūrakarmāṇamasādhuṃ sādhunā jayet

Conquer the miser by giving and the liar by truth; conquer the cruel by forbearance and the wicked by goodness."

Note on the text: Pada breaks reformatted: Wikisource sets each quarter of this verse on its own line, with hyphens where sandhi joins the quarters; it is set here as two half-verse lines. Wording unchanged. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 100–101), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 8 (3.197.8)

तदुभावेव भवन्तावुदारौ य इदानीं भवद्भ्यामन्यतमः सोऽपसर्पतु एतद् वै निदर्शनमित्युक्त्वा तूष्णीं नारदो बभूव । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु कौरव्यः शिबिं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा पन्थानं दत्त्वा बहुकर्मभिः प्रशस्य प्रययौ ॥

tadubhāveva bhavantāvudārau ya idānīṃ bhavadbhyāmanyatamaḥ so'pasarpatu etad vai nidarśanamityuktvā tūṣṇīṃ nārado babhūva | etacchrutvā tu kauravyaḥ śibiṃ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā panthānaṃ dattvā bahukarmabhiḥ praśasya prayayau

"You are both noble-hearted. Now let one of you, whichever it may be, step aside; that will be the proof." With these words Narada fell silent. Hearing this, the Kuru king walked around Shibi, keeping him on his right, gave him the road, praised his many deeds, and went on his way.

Note on the text: Removed a stray hyphen and space left from a line break (अन्य- तमः → अन्यतमः); the mid-paragraph danda is set as a line break. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 102–105), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.

Verse 9 (3.197.9)

तदेतद् राज्ञो महाभाग्यमप्युक्तवान् नारदः ॥

tadetad rājño mahābhāgyamapyuktavān nāradaḥ

Thus did Narada declare this greatness of a king.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I, No. 21 (lines 105–106), a passage inserted after 3.190.82 whose second section is this adhyaya, Suhotra and Shibi.