Vrishadarbha's Secret Vow

Verse 1 (3.199.1)

भूय एव महाभाग्यं कथ्यतामित्यब्रवीत् पाण्डवः ॥

bhūya eva mahābhāgyaṃ kathyatāmityabravīt pāṇḍavaḥ

"Tell us more of the greatness of kings," said the son of Pandu.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §57; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 2 (3.199.2)

अथाचष्ट मार्कण्डेयो महाराज वृषदर्भसेदुकनामानौ राजानौ नीतिमार्गरतावस्त्रोपास्त्रकृतिनौ ॥

athācaṣṭa mārkaṇḍeyo mahārāja vṛṣadarbhasedukanāmānau rājānau nītimārgaratāvastropāstrakṛtinau

Then Markandeya told this: "Great king, there were two kings named Vrishadarbha and Seduka, both devoted to the path of statecraft and skilled in the major and lesser weapons."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §58; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (3.199.3)

सेदुको वृषदर्भस्य बालस्यैव उपांशुव्रतमभ्यजानात् कुप्यमदेयं ब्राह्मणस्य ॥

seduko vṛṣadarbhasya bālasyaiva upāṃśuvratamabhyajānāt kupyamadeyaṃ brāhmaṇasya

Seduka knew of the secret vow Vrishadarbha had kept since he was a boy: that base metal must not be given to a Brahmin.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §59; found in the vulgate recension). Removed a stray line-break hyphen: अभ्यजा- नात् → अभ्यजानात् (the critical edition reads abhyajānāt).

Verse 4 (3.199.4)

अथ तं सेदुकं ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् वेदाध्ययनसम्पन्न आशिषं दत्त्वा गुर्वर्थी भिक्षितवान् ॥

atha taṃ sedukaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ kaścid vedādhyayanasampanna āśiṣaṃ dattvā gurvarthī bhikṣitavān

Now a certain Brahmin, accomplished in the study of the Vedas, came to Seduka, gave him his blessing and begged from him, needing a fee for his teacher.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §59–60; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (3.199.5)

अश्वसहस्रं मे भवान् ददात्विति तं सेदुको ब्राह्मणमब्रवीत् ॥

aśvasahasraṃ me bhavān dadātviti taṃ seduko brāhmaṇamabravīt

"Give me a thousand horses, sir," he said. Seduka said to the Brahmin:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §60–61; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (3.199.6)

नास्ति सम्भवो गुर्वर्थं दातुमिति ॥

nāsti sambhavo gurvarthaṃ dātumiti

"It is not possible for me to give you your teacher's fee.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §61; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 7 (3.199.7)

स त्वं गच्छ वृषदर्भसकाशम् । राजा परमधर्मज्ञो ब्राह्मण तं भिक्षस्व । स ते दास्यति तस्यैतदुपांशुव्रतमिति ॥

sa tvaṃ gaccha vṛṣadarbhasakāśam | rājā paramadharmajño brāhmaṇa taṃ bhikṣasva | sa te dāsyati tasyaitadupāṃśuvratamiti

Go instead to Vrishadarbha. That king knows dharma supremely well. Beg from him, Brahmin; he will give it to you. That is his secret vow."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §61; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 8 (3.199.8)

अथ ब्राह्मणो वृषदर्भसकाशं गत्वा अश्वसहस्रमयाचत् । स राजा तं कशेनाताडयत् ॥

atha brāhmaṇo vṛṣadarbhasakāśaṃ gatvā aśvasahasramayācat | sa rājā taṃ kaśenātāḍayat

So the Brahmin went to Vrishadarbha and asked him for a thousand horses. The king struck him with a whip.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §62; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (3.199.9)

तं ब्राह्मणोऽब्रवीत् । किं हंस्यनागसं मामिति ॥

taṃ brāhmaṇo'bravīt | kiṃ haṃsyanāgasaṃ māmiti

The Brahmin said to him, "Why do you strike me, when I have done no wrong?"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §62; found in the vulgate recension). Corrected हिंस्यनागसं → हंस्यनागसं (misprint in Wikisource; हिंसि is not a valid form; the critical edition reads haṃsy anāgasaṃ).

Verse 10 (3.199.10)

एवमुक्त्वा तं शपन्तं राजाऽऽह । विप्र किं यो न ददाति तुभ्यमुताहोस्विद् ब्राह्मण्यमेतत् ॥

evamuktvā taṃ śapantaṃ rājā''ha | vipra kiṃ yo na dadāti tubhyamutāhosvid brāhmaṇyametat

Having said this, he began to curse him, and the king said: "Brahmin, do you curse a man because he does not give to you? Or is this what being a Brahmin means?"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I No. 21, inserted after 3.190.82, §63; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (3.199.11)

राजाधिराज तव समीपं सेदुकेन प्रेषितो भिक्षितुमागतः । तेनानुशिष्टेन मया त्वं भिक्षितोऽसि ॥

rājādhirāja tava samīpaṃ sedukena preṣito bhikṣitumāgataḥ | tenānuśiṣṭena mayā tvaṃ bhikṣito'si

"King of kings, Seduka sent me to you, and I came to beg. It was on his advice that I begged from you."

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (Appendix I No. 21, §64, inserted after 3.190.82): Wikisource closes the adhyaya after verse 10, at the king's question, so the Brahmin's reply and the end of the story are lost; the critical edition gives them under "brāhmaṇa uvāca". Not in the critical edition's constituted text (vulgate recension).

Verse 12 (3.199.12)

पूर्वाह्णे ते दास्यामि । यो मेऽद्य बलिरागमिष्यति । यो हन्यते कशया कथं मोघं क्षेपणं तस्य स्यात् ॥

pūrvāhṇe te dāsyāmi | yo me'dya balirāgamiṣyati | yo hanyate kaśayā kathaṃ moghaṃ kṣepaṇaṃ tasya syāt

"In the forenoon I shall give you whatever tribute comes to me today. How could the lash be in vain for one who is struck with my whip?"

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (Appendix I No. 21, §65, under "rājovāca"): lost from Wikisource with the rest of the story's ending (see the previous verse).

Verse 13 (3.199.13)

इत्युक्त्वा ब्राह्मणाय दैवसिकामुत्पत्तिं प्रादात् । अधिकस्याश्वसहस्रस्य मूल्यमेवादादिति ॥

ityuktvā brāhmaṇāya daivasikāmutpattiṃ prādāt | adhikasyāśvasahasrasya mūlyamevādāditi

Having said this, he gave the Brahmin the whole of that day's revenue; what he gave was worth more than a thousand horses.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (Appendix I No. 21, §66): the closing sentence of the story, lost from Wikisource (see the two previous verses).