Prahlada's Teaching on Forgiveness and Might

Verse 1 (3.28.1)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । प्रह्लादस्य च संवादं बलेर्वैरोचनस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | prahlādasya ca saṃvādaṃ balervairocanasya ca

On this they cite an ancient story, the dialogue between Prahlada and Bali, the son of Virochana.

Verse 2 (3.28.2)

असुरेन्द्रं महाप्राज्ञं धर्माणामागतागमम् । बलिः पप्रच्छ दैत्येन्द्रं प्रह्लादं पितरं पितुः ॥

asurendraṃ mahāprājñaṃ dharmāṇāmāgatāgamam | baliḥ papraccha daityendraṃ prahlādaṃ pitaraṃ pituḥ

Bali questioned Prahlada, his father's father — lord of the Asuras, king of the Daityas, deeply wise and versed in the secrets of dharma:

Note on the text: Corrected दैत्येनद्रं → दैत्येन्द्रं (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct; the critical edition reads daityendraṃ).

Verse 3 (3.28.3)

क्षमा स्विच्छ्रेयसी तात उताहो तेज इत्युत । एतन्मे संशयं तात यथावद्ब्रूहि पृच्छते ॥

kṣamā svicchreyasī tāta utāho teja ityuta | etanme saṃśayaṃ tāta yathāvadbrūhi pṛcchate

"Father, is forgiveness the better, or is it might? This is my doubt, father; I ask you — tell me truly."

Note on the text: Speaker set to बलि: these lines are Bali's own question to Prahlada, quoted inside Draupadi's story (no printed heading).

Verse 4 (3.28.4)

श्रेयो यदत्र धर्मज्ञ ब्रूहि मे तदसंशयम् । करिष्यामि हि तत्सर्वं यथावदनुशासनम् ॥

śreyo yadatra dharmajña brūhi me tadasaṃśayam | kariṣyāmi hi tatsarvaṃ yathāvadanuśāsanam

"O knower of dharma, tell me plainly which of the two is the better, and I shall do all of it exactly as you instruct."

Note on the text: Speaker set to बलि: these lines are Bali's own question to Prahlada, quoted inside Draupadi's story (no printed heading).

Verse 5 (3.28.5)

तस्मै प्रोवाच तत्सर्वमेवं पृष्टः पितामहः । सर्वनिश्चयवित्प्राज्ञः संशयं परिपृच्छते ॥

tasmai provāca tatsarvamevaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ pitāmahaḥ | sarvaniścayavitprājñaḥ saṃśayaṃ paripṛcchate

Asked in this way, the grandfather, wise and knowing every settled truth, explained it all to the one who had questioned him about his doubt.

Verse 6 (3.28.6)

न श्रेयः सततं तेजो न नित्यं श्रेयसी क्षमा । इति तात विजानीहि द्वयमेतदसंशयम् ॥

na śreyaḥ satataṃ tejo na nityaṃ śreyasī kṣamā | iti tāta vijānīhi dvayametadasaṃśayam

Might is not always the better, nor is forgiveness always the better. Know this about the two, my son, beyond doubt.

Verse 7 (3.28.7)

यो नित्यं क्षमते तात बहून्दोषान्स विन्दति । भृत्याः परिभवन्त्येनमुदासीनास्तथाऽरयः ॥

yo nityaṃ kṣamate tāta bahūndoṣānsa vindati | bhṛtyāḥ paribhavantyenamudāsīnāstathā'rayaḥ

He who always forgives, my son, meets with many troubles. His servants despise him, and so do strangers and enemies.

Verse 8 (3.28.8)

सर्वभूतानि चाप्यस्य न नमन्ते कदाचन । तस्मान्नित्यं क्षमा तात पण्डितैरपि वर्जिता ॥

sarvabhūtāni cāpyasya na namante kadācana | tasmānnityaṃ kṣamā tāta paṇḍitairapi varjitā

No creature ever bows to him. So, my son, even the wise shun forgiveness that never ends.

Note on the text: Corrected चाप्यस् → चाप्यस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, leaving the line a syllable short; the critical edition reads cāpy asya). वर्जिता for the critical edition's apavāditā is a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 9 (3.28.9)

अवज्ञाय हितं भृत्या भजन्ते बहुदोषताम् । आदातुं चास्य वित्तानि प्रार्थयन्तेऽल्पचेतसः ॥

avajñāya hitaṃ bhṛtyā bhajante bahudoṣatām | ādātuṃ cāsya vittāni prārthayante'lpacetasaḥ

Holding their master's good in contempt, his servants fall into many faults, and small-minded men set out to seize his wealth.

Verse 10 (3.28.10)

यानं वस्त्राण्यलंकाराञ्शयनान्यासनानि च । भोजनान्यथ पानानि सर्वोपकरणानि च ॥

yānaṃ vastrāṇyalaṃkārāñśayanānyāsanāni ca | bhojanānyatha pānāni sarvopakaraṇāni ca

Carriages, clothes and ornaments, beds and seats, food and drink, and every kind of furnishing —

Verse 11 (3.28.11)

आददीरन्नधिकृता यथाकाममचेतसः । प्रदिष्टानि च देयानि न दद्युर्भर्तृशासनात् ॥

ādadīrannadhikṛtā yathākāmamacetasaḥ | pradiṣṭāni ca deyāni na dadyurbhartṛśāsanāt

the senseless men placed in charge of these take them as they please; and gifts they have been told to give, they do not give, though their master has ordered it.

Verse 12 (3.28.12)

न चैनं भर्तृपूजाभिः पूजयन्ति कदाचन । अवज्ञानं हि लोकेऽस्मिन्मरणादपि गर्हितम् ॥

na cainaṃ bhartṛpūjābhiḥ pūjayanti kadācana | avajñānaṃ hi loke'sminmaraṇādapi garhitam

They never honour him with the respect due to a master; and in this world, to be held in contempt is worse than death.

Note on the text: Corrected अव्रज्ञानं → अवज्ञानं (misprint in Wikisource; व्र for व; the critical edition reads avajñānaṃ).

Verse 13 (3.28.13)

क्षमिणं तादृशं तात ब्रुवन्ति कटुकान्यपि । प्रेष्याः पुत्राश्च भृत्याश्च तथोदासीनवृत्तयः ॥

kṣamiṇaṃ tādṛśaṃ tāta bruvanti kaṭukānyapi | preṣyāḥ putrāśca bhṛtyāśca tathodāsīnavṛttayaḥ

To such a forgiving man, my son, his attendants, his sons, his servants and those who stand aloof speak even bitter words.

Note on the text: Corrected तांत → तात (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara; the critical edition reads tāta).

Verse 14 (3.28.14)

अप्यस्य दारानिच्छन्ति परिभूय क्षमावतः । दाराश्चास्य प्रवर्तन्ते यथाकाममचेतसः ॥

apyasya dārānicchanti paribhūya kṣamāvataḥ | dārāścāsya pravartante yathākāmamacetasaḥ

Scorning the forgiving man, they even desire his wives; and his wives, losing their sense, behave as they please.

Verse 15 (3.28.15)

तथा च नित्यमुदिता यदि नाल्पमपीश्वरात् । दण्डमर्हन्ति दुष्यन्ति दुष्टाश्चाप्यपकुर्वते ॥

tathā ca nityamuditā yadi nālpamapīśvarāt | daṇḍamarhanti duṣyanti duṣṭāścāpyapakurvate

And if they receive not even a little punishment from their master, they grow ever more insolent; they come to deserve punishment, they go astray, and having gone astray they do harm.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (3.29.15, second line): Wikisource prints only the first line of this verse and follows it directly with a couplet marked as an addition (` … '), so the line दण्डमर्हन्ति दुष्यन्ति दुष्टाश्चाप्यपकुर्वते is lost; the sense needs it. The first line keeps Wikisource's reading नाल्पम् (the critical edition reads svalpam).

Verse 16 (3.28.16)

अकृतोपद्रवः कश्चिन्महानपि न पूज्यते । पूजयन्ति नरा नागान्न तार्क्ष्यं नागघातिनम् ॥

akṛtopadravaḥ kaścinmahānapi na pūjyate | pūjayanti narā nāgānna tārkṣyaṃ nāgaghātinam

No one who does no harm is worshipped, however great he may be: men worship serpents, but not Tarkshya, the slayer of serpents.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints this couplet between wiki quote marks (` … ') as an addition, split across its verses 15 and 16 (the first line ends Wikisource verse 15); marks removed and the two lines set as one verse. Corrected नामघातिनम् → नागघातिनम् (misprint in Wikisource; म for ग — Tarkshya is the slayer of serpents). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 17 (3.28.17)

एते चान्ये च बहवो नित्यं दोषाः क्षमावताम् । अथ वैरोचने दोषानिमान्विद्ध्यक्षमावताम् ॥

ete cānye ca bahavo nityaṃ doṣāḥ kṣamāvatām | atha vairocane doṣānimānviddhyakṣamāvatām

These and many other troubles always attend the forgiving. Now, son of Virochana, learn the troubles of those who never forgive.

Note on the text: Regrouped: the first line is the second line of Wikisource's verse 16. Wikisource's verse 17 prints the line अथ वैरोचने दोषानिमान्विद्ध्यक्षमावताम् twice (once with the misprint क्षमांवताम्); the duplicate is dropped. Together the two lines are CE 3.29.16.

Verse 18 (3.28.18)

अस्थाने यदि वा स्थाने सततं रजसावृतः । क्रुद्धो दण्डान्प्रणयति विविधान्स्वेन तेजसा ॥

asthāne yadi vā sthāne satataṃ rajasāvṛtaḥ | kruddho daṇḍānpraṇayati vividhānsvena tejasā

Rightly or wrongly, the man always gripped by passion inflicts punishments of every kind in his anger, out of his own fierceness.

Verse 19 (3.28.19)

मित्रैः सह विरोधं च प्राप्नुते तेजसाऽऽवृतः । आप्नोति द्वेष्यतां चैव लोकात्स्वजनतस्तथा ॥

mitraiḥ saha virodhaṃ ca prāpnute tejasā''vṛtaḥ | āpnoti dveṣyatāṃ caiva lokātsvajanatastathā

Possessed by wrath, he falls into conflict with his friends, and becomes hateful to people and to his own kin alike.

Verse 20 (3.28.20)

सोऽवमानादर्थहानिमुपालम्भमनादरम् । संतापद्वेषमोहांश्च शत्रूंश्च लभते नरः ॥

so'vamānādarthahānimupālambhamanādaram | saṃtāpadveṣamohāṃśca śatrūṃśca labhate naraḥ

Such a man meets with insult, loss of wealth, reproach and disrespect, with torment, hatred and delusion, and with enemies.

Verse 21 (3.28.21)

क्रोधाद्दण्डान्मनुष्येषु विविधान्पुरुषोऽनयात् । भ्रश्यते शीघ्रमैश्वर्यात्प्राणेभ्यः स्वजनादपि ॥

krodhāddaṇḍānmanuṣyeṣu vividhānpuruṣo'nayāt | bhraśyate śīghramaiśvaryātprāṇebhyaḥ svajanādapi

The man who through bad judgement inflicts all kinds of punishment on people in anger soon falls from power, from life, and from his own kin.

Verse 22 (3.28.22)

योपकर्तॄश्च हर्तॄश्च तेजसैवोपगच्छति । तस्मादुद्विजते लोकः सर्पाद्वेश्मगतादिव ॥

yopakartṝśca hartṝśca tejasaivopagacchati | tasmādudvijate lokaḥ sarpādveśmagatādiva

He who meets with the same fierceness both those who serve him well and those who rob him — from him people shrink as from a snake that has made its home in the house.

Verse 23 (3.28.23)

यस्मादुद्विजते लोकः कथं तस्य भवो भवेत् । अन्तरं तस्य दृष्ट्वैव लोको विकुरुते ध्रुवम् ॥

yasmādudvijate lokaḥ kathaṃ tasya bhavo bhavet | antaraṃ tasya dṛṣṭvaiva loko vikurute dhruvam

How can one whom people dread prosper? The moment they see a weak spot in him, people surely turn against him.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (उद्विजतेलोकः → उद्विजते लोकः). Matches the first two lines of CE 3.29.22.

Verse 24 (3.28.24)

तस्मान्नात्युत्सृजेत्तेजो न च नित्यं मृदुर्भवेत् । कालेकाले तु संप्राप्ते मृदुस्तीक्ष्णोऽपि वा भवेत् ॥

tasmānnātyutsṛjettejo na ca nityaṃ mṛdurbhavet | kālekāle tu saṃprāpte mṛdustīkṣṇo'pi vā bhavet

Therefore one should neither give too free a rein to fierceness nor be always mild; as each occasion arises, one should be mild or sharp.

Note on the text: Corrected मृदुस्तीक्ष्णोपि → मृदुस्तीक्ष्णोऽपि (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha). The first line is the third line of CE 3.29.22; the second line (कालेकाले तु संप्राप्ते …) is not in the critical edition.

Verse 25 (3.28.25)

काले मृदुर्यो भवति काले भवति दारुणः । स वै सुखमवाप्नोति लोकेऽमुष्मिन्निहैव च ॥

kāle mṛduryo bhavati kāle bhavati dāruṇaḥ | sa vai sukhamavāpnoti loke'muṣminnihaiva ca

He who is mild at the right time and harsh at the right time finds happiness both in this world and in the next.

Verse 26 (3.28.26)

क्षमाकालांस्तु वक्ष्यामि शृणु मे विस्तरेण तान् । ये ते नित्यमसंत्याज्या यथा प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

kṣamākālāṃstu vakṣyāmi śṛṇu me vistareṇa tān | ye te nityamasaṃtyājyā yathā prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

Now I shall tell you in full the occasions for forgiveness; listen. As the wise have said, they must never be set aside.

Verse 27 (3.28.27)

पूर्वोपकारी यस्ते स्यादपराधे गरीयसि । उपकारेण तत्तस्य क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनः ॥

pūrvopakārī yaste syādaparādhe garīyasi | upakāreṇa tattasya kṣantavyamaparādhinaḥ

One who has helped you in the past should be forgiven, even for a grave offence, for the sake of that earlier help.

Verse 28 (3.28.28)

अबुद्धिमाश्रितानां तु क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनाम् । न हि सर्वत्र पाण्डित्यं सुलभं पुरुषेण वै ॥

abuddhimāśritānāṃ tu kṣantavyamaparādhinām | na hi sarvatra pāṇḍityaṃ sulabhaṃ puruṣeṇa vai

Those who offend out of ignorance should be forgiven, for a man does not easily find wisdom in every matter.

Note on the text: Corrected पाण्डित्वं → पाण्डित्यं (misprint in Wikisource; व for य; the critical edition reads pāṇḍityaṃ).

Verse 29 (3.28.29)

अथ चेद्बुद्धिजं कृत्वा ब्रूयुस्ते तदबुद्धिजम् । पापान्स्वल्पेऽपि तान्हन्यादपराधे तथाऽनृजून् ॥

atha cedbuddhijaṃ kṛtvā brūyuste tadabuddhijam | pāpānsvalpe'pi tānhanyādaparādhe tathā'nṛjūn

But if they offend knowingly and then say they did it unknowingly, those crooked sinners should be put to death even for a small offence.

Verse 30 (3.28.30)

सर्वस्यैकोऽपराधस्ते क्षन्तव्यः प्राणिनो भवेत् । द्वितीये सति वध्यस्तु स्वल्पेऽप्यपकृते भवेत् ॥

sarvasyaiko'parādhaste kṣantavyaḥ prāṇino bhavet | dvitīye sati vadhyastu svalpe'pyapakṛte bhavet

Any creature's first offence should be forgiven; but at a second, even for a small wrong, he deserves death.

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वस्यैकोपराधस्ते → सर्वस्यैकोऽपराधस्ते (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha; the critical edition reads sarvasyaiko 'parādhas te).

Verse 31 (3.28.31)

अजानता भवेत्कश्चिदपराधः कृतो यदि । क्षन्तव्यमेव तस्याहुः सुपरीक्ष्य परीक्षया ॥

ajānatā bhavetkaścidaparādhaḥ kṛto yadi | kṣantavyameva tasyāhuḥ suparīkṣya parīkṣayā

If someone commits an offence without knowing it, they say it should be forgiven, once it has been carefully examined.

Verse 32 (3.28.32)

मृदुना दारुणं हन्ति मृदुना हन्त्यदारुणम् । नासाध्यं मृदुना किंचित्तस्मात्तीव्रतरं मृदु ॥

mṛdunā dāruṇaṃ hanti mṛdunā hantyadāruṇam | nāsādhyaṃ mṛdunā kiṃcittasmāttīvrataraṃ mṛdu

Mildness overcomes the harsh, and mildness overcomes the gentle; there is nothing mildness cannot achieve. So mildness is the sharper of the two.

Verse 33 (3.28.33)

देशकालौ तु संप्रेक्ष्य बलाबलमथात्मनः । अन्वीक्ष्य कारणं चैव कार्यं तेजः क्षमापि वा ॥

deśakālau tu saṃprekṣya balābalamathātmanaḥ | anvīkṣya kāraṇaṃ caiva kāryaṃ tejaḥ kṣamāpi vā

Weigh the place and the time, and your own strength and weakness, and look into the cause as well; then use might, or forgiveness.

Note on the text: Removed a stray closing wiki quote mark (') — Wikisource prints no opening mark, so the extent of the marked addition is unclear — and restored a missing word space (अन्वीक्ष्यकारणं → अन्वीक्ष्य कारणं). The first line is the first line of CE 3.29.31; the second line is not in the critical edition.

Verse 34 (3.28.34)

नादेशकाले किंचित्स्याद्देशकालौ प्रतीक्षताम् । तथा लोकभयाच्चैव क्षन्तव्यमपराधितम् ॥

nādeśakāle kiṃcitsyāddeśakālau pratīkṣatām | tathā lokabhayāccaiva kṣantavyamaparādhitam

Those who wait for the right place and time should do nothing at the wrong place or time. An offence should also be forgiven out of regard for what people will say.

Note on the text: The second and third lines of CE 3.29.31; Wikisource's readings देशकालौ प्रतीक्षताम् (for deśaḥ kālaḥ pratīkṣyate) and अपराधितम् (for aparādhinaḥ) are kept as recension variants.

Verse 35 (3.28.35)

एत एवंविधाः कालाः क्षमायाः परिकीर्तिताः । अतोऽन्यथाऽनुवर्तत्सु तेजसः काल उच्यते ॥

eta evaṃvidhāḥ kālāḥ kṣamāyāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | ato'nyathā'nuvartatsu tejasaḥ kāla ucyate

These, and others like them, are declared to be the times for forgiveness. Toward those who act otherwise, it is said, the time is for might.

Verse 36 (3.28.36)

तदहं तेजसः कालं तव मन्ये नराधिप । धार्तराष्ट्रेषु लुब्धेषु सततं चापकारिषु ॥

tadahaṃ tejasaḥ kālaṃ tava manye narādhipa | dhārtarāṣṭreṣu lubdheṣu satataṃ cāpakāriṣu

So I think, O ruler of men, that for you this is the time for might, against the greedy sons of Dhritarashtra, who never cease to do you harm.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from प्रह्लाद to द्रौपदी: Prahlada's teaching ends with the previous verses and Draupadi now applies it to Yudhishthira (नराधिप, the sons of Dhritarashtra); Wikisource prints no heading, but the critical-edition text on the same page has द्रौपद्युवाच here.

Verse 37 (3.28.37)

न हि कश्चित्क्षमाकालो विद्यतेऽद्य कुरून्प्रति । तेजसश्चागते काले तेज उत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥

na hi kaścitkṣamākālo vidyate'dya kurūnprati | tejasaścāgate kāle teja utsraṣṭumarhasi

There is no occasion for forgiveness now toward the Kurus. The time for might has come; you should let your might loose.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from प्रह्लाद to द्रौपदी (see verse 36).

Verse 38 (3.28.38)

मृदुर्भवत्यवज्ञातस्तीक्ष्णादुद्विजते जनः । काले प्राप्ते द्वयं चैतद्यो वेद स महीपतिः ॥

mṛdurbhavatyavajñātastīkṣṇādudvijate janaḥ | kāle prāpte dvayaṃ caitadyo veda sa mahīpatiḥ

The mild man is despised, and from the harsh one people shrink. He who knows how to use both, each when its time comes, is a true king.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from प्रह्लाद to द्रौपदी (see verse 36).