Pritha Promises to Serve the Brahmin

Verse 1 (3.305.1)

ब्राह्मणं यन्त्रिता राजन्नुपस्थास्यामि पूजया । यथाप्रतिज्ञं राजेन्द्र न च मिथ्या ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥

brāhmaṇaṃ yantritā rājannupasthāsyāmi pūjayā | yathāpratijñaṃ rājendra na ca mithyā bravīmyaham

"With self-restraint, O king, I shall wait on the Brahmin with reverence, as you have promised, lord of kings; I do not speak falsely."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (राजेन्द्रन च → राजेन्द्र न च).

Verse 2 (3.305.2)

एष चैव स्वभावो मे पूजयेयं द्विजानिति । तव चैव प्रियं कार्यं श्रेयश्च परमं मम ॥

eṣa caiva svabhāvo me pūjayeyaṃ dvijāniti | tava caiva priyaṃ kāryaṃ śreyaśca paramaṃ mama

"It is my very nature to honour the twice-born; and to do what pleases you is my highest good."

Verse 3 (3.305.3)

यद्येवैष्यति सायाह्ने यदि प्रातरथो निशि । यद्यर्धरात्रे भगवान्न मे कोपं करिष्यति ॥

yadyevaiṣyati sāyāhne yadi prātaratho niśi | yadyardharātre bhagavānna me kopaṃ kariṣyati

"Whether the holy man comes in the evening, or at dawn, or at night, or at midnight, he will have no cause for anger with me."

Verse 4 (3.305.4)

लाभो ममैष राजेन्द्र यद्वै पूजयितुं द्विजान् । आदेशे तव तिष्ठन्ती हितं कुर्यां नरोत्तम ॥

lābho mamaiṣa rājendra yadvai pūjayituṃ dvijān | ādeśe tava tiṣṭhantī hitaṃ kuryāṃ narottama

"This is my gain, lord of kings — to honour Brahmins; abiding by your command, I shall do what is good, best of men."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (यद्वैपूजयितुं → यद्वै पूजयितुं).

Verse 5 (3.305.5)

विस्रब्धो भव राजेन्द्र न व्यलीकं द्विजोत्तमः । वसन्प्राप्स्यति ते गेहे सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते ॥

visrabdho bhava rājendra na vyalīkaṃ dvijottamaḥ | vasanprāpsyati te gehe satyametadbravīmi te

"Rest assured, lord of kings: while he lives in your house the best of Brahmins will meet with nothing displeasing. This I tell you truly."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (भवराजेन्द्र → भव राजेन्द्र).

Verse 6 (3.305.6)

यत्प्रियं च द्विजस्यास्य हितं चैव तवानघ । यतिष्यामि तथा राजन्व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः ॥

yatpriyaṃ ca dvijasyāsya hitaṃ caiva tavānagha | yatiṣyāmi tathā rājanvyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ

"Whatever pleases this Brahmin and is good for you, sinless one, I shall strive for, O king; let the fever of your mind be gone."

Verse 7 (3.305.7)

ब्राह्मणा हि महाभागाः पूजिताः पृथिवीपते । तारणाय समर्थाः स्युर्विपरीते वधाय च ॥

brāhmaṇā hi mahābhāgāḥ pūjitāḥ pṛthivīpate | tāraṇāya samarthāḥ syurviparīte vadhāya ca

"For illustrious Brahmins, when honoured, have the power to save, lord of the earth, and when treated otherwise, to destroy."

Verse 8 (3.305.8)

साऽहमेतद्विजानन्ती तोषयिष्ये द्विजोत्तमम् । न मत्कृते व्यथां राजन्प्राप्स्यसि द्विजसत्तमात् ॥

sā'hametadvijānantī toṣayiṣye dvijottamam | na matkṛte vyathāṃ rājanprāpsyasi dvijasattamāt

"Knowing this, I shall satisfy the best of Brahmins; you will suffer no distress from that excellent Brahmin on my account, O king."

Note on the text: Corrected रसाऽहमेतद्विजानन्ती → साऽहमेतद्विजानन्ती (misprint in Wikisource; a stray र; the critical edition reads sāham). Restored a missing word space (मत्कृतेव्यथां → मत्कृते व्यथां).

Verse 9 (3.305.9)

अपराधेऽपि राजेन्द्र राज्ञामश्रेयसे द्विजाः । भवन्ति च्यवनो यद्वत्सुकन्यायाः कृते पुरा ॥

aparādhe'pi rājendra rājñāmaśreyase dvijāḥ | bhavanti cyavano yadvatsukanyāyāḥ kṛte purā

"For when they are wronged, lord of kings, Brahmins bring misfortune on kings, as Chyavana did long ago on account of Sukanya."

Verse 10 (3.305.10)

नियमेन परेणाहमुपस्थास्ये द्विजोत्तमम् । यथा त्वया नरेन्द्रेदं भाषितं ब्राह्मणं प्रति ॥

niyamena pareṇāhamupasthāsye dvijottamam | yathā tvayā narendredaṃ bhāṣitaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ prati

"With the strictest discipline I shall wait on the best of Brahmins, just as you, lord of men, have told me concerning him."

Note on the text: Corrected भापितं → भाषितं (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; the critical edition reads bhāṣitaṃ).

Verse 11 (3.305.11)

एवं ब्रुवन्तीं बहुशः परिष्वज्य समर्थ्य च । इति चेति च कर्तव्यं राजा सर्वमथादिशत् ॥

evaṃ bruvantīṃ bahuśaḥ pariṣvajya samarthya ca | iti ceti ca kartavyaṃ rājā sarvamathādiśat

As she said this again and again, the king embraced her, encouraged her, and then instructed her in everything: "This must be done, and this."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition text; it is in the CE apparatus as *1337 (after 3.288.10) — found in the vulgate recension. Restored a missing word space (इतिचेति → इति चेति). Corrected क्रतव्यं → कर्तव्यं (misprint in Wikisource; a misplaced r; the critical edition's apparatus (*1337) reads kartavyaṃ).

Verse 12 (3.305.12)

एवमेतत्त्वया भद्रे कर्तव्यमविशङ्कया । मद्धितार्थं तथाऽऽत्मार्थं कुलार्थं चाप्यनिन्दिते ॥

evametattvayā bhadre kartavyamaviśaṅkayā | maddhitārthaṃ tathā''tmārthaṃ kulārthaṃ cāpyanindite

"So you must do this, good girl, without hesitation — for my good, for your own and for the family's, blameless one."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तथाऽऽत्मार्थंकुलार्थं → तथाऽऽत्मार्थं कुलार्थं).

Verse 13 (3.305.13)

एवमुक्त्वा तु तां कन्यां कुन्तिभोजो महायशाः । पृथां परिददौ तस्मै द्विजाय द्विजवत्सलः ॥

evamuktvā tu tāṃ kanyāṃ kuntibhojo mahāyaśāḥ | pṛthāṃ paridadau tasmai dvijāya dvijavatsalaḥ

Having spoken thus to the girl, the renowned Kuntibhoja, devoted to the twice-born, handed Pritha over to that Brahmin, saying:

Verse 14 (3.305.14)

इयं ब्रह्मन्मम सुता बाला सुखविवर्धिता । अपराध्येत यत्किंचिन्न कार्यं हृदि तत्त्वया ॥

iyaṃ brahmanmama sutā bālā sukhavivardhitā | aparādhyeta yatkiṃcinna kāryaṃ hṛdi tattvayā

"This is my daughter, Brahmin, young and brought up in comfort; if she should offend in any way, do not hold it in your heart."

Verse 15 (3.305.15)

द्विजातयो महाभागा वृद्धबालतपस्विषु । भवन्त्यक्रोधनाः प्रायो ह्यपराद्धेषु नित्यदा ॥

dvijātayo mahābhāgā vṛddhabālatapasviṣu | bhavantyakrodhanāḥ prāyo hyaparāddheṣu nityadā

"Illustrious twice-born men are, for the most part, always free of anger toward the old, the young and ascetics, even when they have given offence."

Verse 16 (3.305.16)

सुमहत्यपराधेऽपि क्षान्तिः कार्या द्विजातिभिः । यथाशक्ति यथोत्साहं पूजा ग्राह्या द्विजोत्तम ॥

sumahatyaparādhe'pi kṣāntiḥ kāryā dvijātibhiḥ | yathāśakti yathotsāhaṃ pūjā grāhyā dvijottama

"Even for a very great offence the twice-born should show forbearance; and the worship offered according to one's strength and zeal should be accepted, best of Brahmins."

Verse 17 (3.305.17)

तथेति ब्राह्मणेनोक्ते स राजा प्रीतमानसः । हंसचन्द्रांशुसंकाशं गृहमस्मै न्यवेदयत् ॥

tatheti brāhmaṇenokte sa rājā prītamānasaḥ | haṃsacandrāṃśusaṃkāśaṃ gṛhamasmai nyavedayat

When the Brahmin said, "So be it," the king, glad at heart, gave him a house as white as a swan or the rays of the moon.

Verse 18 (3.305.18)

तत्राग्निशरणे क्लृप्तमासनं तस्य भानुमत् । आहारादि च सर्वं तत्तथैव प्रत्यवेदयत् ॥

tatrāgniśaraṇe klṛptamāsanaṃ tasya bhānumat | āhārādi ca sarvaṃ tattathaiva pratyavedayat

There, in the fire-chamber, a shining seat had been prepared for him, and food and everything else was likewise made over to him.

Verse 19 (3.305.19)

निक्षिप्य राजपुत्री तु तन्द्रीं मानं तथैव च । आतस्थे परमं यत्नं ब्राह्मणस्याभिराधने ॥

nikṣipya rājaputrī tu tandrīṃ mānaṃ tathaiva ca | ātasthe paramaṃ yatnaṃ brāhmaṇasyābhirādhane

The princess, laying aside sloth and pride alike, devoted her utmost effort to pleasing the Brahmin.

Verse 20 (3.305.20)

तत्र सा ब्राह्मणं गत्वा पृथा शौचपरा सती । विधिवत्परिचारार्हं देववत्पर्यतोषयत् ॥

tatra sā brāhmaṇaṃ gatvā pṛthā śaucaparā satī | vidhivatparicārārhaṃ devavatparyatoṣayat

Going there to the Brahmin, the good Pritha, intent on purity, duly satisfied him who was worthy of service, as one would a god.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तत्रसा → तत्र सा).