The Yaksha Reveals Himself as Dharma

Verse 1 (3.315.1)

ततस्ते यक्षवचनादुदतिष्ठन्त पाण्डवाः । क्षुत्पिपासे च सर्वेषां क्षणेन व्यपगच्छताम् ॥

tataste yakṣavacanādudatiṣṭhanta pāṇḍavāḥ | kṣutpipāse ca sarveṣāṃ kṣaṇena vyapagacchatām

Then, at the Yaksha's word, the Pandavas rose up, and in a moment the hunger and thirst of every one of them were gone.

Note on the text: Corrected पाण्डवः → पाण्डवाः (misprint in Wikisource; the plural subject of उदतिष्ठन्त needs the plural, the critical edition reads pāṇḍavāḥ).

Verse 2 (3.315.2)

सरस्येकेन पादेन तिष्ठन्तमपराजितम् । पृच्छामि को भवान्देवो न मे यक्षो मतो भवान् ॥

sarasyekena pādena tiṣṭhantamaparājitam | pṛcchāmi ko bhavāndevo na me yakṣo mato bhavān

"I ask you, unconquered one, standing on one foot in the lake: which god are you? I do not take you for a Yaksha.

Verse 3 (3.315.3)

वसूनां वा भवानेको रुद्राणामथवा भवान् । अथवा मरुतां श्रेष्ठो वज्री वा त्रिदशेश्वरः ॥

vasūnāṃ vā bhavāneko rudrāṇāmathavā bhavān | athavā marutāṃ śreṣṭho vajrī vā tridaśeśvaraḥ

Are you one of the Vasus, or one of the Rudras? Or are you the chief of the Maruts, or the wielder of the thunderbolt, lord of the thirty gods?

Note on the text: Corrected बसूनां → वसूनां (misprint in Wikisource, ब for व; the critical edition reads vasūnāṃ).

Verse 4 (3.315.4)

मम हि भ्रातर इमे सहस्रशतयोधिनः । तं योधं न प्रपश्यामि येन सर्वे निपातिताः ॥

mama hi bhrātara ime sahasraśatayodhinaḥ | taṃ yodhaṃ na prapaśyāmi yena sarve nipātitāḥ

For these brothers of mine fight hundreds of thousands, and I see no warrior who could have struck them all down.

Verse 5 (3.315.5)

सुखं प्रति प्रबुद्धानामिन्द्रियाण्युपलक्षये । स भवान्सुहृदोऽस्माकमथवा नः पिता भवान् ॥

sukhaṃ prati prabuddhānāmindriyāṇyupalakṣaye | sa bhavānsuhṛdo'smākamathavā naḥ pitā bhavān

I see that their senses are like those of men who have woken refreshed from sleep. Are you a friend of ours, or are you our father?"

Note on the text: Corrected प्रबुद्दानाम् → प्रबुद्धानाम् (misprint in Wikisource, द्द for द्ध; the critical edition reads -buddhānām) and restored the avagraha in सुहृदोऽस्माकम् (the Wikisource commentary takes सुहृदः as सुहृत्; the critical edition reads suhṛd asmākam).

Verse 6 (3.315.6)

अहं ते जनकस्तात धर्मो मृदुपराक्रम । त्वां दिदृक्षुरनुप्राप्तो विद्धि मां भरतर्षभ ॥

ahaṃ te janakastāta dharmo mṛduparākrama | tvāṃ didṛkṣuranuprāpto viddhi māṃ bharatarṣabha

"I am your father, my son: Dharma, you of gentle valour. Know that I have come here because I wished to see you, bull of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (अहंते → अहं ते) and corrected रदिदृक्षुर् → दिदृक्षुर् (stray र; the critical edition reads didṛkṣur).

Verse 7 (3.315.7)

यशः सत्यं दमः शौचमार्जवं ह्रीरचापलम् । दानं तपो ब्रह्मचर्यमित्येतास्तनवो मम ॥

yaśaḥ satyaṃ damaḥ śaucamārjavaṃ hrīracāpalam | dānaṃ tapo brahmacaryamityetāstanavo mama

Fame, truth, self-restraint, purity, straightforwardness, modesty, steadiness, generosity, austerity and chastity: these are my bodies.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (सत्यंदमः → सत्यं दमः).

Verse 8 (3.315.8)

अहिंसा समता शान्तिस्तपः शौचममत्सरः । द्वाराण्येतानि मे विद्धि प्रियो ह्यसि सुतो मम ॥

ahiṃsā samatā śāntistapaḥ śaucamamatsaraḥ | dvārāṇyetāni me viddhi priyo hyasi suto mama

Non-violence, impartiality, calm, austerity, purity and freedom from envy: know these to be my gateways. You are my dear son.

Verse 9 (3.315.9)

दिष्ट्या पञ्चसु रक्तोऽसि दिष्ट्या ते षट्पदी जिता । द्वे पूर्वे मध्यमे द्वे च द्वे चान्ते सांपरायिके ॥

diṣṭyā pañcasu rakto'si diṣṭyā te ṣaṭpadī jitā | dve pūrve madhyame dve ca dve cānte sāṃparāyike

Happily you are devoted to the five, and happily you have conquered the six: two that come first, two in the middle, and two at the end that lead on to the next world.

Note on the text: Corrected रक्तोसि → रक्तोऽसि (missing avagraha), षट्रपदी → षट्पदी (stray र; the critical edition and the Wikisource commentary read ṣaṭpadī) and द्वे शान्ते → द्वे चान्ते (श misread for च; the printed form gives no sense here, and the critical edition reads dve cānte). Removed a stray $ mark (a Wikisource link marker) and a doubled danda at the end of the verse.

Verse 10 (3.315.10)

धर्मोऽहमिति भद्रं ते जिज्ञासुस्त्वामिहागतः । आनृशंस्येन तुष्टोऽस्मि वरं दास्यामि तेऽनघ ॥

dharmo'hamiti bhadraṃ te jijñāsustvāmihāgataḥ | ānṛśaṃsyena tuṣṭo'smi varaṃ dāsyāmi te'nagha

I am Dharma; blessings on you. I came here to test you. I am pleased with your freedom from cruelty, and I shall grant you a boon, sinless one.

Note on the text: Corrected ध्रमोऽहम् → धर्मोऽहम् (misprint in Wikisource, transposed र; the critical edition reads dharmo 'ham) and तुष्टोस्मि → तुष्टोऽस्मि (missing avagraha).

Verse 11 (3.315.11)

वरं वृणीष्व राजेन्द्र दाता ह्यस्मि तवानघ । ये हि मे पुरुषा भक्ता न तेषामस्ति दुर्गतिः ॥

varaṃ vṛṇīṣva rājendra dātā hyasmi tavānagha | ye hi me puruṣā bhaktā na teṣāmasti durgatiḥ

Choose a boon, lord of kings; I am here to give it to you, sinless one. Those who are devoted to me never come to an evil end."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (राजेन्द्रदाता → राजेन्द्र दाता).

Verse 12 (3.315.12)

अरणी तु हृता यस्य मृगेण वदतां वर । तस्याग्नयो न लुप्येरन्प्रथमोऽस्तु वरो मम ॥

araṇī tu hṛtā yasya mṛgeṇa vadatāṃ vara | tasyāgnayo na lupyeranprathamo'stu varo mama

"Best of speakers, let my first boon be this: may the fires of the man whose fire-sticks the deer carried off not lapse."

Note on the text: Restored missing word spaces (हृतायस्य → हृता यस्य, वदतांवर → वदतां वर).

Verse 13 (3.315.13)

आरणेयमिदं तस्य ब्राह्मणस्य हृतं मया । मृगवेषेण कौन्तेय जिज्ञासार्थं तवानघ ॥

āraṇeyamidaṃ tasya brāhmaṇasya hṛtaṃ mayā | mṛgaveṣeṇa kaunteya jijñāsārthaṃ tavānagha

"It was I, son of Kunti, who in the guise of a deer carried off that brahmin's fire-sticks, to test you, sinless one."

Note on the text: Corrected जिज्ञालार्थं → जिज्ञासार्थं (misprint in Wikisource, ल for स; the critical edition reads jijñāsārthaṃ).

Verse 14 (3.315.14)

ददानीत्येव भगवानुत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत । अन्यं वरय भद्रं ते वरं त्वममरोपम ॥

dadānītyeva bhagavānuttaraṃ pratyapadyata | anyaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te varaṃ tvamamaropama

"I grant it," the blessed god replied. "Blessings on you; choose another boon, you who are like an immortal."

Verse 15 (3.315.15)

वर्षाणि द्वादशारण्ये त्रयोदशमुपस्थितम् । तत्र नो नाभिजानीयुर्वसतो मनुजाः क्वचित् ॥

varṣāṇi dvādaśāraṇye trayodaśamupasthitam | tatra no nābhijānīyurvasato manujāḥ kvacit

"Twelve years have been spent in the forest, and the thirteenth is upon us. Wherever we live during it, may no one recognize us."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तत्रनो → तत्र नो).

Verse 16 (3.315.16)

ददानीत्येव भगवानुत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत । भूयश्चाश्वासयामास कौन्तेयं सत्यविक्रमम् ॥

dadānītyeva bhagavānuttaraṃ pratyapadyata | bhūyaścāśvāsayāmāsa kaunteyaṃ satyavikramam

"I grant it," the blessed god replied, and he went on to reassure the son of Kunti, whose valour lay in truth:

Verse 17 (3.315.17)

यद्यपि स्वेन रूपेण चरिष्यथ महीमिमाम् । न वो विज्ञास्यते कश्चित्त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत ॥

yadyapi svena rūpeṇa cariṣyatha mahīmimām | na vo vijñāsyate kaścittriṣu lokeṣu bhārata

"Even if you roam this earth in your own forms, no one in the three worlds will recognize you, Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected कश्चित्रिषु → कश्चित्त्रिषु (misprint in Wikisource, a dropped त in the sandhi of कश्चित् त्रिषु; the critical edition reads kaś cit triṣu).

Verse 18 (3.315.18)

वर्षं त्रयोदशमिदं मत्प्रसादात्कुरूद्वहाः । विराटनगरे गूढा अविज्ञाताश्चरिष्यथ ॥

varṣaṃ trayodaśamidaṃ matprasādātkurūdvahāḥ | virāṭanagare gūḍhā avijñātāścariṣyatha

By my grace, champions of the Kurus, you will spend this thirteenth year in the city of Virata, hidden and unrecognized.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (वर्षंत्रयोदशमिदं → वर्षं त्रयोदशमिदं).

Verse 19 (3.315.19)

यद्वः संकल्पितं रूपं मनसा यस्य यादृशम् । तादृशं तादृशं सर्वे छन्दतो धारयिष्यथ ॥

yadvaḥ saṃkalpitaṃ rūpaṃ manasā yasya yādṛśam | tādṛśaṃ tādṛśaṃ sarve chandato dhārayiṣyatha

Whatever form each of you has pictured in his mind, that very form you will all take at will.

Note on the text: Corrected यस् → यस्य (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads yasya).

Verse 20 (3.315.20)

अरणीसहितं भाण्डं ब्राह्मणाय प्रयच्छत । जिज्ञासार्थं मया ह्येतदाहृतं मृगरूपिणा ॥

araṇīsahitaṃ bhāṇḍaṃ brāhmaṇāya prayacchata | jijñāsārthaṃ mayā hyetadāhṛtaṃ mṛgarūpiṇā

Give the vessel with its fire-sticks back to the brahmin; I took it in the form of a deer only to test you.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (आहृतंमृगरूपिणा → आहृतं मृगरूपिणा).

Verse 21 (3.315.21)

प्रवृणीष्वापरं सौम्य वरमिष्टं ददानि ते । न तृप्यामि नरश्रेष्ठ प्रयच्छन्वै वरांस्तथा ॥

pravṛṇīṣvāparaṃ saumya varamiṣṭaṃ dadāni te | na tṛpyāmi naraśreṣṭha prayacchanvai varāṃstathā

Choose another boon, gentle one; I will give you whatever you wish. Best of men, I never tire of granting you boons in this way.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition's apparatus records it as passage 3.298.20*1388 (reading varāṃs tava for वरांस्तथा).

Verse 22 (3.315.22)

तृतीयं गृह्यतां पुत्र वरमप्रतिमं महत् । त्वं हि मत्प्रभवो राजन्विदुरश्च ममांशजः ॥

tṛtīyaṃ gṛhyatāṃ putra varamapratimaṃ mahat | tvaṃ hi matprabhavo rājanviduraśca mamāṃśajaḥ

Take a third boon, my son, a great one without equal. For you were born of me, O king, and Vidura was born of a portion of me."

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (विदुरश्चममांशजः → विदुरश्च ममांशजः).

Verse 23 (3.315.23)

देवदेवो मया दृष्टो भवान्साक्षात्सनातनः । यं ददासि वरं तुष्टस्तं ग्रहीष्याम्यहं पितः ॥

devadevo mayā dṛṣṭo bhavānsākṣātsanātanaḥ | yaṃ dadāsi varaṃ tuṣṭastaṃ grahīṣyāmyahaṃ pitaḥ

"I have seen you face to face, the eternal god of gods. Whatever boon you grant me in your pleasure, father, I will accept.

Verse 24 (3.315.24)

जयेयं लोभमोहौ च क्रोधं चाहं सदा विभो । दाने तपसि सत्ये च मनो मे सततं भवेत् ॥

jayeyaṃ lobhamohau ca krodhaṃ cāhaṃ sadā vibho | dāne tapasi satye ca mano me satataṃ bhavet

May I always conquer greed, delusion and anger, my lord, and may my mind be set for ever on giving, austerity and truth."

Note on the text: Corrected वेत् → भवेत् (misprint in Wikisource, a dropped akshara; the critical edition reads bhavet).

Verse 25 (3.315.25)

उपपन्नो गुणैरेतैः स्वभावेनासि पाण्डव । भवान्धर्मः पुनश्चैव यथोक्तं ते भविष्यति ॥

upapanno guṇairetaiḥ svabhāvenāsi pāṇḍava | bhavāndharmaḥ punaścaiva yathoktaṃ te bhaviṣyati

"You possess these virtues by your very nature, son of Pandu. You are Dharma itself; still, it will be as you have asked."

Note on the text: Corrected रउपपन्नो → उपपन्नो (stray र; the critical edition reads upapanno). Its sarvaiḥ for एतैः is a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 26 (3.315.26)

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे धर्मो भगवाँल्लोकभावनः । समेताः पाण्डवाश्चैव सुखसुप्ता मनस्विनः ॥

ityuktvāntardadhe dharmo bhagavām̐llokabhāvanaḥ | sametāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva sukhasuptā manasvinaḥ

Having said this, the blessed Dharma, sustainer of the worlds, vanished; and the high-minded Pandavas, who had slept so peacefully, were together once more.

Note on the text: Corrected इत्युक्त्वान्तऽर्दधे → इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे (stray avagraha; the critical edition reads uktvāntardadhe) and भगबाँल् → भगवाँल् (ब for व; the critical edition reads bhagavāṃl).

Verse 27 (3.315.27)

उपेत्य चाश्रमं वीराः सर्व एव गतक्लमाः । आरणेयं ददुस्तस्मै ब्राह्मणाय तपस्विने ॥

upetya cāśramaṃ vīrāḥ sarva eva gataklamāḥ | āraṇeyaṃ dadustasmai brāhmaṇāya tapasvine

Their weariness all gone, the heroes went back to the hermitage and gave the fire-sticks to that ascetic brahmin.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (उपेत्यचाश्रमं → उपेत्य चाश्रमं).

Verse 28 (3.315.28)

इदं समुत्थानसमागतं महत् । पितुश्च पुत्रस्य च कीर्तिवर्धनम् । पठन्नरः स्याद्विजितेन्द्रियो वशी । सपुत्रपौत्रः शतवर्षभाग्भवेत् ॥

idaṃ samutthānasamāgataṃ mahat | pituśca putrasya ca kīrtivardhanam | paṭhannaraḥ syādvijitendriyo vaśī | saputrapautraḥ śatavarṣabhāgbhavet

This great account of the brothers' rising up and of the meeting of father and son adds to the fame of both. The man who reads it becomes master of his senses and self-controlled, and lives a hundred years with sons and grandsons.

Note on the text: Removed the hyphen that splits महत् across the line break (मह- / त्पितुश्च → महत् / पितुश्च, as the critical edition divides the lines) and restored a missing word space (पितुश्चपुत्रस्य → पितुश्च पुत्रस्य). Corrected पठन्नरः रस्याद् → पठन्नरः स्याद् (stray र; the critical edition reads naraḥ syād) and शतपर्षभाग् → शतवर्षभाग् (प for व; the critical edition reads śatavarṣabhāg). The reading समुत्थानसमागतं (critical edition samāgamaṃ) is kept; the Wikisource commentary glosses it.

Verse 29 (3.315.29)

न चाप्यधर्मे न सुहृद्विभेदने । परस्वहारे परदारमर्शने । कदर्यभावे न रमेन्मनः सदा । नृणां सदाख्यानमिदं विजानताम् ॥

na cāpyadharme na suhṛdvibhedane | parasvahāre paradāramarśane | kadaryabhāve na ramenmanaḥ sadā | nṛṇāṃ sadākhyānamidaṃ vijānatām

And the minds of those who know this good story never delight in unrighteousness, in setting friends against one another, in stealing what belongs to others, in violating other men's wives, or in miserliness.

Note on the text: Corrected रमेनेमनः → रमेन्मनः (misprint in Wikisource, a garbled conjunct; the critical edition reads ramen manaḥ).