Vyasa Prescribes the Horse Sacrifice

Verse 1 (14.3.1)

युधिष्ठिर तव प्रज्ञा न सम्यगिति मे मतिः । न हि कश्चित्स्वयं मर्त्यः स्ववशः कुरुते क्रियाम् ॥

yudhiṣṭhira tava prajñā na samyagiti me matiḥ | na hi kaścitsvayaṃ martyaḥ svavaśaḥ kurute kriyām

Yudhishthira, your understanding is not sound, I think; for no mortal, as master of himself, performs an act by his own will alone.

Verse 2 (14.3.2)

ईश्वरेण च युक्तोऽयं साध्वसाधु च मानवः । करोत्यसुकरं कर्म तत्र का परिदेवना ॥

īśvareṇa ca yukto'yaṃ sādhvasādhu ca mānavaḥ | karotyasukaraṃ karma tatra kā paridevanā

Set in motion by the Lord, this man does what is good and what is not; he performs even deeds that are hard to do. What cause is there for lament in that?

Note on the text: Separated the run-together तत्रका into two words. Second line reads करोत्यसुकरं कर्म where the critical edition has करोति पुरुषः कर्म (recension variant, kept).

Verse 3 (14.3.3)

आत्मानं मन्यसे चाथ पापकर्माणमन्ततः । शृणु तत्र यथा पापमपकृत्येत भारत ॥

ātmānaṃ manyase cātha pāpakarmāṇamantataḥ | śṛṇu tatra yathā pāpamapakṛtyeta bhārata

And if you think yourself, in the end, a doer of sinful deeds, then listen, O Bharata, how sin may be drawn away.

Verse 4 (14.3.4)

तपोभिः क्रतुभिश्चैव दानेन च युधिष्ठिर । तरन्ति नित्यं पुरुषा ये स्म पापानि कुर्वते ॥

tapobhiḥ kratubhiścaiva dānena ca yudhiṣṭhira | taranti nityaṃ puruṣā ye sma pāpāni kurvate

Through austerities, sacrifices and gifts, Yudhishthira, men who have committed sins always cross over them.

Note on the text: Wikisource's two lines = CE 14,003.004a and 004c (the critical edition's star line 004b*0008_01 is not in this text).

Verse 5 (14.3.5)

यज्ञेन तपसा चैव दानेन च नराधिप । पूयन्ते नरशार्दूल नरा दुष्कृतकारिणः ॥

yajñena tapasā caiva dānena ca narādhipa | pūyante naraśārdūla narā duṣkṛtakāriṇaḥ

Through sacrifice, austerity and charity, O ruler of men, tiger among men, those who have done wrong are purified.

Verse 6 (14.3.6)

असुराश्च सुराश्चैव पुण्यहेतोर्मखक्रियाम् । प्रवर्तन्ते महात्मानस्तस्माद्यज्ञः परायणम् ॥

asurāśca surāścaiva puṇyahetormakhakriyām | pravartante mahātmānastasmādyajñaḥ parāyaṇam

Asuras and gods alike, being great ones, undertake the rite of sacrifice for the sake of merit; therefore sacrifice is the supreme refuge.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads प्रवर्तन्ते where the critical edition has प्रयतन्ते (recension variant, kept).

Verse 7 (14.3.7)

यज्ञैरेव महात्मानो बभूवुरधिकाः सुराः । ततो देवाः क्रियावन्तो दानवानभ्यधर्षयन् ॥

yajñaireva mahātmāno babhūvuradhikāḥ surāḥ | tato devāḥ kriyāvanto dānavānabhyadharṣayan

It was through sacrifices that the great-souled gods grew superior; then the gods, diligent in rites, overpowered the Danavas.

Verse 8 (14.3.8)

राजसूयाश्वमेधौ च सर्वमेधं च भारत । नरमेधं च नृपते त्वमाहर युधिष्ठिर ॥

rājasūyāśvamedhau ca sarvamedhaṃ ca bhārata | naramedhaṃ ca nṛpate tvamāhara yudhiṣṭhira

Perform the Rajasuya and the Ashvamedha, and the Sarvamedha, O Bharata, and the Naramedha too, O king, Yudhishthira.

Verse 9 (14.3.9)

यजस्व वाजिमेधेन विधिवद्दक्षिणावता । बहुकामान्नवित्तेन रामो दाशरथिर्यथा ॥

yajasva vājimedhena vidhivaddakṣiṇāvatā | bahukāmānnavittena rāmo dāśarathiryathā

Sacrifice with the horse sacrifice, as the rule prescribes, with ample fees and with abundant desirable things, food and wealth, as Rama, son of Dasharatha, did.

Verse 10 (14.3.10)

यथा च भरतो राजा दौष्यन्तिः पृथिवीपतिः । शाकुन्तलो महावीर्यस्तव पूर्वपितामहः ॥

yathā ca bharato rājā dauṣyantiḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | śākuntalo mahāvīryastava pūrvapitāmahaḥ

And as King Bharata, son of Dushyanta, lord of the earth, did — Shakuntala's son, of great prowess, your ancestor of old.

Verse 11 (14.3.11)

असंशयं वाजिमेधः पावयेत्पृथिवीमपि । अभिप्रायस्तु मे कश्चित्तं त्वं श्रोतुमिहार्हसि ॥

asaṃśayaṃ vājimedhaḥ pāvayetpṛthivīmapi | abhiprāyastu me kaścittaṃ tvaṃ śrotumihārhasi

Without doubt the horse sacrifice would purify even the earth. But I have a certain concern, and you should hear it.

Note on the text: Corrected पारयेत् → पावयेत् (misprint in Wikisource; the sense requires "would purify"; the critical edition has pāvayet).

Verse 12 (14.3.12)

इमं ज्ञातिवधं कृत्वा सुमहान्तं द्विजोत्तम । अहमाराधयिष्यामि कथं शोकपरायणः । दानमल्पं न शक्नोमि दातुं वित्तं च नास्ति मे ॥

imaṃ jñātivadhaṃ kṛtvā sumahāntaṃ dvijottama | ahamārādhayiṣyāmi kathaṃ śokaparāyaṇaḥ | dānamalpaṃ na śaknomi dātuṃ vittaṃ ca nāsti me

Having brought about this vast slaughter of my kinsmen, O best of the twice-born, how shall I, sunk in grief, carry out the rite? I cannot even give a small gift, and I have no wealth.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and quote marks around the middle line. First and third lines = CE 14,003.012a and 012c; the middle line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 13 (14.3.13)

न तु बालानिमान्दीनानुत्सहे वसु याचितुम् । तथैवाद्रविणान्कृच्छ्रे वर्तमानान्नृपात्मजान् ॥

na tu bālānimāndīnānutsahe vasu yācitum | tathaivādraviṇānkṛcchre vartamānānnṛpātmajān

Nor can I bear to ask for wealth from these poor boys, or from those princes who are likewise penniless and in hardship.

Verse 14 (14.3.14)

स्वयं विनाश्य पृथिवीं यज्ञार्थं द्विजसत्तम । करमाहारयिष्यामि कथं शोकपरायणः ॥

svayaṃ vināśya pṛthivīṃ yajñārthaṃ dvijasattama | karamāhārayiṣyāmi kathaṃ śokaparāyaṇaḥ

Having myself ruined the earth, O best of the twice-born, how shall I, steeped in grief, levy a tax for the sake of a sacrifice?

Verse 15 (14.3.15)

दुर्योधनापराधेन वसुधायां नराधिपाः । प्रनष्टा योजयित्वाऽस्मानकीर्त्या मुनिसत्तम ॥

duryodhanāparādhena vasudhāyāṃ narādhipāḥ | pranaṣṭā yojayitvā'smānakīrtyā munisattama

Through Duryodhana's fault the kings of the earth have perished, leaving us burdened with ill fame, O best of sages.

Note on the text: Corrected दुर्योधनापराधेनि → दुर्योधनापराधेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel sign; the critical edition has duryodhanāparādhena).

Verse 16 (14.3.16)

दुर्योधनेन पृथिवी क्षपिता जयकारणात् । कोशश्चापि विशीर्णोसौ धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्मतेः ॥

duryodhanena pṛthivī kṣapitā jayakāraṇāt | kośaścāpi viśīrṇosau dhārtarāṣṭrasya durmateḥ

By Duryodhana the earth was drained for the sake of victory, and the treasury of the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra has been scattered as well.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads जयकारणात् where the critical edition has वित्तकारणात् (recension variant, kept).

Verse 17 (14.3.17)

पृथिवी दक्षिणा चात्र वाजिमेधे महाक्रतौ । विद्वद्भिः परिदृष्टोऽयं शिष्टो विधिविपर्ययः ॥

pṛthivī dakṣiṇā cātra vājimedhe mahākratau | vidvadbhiḥ paridṛṣṭo'yaṃ śiṣṭo vidhiviparyayaḥ

In the great rite of the horse sacrifice the earth is the fee. This is what the learned have discerned; any other course would be a departure from the rule.

Verse 18 (14.3.18)

न च प्रतिनिधिं कर्तुं चिकीर्षामि तपोधन । अत्र मे भगवन्सम्यक्साचिव्यं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

na ca pratinidhiṃ kartuṃ cikīrṣāmi tapodhana | atra me bhagavansamyaksācivyaṃ kartumarhasi

And I do not wish to make a substitute, O wealth of austerity. In this matter, venerable one, you should give me proper help.

Verse 19 (14.3.19)

एवमुक्तस्तु पार्थेन कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा । मुहूर्तमनुसञ्चिन्त्य धर्मराजानमब्रवीत् ॥

evamuktastu pārthena kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā | muhūrtamanusañcintya dharmarājānamabravīt

Thus addressed by Partha, Krishna Dvaipayana reflected for a moment and then said to the king of dharma:

Note on the text: Speaker: Wikisource prints no heading here and the preceding heading is Yudhishthira's; this is narration, so the carried-over heading was corrected to Vaishampayana (the critical edition has vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca here).

Verse 20 (14.3.20)

कोशश्चापि विशीर्णोऽयं परिपूर्णो भविष्यति । विद्यते द्रविणं पार्थ गिरौ हिमवति स्थितम् ॥

kośaścāpi viśīrṇo'yaṃ paripūrṇo bhaviṣyati | vidyate draviṇaṃ pārtha girau himavati sthitam

This treasury of yours, though scattered, will become full again. There is wealth, O Partha, lying on the Himalaya mountain,

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from Yudhishthira (carried over) to Vyasa. First line = CE star passage 14,003.019d*0009_01 (attached to 019, hence ce_ref 14.3.19); second line = CE 14,003.020a.

Verse 21 (14.3.21)

उत्सृष्टं ब्राह्मणैर्यज्ञे मरुत्तस्य महीपते । तदानयस्व कौन्तेय पर्याप्तं तद्भविष्यति ॥

utsṛṣṭaṃ brāhmaṇairyajñe maruttasya mahīpate | tadānayasva kaunteya paryāptaṃ tadbhaviṣyati

left behind by the Brahmins at the sacrifice of King Marutta. Bring it, son of Kunti; it will be enough.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from Yudhishthira (carried over) to Vyasa. = CE 14,003.020c and 020e.

Verse 22 (14.3.22)

कथं यज्ञे मरुत्तस्य द्रविणं तत्समाचितम् । कस्मिंश्च काले स नृपो बभूव ददतां वर ॥

kathaṃ yajñe maruttasya draviṇaṃ tatsamācitam | kasmiṃśca kāle sa nṛpo babhūva dadatāṃ vara

How was that wealth gathered at Marutta's sacrifice? And at what time did that king live, O best of givers?

Note on the text: Separated the run-together ददतांवर into two words.

Verse 23 (14.3.23)

यदि शुश्रूषसे पार्थ शृणु कारंधमं नृपम् । यस्मिन्काले महावीर्यः स राजाऽऽसीन्महाधनः ॥

yadi śuśrūṣase pārtha śṛṇu kāraṃdhamaṃ nṛpam | yasminkāle mahāvīryaḥ sa rājā''sīnmahādhanaḥ

If you wish to hear, Partha, then hear of King Karandhama and of the age in which that king of great might and great wealth lived.