Marutta Turned Away by Brihaspati; Narada Sends Him to Samvarta

Verse 1 (14.6.1)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीमममितिहासं पुरातनम् । बृहस्पतेश्च संवादं मरुत्तस्य च धीमतः ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamamitihāsaṃ purātanam | bṛhaspateśca saṃvādaṃ maruttasya ca dhīmataḥ

On this subject they recount an ancient tale: the conversation between Brihaspati and the wise Marutta.

Verse 2 (14.6.2)

देवराजस्य समयं कृतमाङ्गिरसेन ह । श्रुत्वा मरुत्तो नृपतिर्मन्युमाहारयत्परम् ॥

devarājasya samayaṃ kṛtamāṅgirasena ha | śrutvā marutto nṛpatirmanyumāhārayatparam

When King Marutta heard of the agreement that Angiras's son had made with the king of the gods, he was seized by deep resentment.

Verse 3 (14.6.3)

सङ्कल्प्य मनसा यज्ञं करंधमसुतात्मजः । बृहस्पतिमुपागम्य वाग्मी वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

saṅkalpya manasā yajñaṃ karaṃdhamasutātmajaḥ | bṛhaspatimupāgamya vāgmī vacanamabravīt

Resolving in his mind to perform a sacrifice, Marutta, the grandson of Karandhama and a gifted speaker, approached Brihaspati and said:

Verse 4 (14.6.4)

भगवन्यन्मया पूर्वमभिगम्य तपोधन । कृतोऽभिसन्धिर्यज्ञस्य भवतो वचनाद्गुरो ॥

bhagavanyanmayā pūrvamabhigamya tapodhana | kṛto'bhisandhiryajñasya bhavato vacanādguro

"Venerable sir, ascetic, earlier I came to you and, at your word, O teacher, I formed the resolve to perform a sacrifice.

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: these two verses are Marutta's direct speech, though the page prints no heading before them (the preceding heading is Vyasa's).

Verse 5 (14.6.5)

तमहं यष्टुमिच्छामि सम्भाराः सम्भृताश्च मे । याज्योस्मि भवतः साधो तत्प्राप्नुहि विधत्स्व च ॥

tamahaṃ yaṣṭumicchāmi sambhārāḥ sambhṛtāśca me | yājyosmi bhavataḥ sādho tatprāpnuhi vidhatsva ca

I wish to perform it now, and my materials are gathered. I am one for whom you may officiate, good sir; so take it up and carry it out."

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Marutta's direct speech with no printed heading.

Verse 6 (14.6.6)

न कामये याजयितुं त्वामहं पृथिवीपते । वृतोस्मि देवराजेन प्रतिज्ञातं च तस्य मे ॥

na kāmaye yājayituṃ tvāmahaṃ pṛthivīpate | vṛtosmi devarājena pratijñātaṃ ca tasya me

Brihaspati said: "I do not wish to officiate for you, O lord of the earth. The king of the gods has chosen me, and I have given him my promise."

Verse 7 (14.6.7)

पित्र्यमस्मि तव क्षेत्रं बहुमन्ये च ते भृशम् । तवास्मि याज्यतां प्राप्तो भजमानं भजस्व माम् ॥

pitryamasmi tava kṣetraṃ bahumanye ca te bhṛśam | tavāsmi yājyatāṃ prāpto bhajamānaṃ bhajasva mām

Marutta said: "I am your ancestral field, the patron your family has always had, and I hold you in great esteem. I have come to stand as one for whom you may officiate; favour me, who am devoted to you."

Note on the text: Corrected याज्यातां → याज्यतां (misprint in Wikisource; long ā in the abstract noun याज्यता; the critical edition has the corresponding word ayājyatāṃ).

Verse 8 (14.6.8)

अमर्त्यं याजयित्वाऽहं याजयिष्ये कथं नरम् । मरुत्त गच्छ वा मा वा निवृत्तोस्म्यद्य याजनात् ॥

amartyaṃ yājayitvā'haṃ yājayiṣye kathaṃ naram | marutta gaccha vā mā vā nivṛttosmyadya yājanāt

Brihaspati said: "Having officiated for an immortal, how can I officiate for a mortal man? Marutta, go or do not go; I have turned away from conducting your sacrifice today.

Verse 9 (14.6.9)

न त्वां याजयितास्म्यद्य वृणु यं त्वमिहेच्छसि । उपाध्यायं महाबाहो यस्ते यज्ञं करिष्यति ॥

na tvāṃ yājayitāsmyadya vṛṇu yaṃ tvamihecchasi | upādhyāyaṃ mahābāho yaste yajñaṃ kariṣyati

I will not officiate for you today. Choose whomever you wish here, O mighty-armed one, as the priest who will perform your sacrifice."

Verse 10 (14.6.10)

एवमुक्तस्तु नृपतिर्मरुत्तो व्रीडितोऽभवत् । प्रत्यागच्छन्सुसंविग्नो ददर्श पथि नारदम् ॥

evamuktastu nṛpatirmarutto vrīḍito'bhavat | pratyāgacchansusaṃvigno dadarśa pathi nāradam

Vyasa said: Addressed in this way, King Marutta was ashamed. Returning in great distress, he saw Narada on the road.

Verse 11 (14.6.11)

देवर्षिणा समागम्य नारदेन स पार्थिवः । विधिवत्प्राञ्जलिस्तस्थावथैनं नारदोऽब्रवीत् ॥

devarṣiṇā samāgamya nāradena sa pārthivaḥ | vidhivatprāñjalistasthāvathainaṃ nārado'bravīt

Meeting the divine sage Narada, the king stood before him with joined palms, as was fitting, and Narada addressed him.

Note on the text: Corrected नारदेनि → नारदेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि on the instrumental; the critical edition reads nāradena).

Verse 12 (14.6.12)

राजर्षे नातिहृष्टोसि कच्चित्क्षेमं तवानघ । क्व गतोसि कुतश्चेदमप्रीतिस्थानमागतम् ॥

rājarṣe nātihṛṣṭosi kaccitkṣemaṃ tavānagha | kva gatosi kutaścedamaprītisthānamāgatam

"O royal sage, you are not at all cheerful. I hope all is well with you, blameless one. Where have you been, and from where has this cause of displeasure come upon you?

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Narada's direct speech with no printed heading (the previous verse ends with Narada beginning to speak).

Verse 13 (14.6.13)

श्रोतव्यं चेन्मया राजन्ब्रूहि मे पार्थिवर्षभ । व्यपनेष्यामि ते मन्युं सर्वयत्नैर्नराधिप ॥

śrotavyaṃ cenmayā rājanbrūhi me pārthivarṣabha | vyapaneṣyāmi te manyuṃ sarvayatnairnarādhipa

If it is right for me to hear it, tell me, O king, best of earthly lords; by every effort I will remove your distress, O ruler of men."

Note on the text: Speaker supplied: Narada's direct speech with no printed heading.

Verse 14 (14.6.14)

एवमुक्तो मरुत्तः स नारदेन महर्षिणा । विप्रलम्भमुपाध्यायात्सर्वज्ञे तं न्यवेदयत् ॥

evamukto maruttaḥ sa nāradena maharṣiṇā | vipralambhamupādhyāyātsarvajñe taṃ nyavedayat

Addressed in this way by the great sage Narada, Marutta told that all-knowing sage of the slight he had suffered from his preceptor.

Verse 15 (14.6.15)

गतोस्म्यङ्गिरसः पुत्रं देवाचार्यं बृहस्पतिम् । यज्ञार्थमृत्विजं प्रष्टुं स च मां नाभ्यनन्दत ॥

gatosmyaṅgirasaḥ putraṃ devācāryaṃ bṛhaspatim | yajñārthamṛtvijaṃ praṣṭuṃ sa ca māṃ nābhyanandata

Marutta said: "I went to Brihaspati, Angiras's son, the teacher of the gods, to ask him to be my priest for a sacrifice, and he did not welcome me.

Verse 16 (14.6.16)

प्रत्याख्यातश्च तेनाहं जीवितुं नाद्य कामये । परित्यक्तश्च गुरुणा दूषितश्चास्मि नारद ॥

pratyākhyātaśca tenāhaṃ jīvituṃ nādya kāmaye | parityaktaśca guruṇā dūṣitaścāsmi nārada

Refused by him, I no longer wish to live. I have been abandoned by my teacher and disgraced, Narada."

Verse 17 (14.6.17)

एवमुक्तस्तु राज्ञा स नारदः प्रत्युवाच ह । आविक्षितं महाराज वाचा संजीवयन्निव ॥

evamuktastu rājñā sa nāradaḥ pratyuvāca ha | āvikṣitaṃ mahārāja vācā saṃjīvayanniva

Vyasa said: Thus addressed by the king, Narada answered the son of Avikshit, O great king, as though bringing him back to life with his words.

Verse 18 (14.6.18)

राजन्नङ्गिरसः पुत्रः संवर्तो नाम धार्मिकः । चङ्क्रमीति दिशः सर्वा दिग्वासा मोहयन्प्रजाः ॥

rājannaṅgirasaḥ putraḥ saṃvarto nāma dhārmikaḥ | caṅkramīti diśaḥ sarvā digvāsā mohayanprajāḥ

Narada said: "O king, Angiras's son Samvarta, a righteous man, roams in all directions, naked, bewildering the people.

Note on the text: Corrected चङ्कमीति → चङ्क्रमीति (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र of the conjunct; the critical edition reads caṅkramīti, and the page itself has चङ्क्रमीति in verse 22). Speaker supplied: Narada's direct speech with no printed heading (the heading before verse 17 is Vyasa's).

Verse 19 (14.6.19)

तं गच्छ यदि याज्यं त्वां न वाञ्छति बृहस्पतिः । प्रसन्नस्त्वां महातेजाः संवर्तो याजयिष्यति ॥

taṃ gaccha yadi yājyaṃ tvāṃ na vāñchati bṛhaspatiḥ | prasannastvāṃ mahātejāḥ saṃvarto yājayiṣyati

Go to him. If Brihaspati does not wish to officiate for you, the greatly radiant Samvarta, being pleased, will conduct your sacrifice."

Note on the text: Corrected गच्च → गच्छ (misprint in Wikisource; च for छ; the critical edition reads gaccha). Speaker supplied: Narada's direct speech with no printed heading.

Verse 20 (14.6.20)

संजीवितोऽहं भवता वाक्येनानेन नारद । पश्येयं क्व नु संवर्तं शंस मे वदतांवर ॥

saṃjīvito'haṃ bhavatā vākyenānena nārada | paśyeyaṃ kva nu saṃvartaṃ śaṃsa me vadatāṃvara

Marutta said: "By these words of yours, Narada, I have been brought back to life. Tell me, O best of speakers, where I may see Samvarta.

Verse 21 (14.6.21)

कथं च तस्मै वर्तेयं कथं मां न परित्यजेत् । प्रत्याख्यातश्च तेनापि नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे ॥

kathaṃ ca tasmai varteyaṃ kathaṃ māṃ na parityajet | pratyākhyātaśca tenāpi nāhaṃ jīvitumutsahe

How should I behave toward him, and how may I keep him from abandoning me? If he too rejects me, I cannot bear to go on living."

Verse 22 (14.6.22)

उन्मत्तवेषं बिभ्रत्स चङ्क्रमीति यथासुखम् । वाराणसीं तु नगरीमभीक्ष्णमुपसेवते ॥

unmattaveṣaṃ bibhratsa caṅkramīti yathāsukham | vārāṇasīṃ tu nagarīmabhīkṣṇamupasevate

Narada said: "Wearing the guise of a madman, he wanders as he pleases, and he frequents the city of Varanasi again and again.

Verse 23 (14.6.23)

तस्या द्वारं समासाद्य न्यसेथाः कुणपं क्वचित् । तं दृष्ट्वा यो निवर्तेत संवर्तः स महीपते ॥

tasyā dvāraṃ samāsādya nyasethāḥ kuṇapaṃ kvacit | taṃ dṛṣṭvā yo nivarteta saṃvartaḥ sa mahīpate

When you reach its gate, set a corpse down somewhere there. The one who turns back on seeing it, O lord of the earth, is Samvarta.

Verse 24 (14.6.24)

तं पृष्ठतोऽनुगच्छेथा यत्र गच्छेत्स वीर्यवान् । तमेकान्ते समासाद्य प्राञ्जलिः शरणं व्रजेः ॥

taṃ pṛṣṭhato'nugacchethā yatra gacchetsa vīryavān | tamekānte samāsādya prāñjaliḥ śaraṇaṃ vrajeḥ

Follow close behind him wherever that mighty one goes, and when you find him alone, go to him for refuge with joined palms.

Verse 25 (14.6.25)

पृच्छेत्त्वां यदि केनाहं तवाख्यात इति स्म ह । ब्रूयास्त्वं नारदेनेति स कुत्र इति शत्रुहन् ॥

pṛcchettvāṃ yadi kenāhaṃ tavākhyāta iti sma ha | brūyāstvaṃ nāradeneti sa kutra iti śatruhan

If he asks you, 'By whom was I pointed out to you?', say, 'By Narada.' And if he asks, 'Where is he?', O slayer of foes,

Verse 26 (14.6.26)

स चेत्त्वामनुयुञ्जीत ममानुगमनेप्सया । शंसेथा वह्निमारूढं मामपि त्वमशङ्कया ॥

sa cettvāmanuyuñjīta mamānugamanepsayā | śaṃsethā vahnimārūḍhaṃ māmapi tvamaśaṅkayā

if he presses you, wishing to go after me, then tell him without fear that I too have gone into the fire."

Verse 27 (14.6.27)

स तथेति प्रतिश्रुत्य पूजयित्वा च नारदम् । अभ्यनुज्ञाय राजर्षिर्ययौ वाराणसीं पुरीम् ॥

sa tatheti pratiśrutya pūjayitvā ca nāradam | abhyanujñāya rājarṣiryayau vārāṇasīṃ purīm

Vyasa said: "So be it," he promised, and after honouring Narada and taking his leave, the royal sage set out for the city of Varanasi.

Verse 28 (14.6.28)

तत्र गत्वा यथोक्तं स पुर्या द्वारे महायशाः । कुणपं स्थापयामास नारदस्य वचः स्मरन् ॥

tatra gatvā yathoktaṃ sa puryā dvāre mahāyaśāḥ | kuṇapaṃ sthāpayāmāsa nāradasya vacaḥ smaran

Arriving there, the greatly renowned king did as he had been told and placed a corpse at the city gate, remembering Narada's words.

Verse 29 (14.6.29)

यौगपद्येन विप्रश्च पुरीद्वारमथाविशत् । ततः स कुणपं दृष्ट्वा सहसा संन्यवर्तत ॥

yaugapadyena vipraśca purīdvāramathāviśat | tataḥ sa kuṇapaṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasā saṃnyavartata

Just then the brahmin entered the city gate; but on seeing the corpse he suddenly turned back.

Note on the text: Corrected यौगपद्येनि → यौगपद्येन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि on the instrumental; the critical edition reads yaugapadyena).

Verse 30 (14.6.30)

स तं निवृत्तमालक्ष्य प्राञ्जलिः पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात् । आविक्षितो महीपालः संवर्तमुपशिक्षितुम् ॥

sa taṃ nivṛttamālakṣya prāñjaliḥ pṛṣṭhato'nvagāt | āvikṣito mahīpālaḥ saṃvartamupaśikṣitum

Seeing him turn back, the king, Avikshit's son, followed behind with joined palms, to learn from Samvarta.

Verse 31 (14.6.31)

स च तं विजने दृष्ट्वा पांसुभिः कर्दमेन च । श्लेष्मणा चैव राजानं ष्ठीवनैश्च समाकिरत् ॥

sa ca taṃ vijane dṛṣṭvā pāṃsubhiḥ kardamena ca | śleṣmaṇā caiva rājānaṃ ṣṭhīvanaiśca samākirat

Seeing the king in a lonely place, Samvarta showered him with dust, mud, phlegm and spittle.

Note on the text: Corrected कदेमेन → कर्दमेन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र; कर्दम means mud, and the critical edition reads kardamena).

Verse 32 (14.6.32)

स तथा बाध्यमानो वै संवर्तेन महीपतिः । अन्वगादेव तमृषिं प्राञ्जलिः सम्प्रसादयन् ॥

sa tathā bādhyamāno vai saṃvartena mahīpatiḥ | anvagādeva tamṛṣiṃ prāñjaliḥ samprasādayan

Though harassed in this way by Samvarta, the king kept following the sage with joined palms, trying to win his favour.

Verse 33 (14.6.33)

ततो निवर्त्य संवर्तः परिश्रान्त उपाविशत् । शीतलच्छायमासाद्य न्यग्रोधं बहुशाखिनम् ॥

tato nivartya saṃvartaḥ pariśrānta upāviśat | śītalacchāyamāsādya nyagrodhaṃ bahuśākhinam

Then Samvarta turned aside and, tired out, sat down under a many-branched banyan tree that gave cool shade.