The Golden-Sided Mongoose Disparages the Sacrifice

Verse 1 (14.91.1)

पितामहस्य मे यज्ञे धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । यदाश्चर्यमभूत्किञ्चित्तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥

pitāmahasya me yajñe dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ | yadāścaryamabhūtkiñcittadbhavānvaktumarhati

O Brahmin, in my grandfather Dharmaraja's sacrifice, the wise king's, whatever marvel occurred, you ought to tell it to me.

Note on the text: Recension variant: CE 14.92.1a reads 'dharmaputrasya dhīmataḥ'; kept.

Verse 2 (14.91.2)

श्रूयतां राजशार्दूल महदाश्चर्यमुत्तमम् । अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे निवृत्ते यदभूत्प्रभो ॥

śrūyatāṃ rājaśārdūla mahadāścaryamuttamam | aśvamedhe mahāyajñe nivṛtte yadabhūtprabho

Listen, tiger among kings, to a great and supreme marvel that occurred, O lord, when the great horse sacrifice had ended.

Verse 3 (14.91.3)

तर्पितेषु द्विजाग्र्येषु ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिबन्धुषु । दीनान्धकृपणे वाऽपि तदा भरतसत्तम ॥

tarpiteṣu dvijāgryeṣu jñātisambandhibandhuṣu | dīnāndhakṛpaṇe vā'pi tadā bharatasattama

When the foremost Brahmins, kinsmen, relatives and friends had been gratified, and the poor, the blind and the wretched as well, O best of the Bharatas,

Verse 4 (14.91.4)

घुष्यमाणे महादाने दिक्षु सर्वासु भारत । पतत्सु पुष्पवर्षेषु धर्मराजस्य मूर्धनि ॥

ghuṣyamāṇe mahādāne dikṣu sarvāsu bhārata | patatsu puṣpavarṣeṣu dharmarājasya mūrdhani

and the great gift was being proclaimed in every direction, and showers of flowers were falling on Dharmaraja's head,

Verse 5 (14.91.5)

बिलान्निस्सृत्य नकुलो रुक्मपार्श्वस्तदाऽनघः । वज्राशनिसमं नादममुञ्चद्वसुधाधिप ॥

bilānnissṛtya nakulo rukmapārśvastadā'naghaḥ | vajrāśanisamaṃ nādamamuñcadvasudhādhipa

a mongoose with a golden flank, blameless, came out of a hole, O lord of the earth, and let out a cry like a thunderbolt.

Note on the text: Recension variant (CE 5a 'bilān niṣkramya nakulo rukmapārśvas tadānagha'; 5c 'amuñcata viśāṃ pate'); kept. The animal here is a mongoose (nakula), not the Pandava Nakula.

Verse 6 (14.91.6)

सकृदुत्सृज्य तन्नादं त्रासयानो मृगद्विजान् । मानुषं वचनं प्राह पुष्पोपरिशयो महान् ॥

sakṛdutsṛjya tannādaṃ trāsayāno mṛgadvijān | mānuṣaṃ vacanaṃ prāha puṣpopariśayo mahān

Having cried out once, frightening the beasts and birds, the great one that lay upon the flowers spoke in a human voice.

Note on the text: Corrected मानुपं → मानुषं (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष; CE mānuṣaṃ). Recension variant in line b (CE 6c 'dhṛṣṭo bilaśayo mahān', Wikisource 'पुष्पोपरिशयो'; the page's own footnote records 'धृष्टो बिलशयो महान्' as a variant reading); kept.

Verse 7 (14.91.7)

सक्तुप्रस्थेन वो नायं यज्ञस्तुल्यो नराधिपाः । उञ्छवृत्तेर्वदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनः ॥

saktuprasthena vo nāyaṃ yajñastulyo narādhipāḥ | uñchavṛttervadānyasya kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ

"This sacrifice of yours, O lords of men, does not equal a prastha of barley-flour given by the gleaner, the generous man who lived in Kurukshetra."

Note on the text: Corrected उच्छवृत्तेर् → उञ्छवृत्तेर् (misprint in Wikisource; ञ dropped; CE uñchavṛtteḥ).

Verse 8 (14.91.8)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नकुलस्य विशांपते । विस्मयं परमं जग्मुः सर्वे ते ब्राह्मणर्षभाः ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā nakulasya viśāṃpate | vismayaṃ paramaṃ jagmuḥ sarve te brāhmaṇarṣabhāḥ

Hearing those words of the mongoose, O lord of the people, all those foremost Brahmins were filled with great wonder.

Verse 9 (14.91.9)

ततः समेत्य नकुलं पर्यपृच्छन्त ते द्विजाः । कुतस्त्वं समनुप्राप्तो यज्ञं साधुसमागमम् ॥

tataḥ sametya nakulaṃ paryapṛcchanta te dvijāḥ | kutastvaṃ samanuprāpto yajñaṃ sādhusamāgamam

Then those Brahmins gathered round the mongoose and asked, "Whence have you come to this sacrifice, where the good assemble?"

Verse 10 (14.91.10)

किं बलं परमं तुभ्यं श्रुतं किं परायणम् । कथं भवन्तं विद्याम यो नो यज्ञं विगर्हसे ॥

kiṃ balaṃ paramaṃ tubhyaṃ śrutaṃ kiṃ parāyaṇam | kathaṃ bhavantaṃ vidyāma yo no yajñaṃ vigarhase

What is your supreme strength, what is your learning, what is your refuge? How are we to know you, who disparage our sacrifice?

Verse 11 (14.91.11)

अविलुप्यागमं कृत्स्नं विविधैर्यज्ञियैः कृतम् । यथागमं यथान्यायं कर्तव्यं च तथा कृतम् ॥

avilupyāgamaṃ kṛtsnaṃ vividhairyajñiyaiḥ kṛtam | yathāgamaṃ yathānyāyaṃ kartavyaṃ ca tathā kṛtam

Without omitting any part of the tradition, the whole has been carried out by various ritual experts, according to the tradition and the rule, and what had to be done has been done.

Note on the text: Recension variant (CE 11a 'vidhijñair yājakaiḥ kṛtam', 11c 'yathākṛtam'); kept.

Verse 12 (14.91.12)

पूजार्हाः पूजिताश्चात्र विधिवच्छास्त्रदर्शात् । मन्त्राहुतिहुतश्चाग्निर्दत्तं देयममत्सरम् ॥

pūjārhāḥ pūjitāścātra vidhivacchāstradarśāt | mantrāhutihutaścāgnirdattaṃ deyamamatsaram

Those worthy of honour have been honoured here as the rule directs, in keeping with the guidance of the scriptures; the fire has been fed with offerings made with mantras; and what had to be given has been given without grudging.

Note on the text: Recension variants (CE 12a 'vidhivac chāstracakṣuṣā', 12c 'mantrapūtaṃ hutaś cāgnir'); kept.

Verse 13 (14.91.13)

तुष्टा द्विजातयश्चात्र दानैर्बहुविधैरपि । क्षत्रियाश्च सुयुद्धेन श्राद्धैश्चापि पितामहाः ॥

tuṣṭā dvijātayaścātra dānairbahuvidhairapi | kṣatriyāśca suyuddhena śrāddhaiścāpi pitāmahāḥ

Here the Brahmins have been satisfied with gifts of many kinds, the Kshatriyas with fine fighting, and the ancestors with shraddha offerings;

Note on the text: Corrected क्षत्रियाश्चि → क्षत्रियाश्च (misprint in Wikisource; ि for the final ्; CE kṣatriyāś ca). Recension variants (CE 13a 'dvijarṣabhāś cātra', 13c 'śrāddhair api'); kept.

Verse 14 (14.91.14)

पालनेन विशस्तुष्टाः कामैस्तुष्टा वरस्त्रियः । अनुक्रोशैस्तथा शूद्रा दानशेषैः पृथग्जनाः ॥

pālanena viśastuṣṭāḥ kāmaistuṣṭā varastriyaḥ | anukrośaistathā śūdrā dānaśeṣaiḥ pṛthagjanāḥ

the Vaishyas with protection, fair women with their desires fulfilled, the Shudras with compassion, and common folk with what remained of the gifts;

Note on the text: Corrected अनुक्रोशैस्तता → अनुक्रोशैस्तथा (misprint in Wikisource; ता for था; CE tathā).

Verse 15 (14.91.15)

ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिनस्तुष्टाः शौचेन च नृपस्य नः । देवा हविर्भिः पुण्यैश्च रक्षणैः शरणागताः ॥

jñātisambandhinastuṣṭāḥ śaucena ca nṛpasya naḥ | devā havirbhiḥ puṇyaiśca rakṣaṇaiḥ śaraṇāgatāḥ

kinsmen and relatives are content, and with our king's purity; the gods with sacred offerings; and those who sought refuge with protection.

Note on the text: Corrected पुण्यैस्च → पुण्यैश्च (misprint in Wikisource; स for श; CE puṇyaiś ca).

Verse 16 (14.91.16)

यदत्र तथ्यं तद्ब्रूहि सत्यंसत्यं द्विजातिषु । यथाश्रुतं यथादृष्टं पृष्टो ब्राह्मणकाम्यया ॥

yadatra tathyaṃ tadbrūhi satyaṃsatyaṃ dvijātiṣu | yathāśrutaṃ yathādṛṣṭaṃ pṛṣṭo brāhmaṇakāmyayā

Tell us what is true in this matter -- truly, truly, among the twice-born -- as you have heard it and seen it, asked as you are at the Brahmins' wish.

Note on the text: Recension variant in line a (CE 16a 'satyasaṃdha dvijātiṣu'); kept.

Verse 17 (14.91.17)

श्रद्धेयवाक्यः प्राज्ञस्त्वं दिव्यं रूपं बिभर्षि च । समागतश्च विप्रैस्त्वं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥

śraddheyavākyaḥ prājñastvaṃ divyaṃ rūpaṃ bibharṣi ca | samāgataśca vipraistvaṃ tadbhavānvaktumarhati

You are of trustworthy speech and wise, and you bear a divine form; and you have come among Brahmins. Therefore you ought to speak.

Note on the text: Recension variant in line b (CE 17c 'samāgataś ca viprais tvaṃ tattvato vaktum arhasi'); kept.

Verse 18 (14.91.18)

इति पृष्टो द्विजैस्तैः स प्रहसन्नकुलोऽब्रवीत् । नैषा मृषामया वाणी प्रोक्ता दर्पेण वा द्विजाः ॥

iti pṛṣṭo dvijaistaiḥ sa prahasannakulo'bravīt | naiṣā mṛṣāmayā vāṇī proktā darpeṇa vā dvijāḥ

Thus questioned by those Brahmins, the mongoose laughed and said, "This speech of mine is not false, nor was it spoken out of arrogance, O Brahmins."

Note on the text: Recension variant (CE 18c 'naiṣānṛtā mayā vāṇī'); kept. Line b already begins the mongoose's words, but the verse is mainly narration.

Verse 19 (14.91.19)

यन्मयोक्तमिदं वाक्यं युष्माभिश्चाप्युपश्रुतम् । सक्तुप्रस्थेन वो नायं यज्ञस्तुल्यो द्विजर्षभाः । उञ्छवृत्तेर्वदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनः ॥

yanmayoktamidaṃ vākyaṃ yuṣmābhiścāpyupaśrutam | saktuprasthena vo nāyaṃ yajñastulyo dvijarṣabhāḥ | uñchavṛttervadānyasya kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ

What I said, and you heard, was this: that this sacrifice is not equal, O best of Brahmins, to a prastha of barley-flour -- the flour of the gleaner, the generous man who lived in Kurukshetra.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (14.92.19e): the base table prints only two lines, but the CE verse has three, and the page's own second block (headed १४.९२) also carries the third line; it is needed to finish the sentence. Line a is a variant of CE 19a ('kiṃ cid' for 'वाक्यं'); line b is CE 19c with 'द्विजर्षभाः' for 'narādhipāḥ'.

Verse 20 (14.91.20)

इत्यवश्यं मयैतद्वो वक्तव्यं द्विजसत्तमाः । शृणुताव्यग्रमनसः शंसतो मे यथातथम् ॥

ityavaśyaṃ mayaitadvo vaktavyaṃ dvijasattamāḥ | śṛṇutāvyagramanasaḥ śaṃsato me yathātatham

I must therefore tell you this fully, O best of the twice-born. Listen with undistracted minds while I relate it exactly as it was.

Note on the text: Recension variant (CE 20a 'dvijapuṃgavāḥ', 20c 'śṛṇutāvyagramanasaḥ śaṃsato me dvijarṣabhāḥ'); kept.

Verse 21 (14.91.21)

अनुभूतं च दृष्टं च यन्मयाऽद्भुतमुत्तमम् । उञ्छवृत्तेर्वदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनः ॥

anubhūtaṃ ca dṛṣṭaṃ ca yanmayā'dbhutamuttamam | uñchavṛttervadānyasya kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ

The wonder, the best of wonders, which I experienced and saw, concerning the gleaner, the generous man who lived in Kurukshetra,

Note on the text: Recension variant in line b (CE 21c 'uñchavṛtter yathāvṛttaṃ kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ'); kept.

Verse 22 (14.91.22)

स्वर्गं येन द्विजः प्राप्तः सभार्यः ससुतस्नुषः । यथा चार्धं शरीरस्य ममेदं काञ्चनीकृतम् ॥

svargaṃ yena dvijaḥ prāptaḥ sabhāryaḥ sasutasnuṣaḥ | yathā cārdhaṃ śarīrasya mamedaṃ kāñcanīkṛtam

by which a Brahmin went to heaven with his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law, and how half of my body was made golden.

Note on the text: Corrected येन द्विजाः → येन द्विजः (misprint in Wikisource; plural for singular; CE dvijaḥ prāptaḥ and the verb is singular).