Yudhishthira Refuses to Abandon the Dog

Verse 1 (17.3.1)

ततः सन्नादयञ्शक्रो दिवं भूमिं च सर्वशः । रथेनोपययौ पार्थमारोहेत्यब्रवीच्च तम् ॥

tataḥ sannādayañśakro divaṃ bhūmiṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | rathenopayayau pārthamārohetyabravīcca tam

Then Shakra, making heaven and earth resound on every side, came to Partha in his chariot and said to him, "Climb in."

Verse 2 (17.3.2)

स्वभ्रातॄन्पतितान्दृष्ट्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः । अब्रवीच्छोकसंतप्तः सहस्राक्षमिदं वचः ॥

svabhrātṝnpatitāndṛṣṭvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | abravīcchokasaṃtaptaḥ sahasrākṣamidaṃ vacaḥ

Seeing his brothers fallen, Yudhishthira, the king of dharma, burning with grief, spoke these words to the thousand-eyed god:

Verse 3 (17.3.3)

भ्रातरः पतिता मेऽत्र गच्छेयुस्ते मया सह । न विना भ्रातृभिः स्वर्गमिच्छे गन्तुं सुरेश्वर ॥

bhrātaraḥ patitā me'tra gaccheyuste mayā saha | na vinā bhrātṛbhiḥ svargamicche gantuṃ sureśvara

"My brothers have fallen here; let them go with me. I do not wish to go to heaven without my brothers, O lord of the gods."

Verse 4 (17.3.4)

सुकुमारी सुखार्हा च राजपुत्री पुरंदर । साऽस्माभिः सह गच्छेत तद्भवाननुमन्यताम् ॥

sukumārī sukhārhā ca rājaputrī puraṃdara | sā'smābhiḥ saha gaccheta tadbhavānanumanyatām

"The princess is delicate and deserves comfort, O Purandara. Let her go with us; please grant this."

Verse 5 (17.3.5)

भ्रातॄन्द्रक्ष्यसि स्वर्गे त्वमग्रतस्त्रिदिवं गतान् । कृष्णया सहितान्सर्वान्मा शुचो भरतर्षभ ॥

bhrātṝndrakṣyasi svarge tvamagratastridivaṃ gatān | kṛṣṇayā sahitānsarvānmā śuco bharatarṣabha

"You will see your brothers in heaven, gone before you to the third heaven, all of them together with Krishna. Do not grieve, O best of the Bharatas."

Verse 6 (17.3.6)

निक्षिप्य मानुषं देहं गतास्ते भरतर्षभ । अनेन त्वं शरीरेण स्वर्गं गन्ता न संशयः ॥

nikṣipya mānuṣaṃ dehaṃ gatāste bharatarṣabha | anena tvaṃ śarīreṇa svargaṃ gantā na saṃśayaḥ

"They have gone, having laid down their human bodies, O best of the Bharatas. You will go to heaven in this very body; there is no doubt of it."

Verse 7 (17.3.7)

अयं श्वा भूतभव्येश भक्तो मां नित्यमेव ह । स गच्छेत मया सार्धमानृशंस्या हि मे मतिः ॥

ayaṃ śvā bhūtabhavyeśa bhakto māṃ nityameva ha | sa gaccheta mayā sārdhamānṛśaṃsyā hi me matiḥ

"This dog, O lord of the past and the future, has always been devoted to me. Let him go with me, for my resolve is compassion."

Verse 8 (17.3.8)

अमर्त्यत्वं मत्समत्वं च राजञ् । श्रियं कृत्स्नां महतीं चैव सिद्धिम् । संप्राप्तोद्य स्वर्गसुखानि च त्वं । त्यज श्वानं नात्र नृशंसमस्ति ॥

amartyatvaṃ matsamatvaṃ ca rājañ | śriyaṃ kṛtsnāṃ mahatīṃ caiva siddhim | saṃprāptodya svargasukhāni ca tvaṃ | tyaja śvānaṃ nātra nṛśaṃsamasti

"Immortality, equality with me, complete and great prosperity, and the joys of heaven you have attained today, O king. Abandon the dog; there is no cruelty in this."

Note on the text: Layout fixed: the first line was printed broken inside a word (राज- / ञ्श्रियं); the ञ् is moved up to राजञ् and the hyphen dropped. Wikisource reads महतीं चैव सिद्धिम् where the critical edition has mahatīṃ caiva kīrtim (recension variant, kept).

Verse 9 (17.3.9)

अनार्यमार्येण सहस्रनेत्र । शक्यं कर्तुं दुष्करमेतदार्य । मा मे श्रिया सङ्गमनं तयाऽस्तु । यस्याः कृते भक्तजनं त्यजेयम् ॥

anāryamāryeṇa sahasranetra | śakyaṃ kartuṃ duṣkarametadārya | mā me śriyā saṅgamanaṃ tayā'stu | yasyāḥ kṛte bhaktajanaṃ tyajeyam

"To do an ignoble deed, O thousand-eyed one, is hard for a noble man; it is hardly possible, O noble one. May I never be joined with the prosperity for whose sake I should abandon one who is devoted to me."

Note on the text: Corrected मार्येणि → मार्येण (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ि; CE āryeṇa).

Verse 10 (17.3.10)

स्वर्गे लोके श्ववतां नास्ति धिष्ण्यम् । इष्टापूर्तं क्रोधवशा हरन्ति । ततो विचार्य क्रियतां धर्मराज । त्यज श्वानं नात्र नृशंसमस्ति ॥

svarge loke śvavatāṃ nāsti dhiṣṇyam | iṣṭāpūrtaṃ krodhavaśā haranti | tato vicārya kriyatāṃ dharmarāja | tyaja śvānaṃ nātra nṛśaṃsamasti

"In the world of heaven there is no place for those who keep dogs; the Krodhavashas carry off their sacrifices and works of charity. So consider carefully, king of dharma, and abandon the dog; there is no cruelty in this."

Note on the text: Layout fixed: the first line was printed broken inside a word (धिष्ण्य- / मिष्टापूर्तं); the म् is moved up to धिष्ण्यम् and the hyphen dropped (the next line begins इष्टापूर्तं). Corrected विचार्यि → विचार्य (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ि; CE vicārya). The page prints a single danda at the end of the verse; ॥ is used here.

Verse 11 (17.3.11)

भक्तत्यागं प्राहुरत्यन्तपापं । तुल्यं लोके ब्रह्मवध्याकृतेन । तस्मान्नाहं जातु कथञ्चनाद्य । त्यक्ष्याम्येनं स्वसुखार्थी महेन्द्रः ॥

bhaktatyāgaṃ prāhuratyantapāpaṃ | tulyaṃ loke brahmavadhyākṛtena | tasmānnāhaṃ jātu kathañcanādya | tyakṣyāmyenaṃ svasukhārthī mahendraḥ

"Abandoning one who is devoted is called a most heinous sin, equal in the world to the killing of a brahmin. Therefore, Mahendra, I shall never in any way abandon him today for the sake of my own happiness."

Verse 12 (17.3.12)

भीतं भक्तं नान्यदस्तीति चार्तं । प्राप्तं क्षीणं रक्षणे प्राणलिप्सुम् । प्राणत्यागादप्यहं नैव मोक्तुं । यतेयं वै नित्यमेतद्व्रतं मे ॥

bhītaṃ bhaktaṃ nānyadastīti cārtaṃ | prāptaṃ kṣīṇaṃ rakṣaṇe prāṇalipsum | prāṇatyāgādapyahaṃ naiva moktuṃ | yateyaṃ vai nityametadvrataṃ me

"One who is frightened, devoted, distressed, saying 'I have no other refuge,' who has come to me, weakened, longing to live under my protection — I shall strive never to abandon such a one, even at the cost of my life. This is my constant vow."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text; it is a star passage there (*0013, lines 1-4, after 17.3.11d). Wikisource and the critical edition agree except that line 3 has नैव where the critical edition has nota (recension variant, kept).

Verse 13 (17.3.13)

शुना दृष्टं क्रोधवशा हरन्ति । यद्दत्तमिष्टं विवृतमथो हुतं च । तस्माच्छुनस्त्यागमिमं कुरुष्व । शुनस्त्यागात्प्राप्स्यसे देवलोकम् ॥

śunā dṛṣṭaṃ krodhavaśā haranti | yaddattamiṣṭaṃ vivṛtamatho hutaṃ ca | tasmācchunastyāgamimaṃ kuruṣva | śunastyāgātprāpsyase devalokam

"What a dog has seen, the Krodhavashas carry off — whatever has been given, sacrificed, done openly, or offered in the fire. Therefore abandon this dog; by abandoning the dog you will reach the world of the gods."

Verse 14 (17.3.14)

त्यक्त्वा भ्रातॄन्दयितां चापि कृष्णां । प्राप्तो लोकः कर्मणा स्वेन वीर । श्वानं चैनं न त्यजसे कथं नु । त्यागं कृत्स्नं चास्थितो मुह्यसेऽद्य ॥

tyaktvā bhrātṝndayitāṃ cāpi kṛṣṇāṃ | prāpto lokaḥ karmaṇā svena vīra | śvānaṃ cainaṃ na tyajase kathaṃ nu | tyāgaṃ kṛtsnaṃ cāsthito muhyase'dya

"Having abandoned your brothers and your beloved Krishna, you have reached this world by your own deeds, hero. Why do you not abandon this dog? Having committed yourself to complete renunciation, you are bewildered now."

Verse 15 (17.3.15)

न विद्यते संधिरथापि विग्रहो । मृतैर्मर्त्यैरिति लोकेषु निष्ठा । न ते मया जीवयितुं हि शक्याः । ततस्त्यागस्तेषु कृतो न जीवताम् ॥

na vidyate saṃdhirathāpi vigraho | mṛtairmartyairiti lokeṣu niṣṭhā | na te mayā jīvayituṃ hi śakyāḥ | tatastyāgasteṣu kṛto na jīvatām

"It is the settled view in the world that there is neither peace nor quarrel with dead mortals. They could not be brought back to life by me; so I left them only when they were no longer living."

Note on the text: Layout fixed: the third line was printed broken inside a word (शक्या- / स्ततस्त्यागः); the sandhi is undone at the break, giving शक्याः / ततस्त्यागः (CE: śakyā tasmāt tyāgas; Wikisource's ततः is a recension variant, kept).

Verse 16 (17.3.16)

प्रतिप्रदानं शरणागतस्य । स्त्रिया वधो ब्राह्मणस्वापहारः । मित्रद्रोहस्तानि चत्वारि शक्र । भक्तत्यागश्चैव समो मतो मे ॥

pratipradānaṃ śaraṇāgatasya | striyā vadho brāhmaṇasvāpahāraḥ | mitradrohastāni catvāri śakra | bhaktatyāgaścaiva samo mato me

"Giving up one who has sought refuge, killing a woman, taking a brahmin's property, and betraying a friend — these are four, O Shakra; and to my mind abandoning a devoted one is equal to them."

Verse 17 (17.3.17)

तद्धर्मराजस्य वचो निशम्य । धर्मस्वरूपी भगवानुवाच । युधिष्ठिरं प्रीतियुक्तो नरेन्द्रं । श्लक्ष्णैर्वाक्यैः संस्तवसंप्रयुक्तैः ॥

taddharmarājasya vaco niśamya | dharmasvarūpī bhagavānuvāca | yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prītiyukto narendraṃ | ślakṣṇairvākyaiḥ saṃstavasaṃprayuktaiḥ

Hearing these words of the king of dharma, the blessed one, dharma himself in form, delighted, spoke to Yudhishthira, lord of men, in gentle words full of praise:

Note on the text: Wikisource and the critical edition (17.3.16) agree word for word; the automatic alignment had left it unmatched.

Verse 18 (17.3.18)

अभिजातोसि राजेन्द्र पितुर्वृत्तेन मेधया । अनुक्रोशेन चानेन सर्वभूतेषु भारत ॥

abhijātosi rājendra piturvṛttena medhayā | anukrośena cānena sarvabhūteṣu bhārata

"You are nobly born, O king of kings, by your father's conduct, by your wisdom, and by this compassion toward all beings, O Bharata."

Note on the text: Corrected अनुक्रोशेनि चानेन → अनुक्रोशेन चानेन (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ि; CE anukrośena).

Verse 19 (17.3.19)

पुरा द्वैतवने चासि मया पुत्र परीक्षितः । पानीयार्थे पराक्रान्ता यत्र ते भ्रातरो हताः ॥

purā dvaitavane cāsi mayā putra parīkṣitaḥ | pānīyārthe parākrāntā yatra te bhrātaro hatāḥ

"Once before, in the Dvaita forest, I tested you, my son, when your brothers who had struggled to find water were struck down."

Verse 20 (17.3.20)

भीमार्जुनौ परित्यज्य यत्र त्वं भ्रातरावुभौ । मात्रोः साम्यमभीप्सन्वै नकुलं जीवमिच्छसि ॥

bhīmārjunau parityajya yatra tvaṃ bhrātarāvubhau | mātroḥ sāmyamabhīpsanvai nakulaṃ jīvamicchasi

"There, setting aside Bhima and Arjuna, you wished for Nakula to live, wishing to be fair to both your mothers."

Verse 21 (17.3.21)

अयं श्वा भक्त इत्येवं त्यक्तो देवरथस्त्वया । तस्मात्स्वर्गे न ते तुल्यः कश्चिदस्ति नराधिपः ॥

ayaṃ śvā bhakta ityevaṃ tyakto devarathastvayā | tasmātsvarge na te tulyaḥ kaścidasti narādhipaḥ

"Now you have given up the chariot of the gods, saying 'This dog is devoted to me.' Therefore in heaven no one is your equal, O lord of men."

Verse 22 (17.3.22)

अतस्तवाक्षया लोकाः स्वशरीरेण भारत । प्राप्तोसि भरतश्रेष्ठ दिव्यां गतिमनुत्तमाम् ॥

atastavākṣayā lokāḥ svaśarīreṇa bhārata | prāptosi bharataśreṣṭha divyāṃ gatimanuttamām

"Therefore the imperishable worlds are yours in your own body, O Bharata; you have attained, O best of the Bharatas, a divine and unsurpassed state."

Verse 23 (17.3.23)

ततो धर्मश्च शक्रश्च मरुतश्चाश्विनावपि । देवा देवर्षयश्चैव रथमारोप्य पाण्डवम् ॥

tato dharmaśca śakraśca marutaścāśvināvapi | devā devarṣayaścaiva rathamāropya pāṇḍavam

Then Dharma, Shakra, the Maruts, the two Ashvins, the gods and the divine sages placed the Pandava in the chariot.

Verse 24 (17.3.24)

प्रययुः स्वैर्विमानैस्ते सिद्धाः कामविहारिणः । सर्वे विरजसः पुण्याः पुण्यवाग्बुद्धिकर्मिणः ॥

prayayuḥ svairvimānaiste siddhāḥ kāmavihāriṇaḥ | sarve virajasaḥ puṇyāḥ puṇyavāgbuddhikarmiṇaḥ

They went off in their own celestial cars — those perfected beings who move as they wish, all of them stainless and pure, pure in speech, thought and deed.

Verse 25 (17.3.25)

स तं रथं समास्थाय राजा कुरुकुलोद्वहः । ऊर्ध्वमाचक्रमे शीघ्रं तेजसाऽऽवृत्यरोदसी ॥

sa taṃ rathaṃ samāsthāya rājā kurukulodvahaḥ | ūrdhvamācakrame śīghraṃ tejasā''vṛtyarodasī

Mounted on that chariot, the king, upholder of the Kuru line, rose swiftly upward, filling heaven and earth with his radiance.

Verse 26 (17.3.26)

ततो देवनिकाय्यस्थो नारदः सर्वलोकवित् । उवाचोच्चैस्तदा वाक्यं बृहद्वादी बृहत्तपाः ॥

tato devanikāyyastho nāradaḥ sarvalokavit | uvācoccaistadā vākyaṃ bṛhadvādī bṛhattapāḥ

Then Narada, who stood among the host of the gods, knower of all the worlds, of great eloquence and great austerity, spoke these words aloud:

Verse 27 (17.3.27)

येऽपि राजर्षयः पूर्वे ते चापि समुपस्थिताः । कीर्तिं प्रच्छाद्य तेषां वै कुरुराजोऽधितिष्ठति ॥

ye'pi rājarṣayaḥ pūrve te cāpi samupasthitāḥ | kīrtiṃ pracchādya teṣāṃ vai kururājo'dhitiṣṭhati

"Even those royal sages of old who are all present here — the king of the Kurus, covering their fame, rises above them."

Note on the text: Corrected कीति प्रच्छाद्य → कीर्तिं प्रच्छाद्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped r and anusvara; CE kīrtiṃ).

Verse 28 (17.3.28)

लोकानावृत्य यशसा तेजसा वृत्तसंपदा । स्वशरीरेण सम्प्राप्तं नान्यं शुश्रुम पाण्डवात् ॥

lokānāvṛtya yaśasā tejasā vṛttasaṃpadā | svaśarīreṇa samprāptaṃ nānyaṃ śuśruma pāṇḍavāt

"Filling the worlds with his fame, his splendour and the wealth of his conduct, he has come in his own body; we have heard of no one but the Pandava who has done so."

Note on the text: Corrected शुश्रम → शुश्रुम (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped u; CE śuśruma).

Verse 29 (17.3.29)

तेजांसि यानि दृष्टानि भूमिष्ठेन त्वया विभो । वेश्मानि भुवि देवानां पश्यामूनि सहस्रशः ॥

tejāṃsi yāni dṛṣṭāni bhūmiṣṭhena tvayā vibho | veśmāni bhuvi devānāṃ paśyāmūni sahasraśaḥ

"The splendours that you, O mighty one, saw while standing on the earth — behold these thousands of dwellings of the gods on earth."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text; it is a star passage there (*0014, lines 1-2, after 17.3.27d). Line 2 differs: Wikisource reads वेश्मानि भुवि देवानाम्, CE veśmāni karmadevānām ('of the gods by deed'); recension variant, kept.

Verse 30 (17.3.30)

नारदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा वचनमब्रवीत् । भ्रातॄनपश्यन्धर्मात्मा स्वपक्षांश्चैव पार्थिवान् ॥

nāradasya vacaḥ śrutvā rājā vacanamabravīt | bhrātṝnapaśyandharmātmā svapakṣāṃścaiva pārthivān

Hearing Narada's words, the righteous-souled king, not seeing his brothers or the kings who were his own side, spoke:

Verse 31 (17.3.31)

शुभं वा यदि वा पापं भ्रातॄणां स्थानमद्य मे । तदेव प्राप्तुमिच्छामि लोकानन्यान्न कामये ॥

śubhaṃ vā yadi vā pāpaṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ sthānamadya me | tadeva prāptumicchāmi lokānanyānna kāmaye

"Whether it be good or evil, I wish to attain only that place which is now my brothers'. I desire no other worlds."

Note on the text: Corrected लोकान्यान्न → लोकानन्यान्न (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped syllable (लोकान् + अन्यान् + न); CE lokān anyān na).

Verse 32 (17.3.32)

राज्ञस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा देवराजः पुरंदरः । आनृशंस्यसमायुक्तं प्रत्युवाच युधिष्ठिरम् ॥

rājñastu vacanaṃ śrutvā devarājaḥ puraṃdaraḥ | ānṛśaṃsyasamāyuktaṃ pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiram

Hearing the king's words, Purandara, king of the gods, replied to Yudhishthira in words full of compassion:

Verse 33 (17.3.33)

स्थानेऽस्मिन्वस राजेन्द्र कर्मभिर्निर्जिते शुभैः । किं त्वं मानुष्यकं स्नेहमद्यापि परिकर्षसि ॥

sthāne'sminvasa rājendra karmabhirnirjite śubhaiḥ | kiṃ tvaṃ mānuṣyakaṃ snehamadyāpi parikarṣasi

"Stay in this place, king of kings, which you have won by your good deeds. Why do you still carry human affection along with you?"

Verse 34 (17.3.34)

सिद्धिं प्राप्तोसि परमां यथा नान्यः पुमान्क्वचित् । नैव ते भ्रातरः स्थानं सम्प्राप्ताः कुरुनन्दन ॥

siddhiṃ prāptosi paramāṃ yathā nānyaḥ pumānkvacit | naiva te bhrātaraḥ sthānaṃ samprāptāḥ kurunandana

"You have attained supreme perfection, such as no other man has ever attained; your brothers have not reached this place, O delight of the Kurus."

Note on the text: Corrected यता नान्यः → यथा नान्यः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped aspirate; CE yathā).

Verse 35 (17.3.35)

अद्यापि मानुषो भावः स्पृशते त्वां नराधिप । स्वर्गोऽयं पश्य देवर्षीन्सिद्धांश्च त्रिदिवालयान् ॥

adyāpi mānuṣo bhāvaḥ spṛśate tvāṃ narādhipa | svargo'yaṃ paśya devarṣīnsiddhāṃśca tridivālayān

"Even now the human state touches you, O lord of men. This is heaven; behold the divine sages and the perfected ones, dwellers of the heavens."

Verse 36 (17.3.36)

युधिष्ठिरस्तु देवेन्द्रमेवंवादिनमीश्वरम् । पुनरेवाब्रवीद्धीमानिदं वचनमर्थवत् ॥

yudhiṣṭhirastu devendramevaṃvādinamīśvaram | punarevābravīddhīmānidaṃ vacanamarthavat

But Yudhishthira, the wise, answered the lord Indra, who had spoken so, again with these meaningful words:

Verse 37 (17.3.37)

तैर्विना नोत्सहे वस्तुमिह दैत्यनिबर्हण । गन्तुमिच्छामि तत्राहं यत्र मे भ्रातरो गताः ॥

tairvinā notsahe vastumiha daityanibarhaṇa | gantumicchāmi tatrāhaṃ yatra me bhrātaro gatāḥ

"Without them I cannot bear to stay here, O slayer of the Daityas. I wish to go to where my brothers have gone."

Verse 38 (17.3.38)

यत्र सा बृहती श्यामा बुद्धिसत्त्वगुणान्विता । द्रौपदी योषितांश्रेष्ठा यत्र चैव सुता मम ॥

yatra sā bṛhatī śyāmā buddhisattvaguṇānvitā | draupadī yoṣitāṃśreṣṭhā yatra caiva sutā mama

"To where that tall, dark lady, endowed with the qualities of intellect and goodness, Draupadi, best of women, is, and where my daughter also is."

Note on the text: Wikisource reads यत्र चैव सुता मम ('and where my daughter is') where the critical edition has yatra caiva priyā mama ('and where my beloved is'); the sense is doubtful but it is good Sanskrit, so the page's reading is kept.