Janamejaya Pleads and Shaunaka Sets His Terms

Verse 1 (12.150.1)

एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच तं मुनिं जनमेजयः । गर्ह्यं भवान्गर्हयते निन्द्यं निन्दति मां पुनः ॥

evamuktaḥ pratyuvāca taṃ muniṃ janamejayaḥ | garhyaṃ bhavāngarhayate nindyaṃ nindati māṃ punaḥ

Thus addressed, Janamejaya replied to the sage: "You, sir, rebuke one who deserves rebuke, and revile me, who deserve reviling.

Note on the text: Line 1 is narration (Bhishma); Janamejaya's speech begins in line 2. The page prints no heading for it, so verses 2-9, which are wholly his words, are given to Janamejaya.

Verse 2 (12.150.2)

धिक्कार्यं मां धिक्कुरुते तस्मात्त्वाऽहं प्रसादये । सर्वं हीदं स्वकृतं मे ज्वलाम्यग्नाविवाहितम् ॥

dhikkāryaṃ māṃ dhikkurute tasmāttvā'haṃ prasādaye | sarvaṃ hīdaṃ svakṛtaṃ me jvalāmyagnāvivāhitam

"You curse me, who deserve cursing, and therefore I seek to win you over. All this is of my own making; I burn like a man laid in a fire.

Verse 3 (12.150.3)

स्वकर्माण्यभिसंधाय नाभिनन्दति मे मनः । प्राप्तं घोरं भयं नूनं मया वैवस्वतादपि ॥

svakarmāṇyabhisaṃdhāya nābhinandati me manaḥ | prāptaṃ ghoraṃ bhayaṃ nūnaṃ mayā vaivasvatādapi

"When I reflect on my own deeds, my mind finds no joy in them. Surely I have run into a terror more dreadful than even that of Yama, son of Vivasvat.

Verse 4 (12.150.4)

तत्तु शल्यमनिर्हृत्य कथं शक्ष्यामि जीवितुम् । सर्वं मन्युं विनीय त्वमभि मां वद शौनक ॥

tattu śalyamanirhṛtya kathaṃ śakṣyāmi jīvitum | sarvaṃ manyuṃ vinīya tvamabhi māṃ vada śaunaka

"How shall I be able to live without pulling out that thorn? Put away all your anger, Shaunaka, and speak to me.

Verse 5 (12.150.5)

महानसं ब्राह्मणानां भूयो वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम् । गन्ता गतिं ब्राह्मणानां भविष्याम्यर्थवान्पुनः । अस्तु शेषं कुलस्यास्य मा पराभूदिदं कुलम् ॥

mahānasaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ bhūyo vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam | gantā gatiṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ bhaviṣyāmyarthavānpunaḥ | astu śeṣaṃ kulasyāsya mā parābhūdidaṃ kulam

"I now declare that I shall again keep the great kitchen of the brahmins; I shall become a refuge for the brahmins and be of use once more. Let a remnant of this family remain; let this family not be destroyed.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets and the backtick and apostrophe quote marks that Wikisource prints round lines 1 and 2 (the page marks them as doubtful), and corrected महानासं → महानसं (misprint in Wikisource; stray ā; CE mahānasaṃ). Line 2 corresponds to the second half of CE 12.147.5a (… bhaviṣyāmy arthavān punaḥ) and line 3 is CE 12.147.5c exactly; line 1 has no counterpart in the CE (vulgate only; it echoes the opening of CE 5a and the end of 12.147.7a).

Verse 6 (12.150.6)

न हि नो ब्रह्मशप्तानां शेषं भवितुमर्हति । स्तुतीरलभमानानां संविदं वेद निश्चयात् ॥

na hi no brahmaśaptānāṃ śeṣaṃ bhavitumarhati | stutīralabhamānānāṃ saṃvidaṃ veda niścayāt

"For no remnant can survive of us who are cursed by brahmins; of those who win no praise, I know with certainty the settled rule.

Verse 7 (12.150.7)

निन्दमानः स्वमात्मानं भूयो वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम् । भूयश्चैवाभिमज्जन्ति निर्धर्मा निर्जला इव ॥

nindamānaḥ svamātmānaṃ bhūyo vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam | bhūyaścaivābhimajjanti nirdharmā nirjalā iva

"Reproaching myself, I shall now speak further: those without dharma sink down again and again, like creatures left without water.

Verse 8 (12.150.8)

न ह्ययज्ञा अमुं लोकं प्राप्नुवन्ति कथंचन । अवाक्च प्रपतिष्यन्ति पुलिन्दशवरा इव ॥

na hyayajñā amuṃ lokaṃ prāpnuvanti kathaṃcana | avākca prapatiṣyanti pulindaśavarā iva

"Those who offer no sacrifice never reach the world beyond; they fall headlong, like the Pulindas and Shabaras.

Note on the text: The two lines stand in the opposite order to the CE: page line 1 = CE 12.147.8c (na hy ayajñā amuṃ lokaṃ prāpnuvanti kathaṃ cana), line 2 = CE 12.147.8a (arvāk ca pratitiṣṭhanti pulindaśabarā iva, with अवाक् प्रपतिष्यन्ति). Not matched by the alignment; text kept as on the page.

Verse 9 (12.150.9)

अविज्ञायैव मे प्रज्ञां बालस्येव स पण्डितः । ब्रह्मन्पितेव पुत्रस्य प्रीतिमान्भव शौनक ॥

avijñāyaiva me prajñāṃ bālasyeva sa paṇḍitaḥ | brahmanpiteva putrasya prītimānbhava śaunaka

"As a learned man would treat a child, without even gauging my understanding — be gracious to me, O brahmin, Shaunaka, as a father is to his son."

Verse 10 (12.150.10)

किमाश्चर्यं यतः प्राज्ञो बहुकुर्यादसांप्रतम् । इति वै पण्डितो भूत्वा भूतानां को नु तप्यते ॥

kimāścaryaṃ yataḥ prājño bahukuryādasāṃpratam | iti vai paṇḍito bhūtvā bhūtānāṃ ko nu tapyate

"What wonder is it if a wise man does much that is unfitting? Having become learned, who among creatures would still be tormented?

Note on the text: The speaker heading शौनक उवाच is printed before this verse.

Verse 11 (12.150.11)

प्रज्ञाप्रासादमारुह्य अशोच्यः शोचते जनान् । जगतीस्थानिवाद्रिस्थः प्रज्ञया प्रतिपत्स्यति ॥

prajñāprāsādamāruhya aśocyaḥ śocate janān | jagatīsthānivādristhaḥ prajñayā pratipatsyati

"Climbing the palace of wisdom, one who is himself beyond grief mourns for other people; like one standing on a mountain looking at those on the ground, he will see by his wisdom.

Verse 12 (12.150.12)

न चोपलभते कश्चिन्न चाश्चर्याणि पश्यति । निर्विण्णात्मा परोक्षो वा धिक्कृतः सर्वसाधुषु ॥

na copalabhate kaścinna cāścaryāṇi paśyati | nirviṇṇātmā parokṣo vā dhikkṛtaḥ sarvasādhuṣu

"Whoever is dejected in soul, or hidden from sight, or despised by all the good, neither gains this nor sees its wonders.

Verse 13 (12.150.13)

विदित्वा भवतो वीर्यं माहात्म्यं चैव चागमे । कुरुष्वेह यथाशान्ति ब्रह्मा शरणमस्तु ते ॥

viditvā bhavato vīryaṃ māhātmyaṃ caiva cāgame | kuruṣveha yathāśānti brahmā śaraṇamastu te

"Knowing your strength and your greatness, as the tradition teaches, do here whatever brings peace; let the brahmin be your refuge.

Verse 14 (12.150.14)

तद्वै पारत्रिकं तात ब्राह्मणानामकुप्यताम् । अथवा तप्यसे पापे धर्मं चेदनुपश्यसि ॥

tadvai pāratrikaṃ tāta brāhmaṇānāmakupyatām | athavā tapyase pāpe dharmaṃ cedanupaśyasi

"That, my son, is what profits you in the world beyond — that the brahmins should not be angry. Or else you are tormented by your sin, if indeed you see dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected वारित्रकं → पारत्रिकं (misprint in Wikisource; वारित्रकं is not a word in context; CE pāratrikaṃ). Line 1 also reads तात where the CE has cāru (variant, kept).

Verse 15 (12.150.15)

अनुतप्ये च पापेन न चाधर्मं चराम्यहम् । बुभूषुं भजमानं च प्रीतिमान्भव शौनक ॥

anutapye ca pāpena na cādharmaṃ carāmyaham | bubhūṣuṃ bhajamānaṃ ca prītimānbhava śaunaka

"I repent of my sin, and I do not practise adharma. Be gracious, Shaunaka, to me, who wish to prosper and who attend on you."

Note on the text: Corrected बुभूषेद्भजमानं → बुभूषुं भजमानं (misprint in Wikisource; बुभूषेद् leaves the sentence without a construction; CE bubhūṣuṃ bhajamānaṃ ca). The page heads this speech जनमेजय उवाच.

Verse 16 (12.150.16)

छित्त्वा दम्भं च मानं च प्रीतिमिच्छामि ते नृप । सर्वभूतहिते तिष्ठ धर्मं चैव प्रतिस्मरन् ॥

chittvā dambhaṃ ca mānaṃ ca prītimicchāmi te nṛpa | sarvabhūtahite tiṣṭha dharmaṃ caiva pratismaran

"Casting off hypocrisy and pride, I wish to be pleased with you, O king. Abide in the welfare of all beings, and keep dharma in mind.

Note on the text: Wikisource दम्भं against CE stambhaṃ (variant, kept).

Verse 17 (12.150.17)

न भयान्न च कार्पण्यान्न लोभात्त्वामुपाह्वये । तां मे दैवीं गिरं सत्यां शृणु त्वं ब्राह्मणैः सह ॥

na bhayānna ca kārpaṇyānna lobhāttvāmupāhvaye | tāṃ me daivīṃ giraṃ satyāṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ brāhmaṇaiḥ saha

"I call you to me neither out of fear, nor out of misery, nor out of greed. Hear this my true and divine word, together with the brahmins.

Verse 18 (12.150.18)

सोऽहं न केनचिच्चार्थी त्वां च धर्मादुपाह्वये । क्रोशतां सर्वभूतानां हाहाधिगिति जल्पताम् ॥

so'haṃ na kenaciccārthī tvāṃ ca dharmādupāhvaye | krośatāṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ hāhādhigiti jalpatām

"I want nothing from anyone, and I call you to me out of dharma, though all beings cry out, 'Alas! Shame!'

Verse 19 (12.150.19)

वक्ष्यन्ति मामधर्मज्ञं त्यक्ष्यन्ति सुहृदो जनाः । ता वाचः सुहृदः श्रुत्वा संज्वरिष्यन्ति मे भृशं ॥

vakṣyanti māmadharmajñaṃ tyakṣyanti suhṛdo janāḥ | tā vācaḥ suhṛdaḥ śrutvā saṃjvariṣyanti me bhṛśaṃ

"They will call me ignorant of dharma, and people will abandon me. My friends, hearing those words, will be greatly pained for me.

Verse 20 (12.150.20)

केचिदेव महाप्राज्ञाः प्रतिज्ञास्यन्ति कार्यताम् । जानीहि मत्कृतं तात ब्राह्मणान्प्रति भारत ॥

kecideva mahāprājñāḥ pratijñāsyanti kāryatām | jānīhi matkṛtaṃ tāta brāhmaṇānprati bhārata

"Only a few of the greatly wise will recognise the necessity of it. Know, dear Bharata, what I have done in regard to the brahmins.

Verse 21 (12.150.21)

यथा ते सत्कृताः क्षेमं लभेरंस्त्वं तथा कुरु । प्रतिजानीहि चाद्रोहं ब्राह्मणानां नराधिप ॥

yathā te satkṛtāḥ kṣemaṃ labheraṃstvaṃ tathā kuru | pratijānīhi cādrohaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ narādhipa

"Act so that the brahmins, honoured by you, may obtain well-being; and promise, O lord of men, that you will never do them harm."

Verse 22 (12.150.22)

नैव वाचा न मनसा पुनर्जातु न कर्मणा । द्रोग्धाऽस्मि ब्राह्मणान्विप्र चरणावेव ते स्पृशे ॥

naiva vācā na manasā punarjātu na karmaṇā | drogdhā'smi brāhmaṇānvipra caraṇāveva te spṛśe

"Never again, O brahmin, by word, by mind or by deed, shall I do harm to the brahmins; I touch your very feet."