Narada Praises the Shalmali Tree

Verse 1 (12.153.1)

बलिनः प्रत्यमित्रस्य नित्यमासन्नवर्तिनः । उपकारापकाराभ्यां समर्थस्योद्यतस्य च ॥

balinaḥ pratyamitrasya nityamāsannavartinaḥ | upakārāpakārābhyāṃ samarthasyodyatasya ca

Suppose there is a strong enemy who lives always close at hand, who has the power both to help and to harm, and who is ready to strike.

Note on the text: Corrected उण्कारापकाराभ्यां → उपकारापकाराभ्यां (misprint in Wikisource; ण् for प; the CE star passage reads upakārāpakārābhyāṃ). Not in the critical edition's constituted text; the three verses 1-3 are the CE star passage 12.150.0*0397 (lines 00-06: yudhiṣṭhira uvāca / balinaḥ pratyamitrasya … āgacchato 'tikruddhasya tasyoddharaṇakāmyayā), printed at the head of CE adhyaya 150. The alignment found no match.

Verse 2 (12.153.2)

मोहाद्विकत्थनामात्रैरसारोऽल्पबलो लघुः । वाग्भिरप्रतिरूपाभिरभिद्रुह्य पितामह ॥

mohādvikatthanāmātrairasāro'lpabalo laghuḥ | vāgbhirapratirūpābhirabhidruhya pitāmaha

And suppose a man who is hollow, slight and of little strength has, out of folly, turned on him with mere boasting and with unbecoming words, O grandfather.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text; the three verses 1-3 are the CE star passage 12.150.0*0397 (lines 00-06: yudhiṣṭhira uvāca / balinaḥ pratyamitrasya … āgacchato 'tikruddhasya tasyoddharaṇakāmyayā), printed at the head of CE adhyaya 150. The alignment found no match.

Verse 3 (12.153.3)

आत्मनो बलमास्थाय कथं वर्तेत मानवः । आगच्छतोऽतिक्रुद्धस्य तस्योद्धरणकाम्यया ॥

ātmano balamāsthāya kathaṃ varteta mānavaḥ | āgacchato'tikruddhasya tasyoddharaṇakāmyayā

How should such a man conduct himself, relying on his own strength, when that enemy, in a fury, comes against him wishing to tear him up by the roots?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text; the three verses 1-3 are the CE star passage 12.150.0*0397 (lines 00-06: yudhiṣṭhira uvāca / balinaḥ pratyamitrasya … āgacchato 'tikruddhasya tasyoddharaṇakāmyayā), printed at the head of CE adhyaya 150. The alignment found no match.

Verse 4 (12.153.4)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । संवादं भरतश्रेष्ठ शाल्मलेः पवनस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | saṃvādaṃ bharataśreṣṭha śālmaleḥ pavanasya ca

On this point they cite an ancient tale, O best of the Bharatas: the dialogue between the shalmali tree and the Wind.

Note on the text: Corrected उदाहन्तीमम् → उदाहरन्तीमम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र; the critical edition reads udāharantīmam).

Verse 5 (12.153.5)

हिमवन्तं समासाद्य महानासीद्वनस्पतिः । वर्षपूगाभिसंवृद्धः शाखामूलपलाशवान् ॥

himavantaṃ samāsādya mahānāsīdvanaspatiḥ | varṣapūgābhisaṃvṛddhaḥ śākhāmūlapalāśavān

Having come to the Himalaya, there stood a great tree, grown through many years, full of branches, roots and leaves.

Verse 6 (12.153.6)

तत्र स्म मत्तमातङ्गा घर्मार्ताः श्रमकर्शिताः । विश्राम्यन्ति महाबाहो तथाऽन्या मृगजातयः ॥

tatra sma mattamātaṅgā gharmārtāḥ śramakarśitāḥ | viśrāmyanti mahābāho tathā'nyā mṛgajātayaḥ

Elephants in rut, tormented by the heat and worn out with weariness, used to rest there, O mighty-armed, and so did other kinds of beasts.

Note on the text: After this verse the CE has a star passage (12.150.3b*0398_01, yā varāhamṛgaśārdūlapatatrigaṇasaṃkulāḥ) that Wikisource does not have; not added.

Verse 7 (12.153.7)

नल्वमात्रपरीणाहो घनच्छायो वनस्पतिः । शुकशारिकसंघुष्टः पुष्पवान्फलवानपि ॥

nalvamātraparīṇāho ghanacchāyo vanaspatiḥ | śukaśārikasaṃghuṣṭaḥ puṣpavānphalavānapi

That lord of the forest was a nalva (four hundred cubits) around, with dense shade, loud with parrots and mynas, and bearing both flowers and fruit.

Note on the text: Corrected नल्वमांत्र → नल्वमात्र (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara; the critical edition reads nalvamātra, and the page's own footnote glosses नल्वः). After this verse the CE has a star passage (12.150.4d*0399_01-02, taṃ kadā cin munir dṛṣṭvā nārado vismito 'bravīt / dhanyas tvam eka evāsi śālmale vāyuvallabhaḥ) that Wikisource does not have; not added.

Verse 8 (12.153.8)

सार्थका वणिजश्चापि तापसाश्च वनौकसः । वसन्ति तत्र मार्गस्थाः सुरम्ये नगसत्तमे ॥

sārthakā vaṇijaścāpi tāpasāśca vanaukasaḥ | vasanti tatra mārgasthāḥ suramye nagasattame

Caravans, merchants, ascetics and forest-dwellers travelling the road used to halt at that lovely best of trees.

Verse 9 (12.153.9)

तस्य ता विपुलाः शाखा दृष्ट्वा स्कन्धं च सर्वशः । अभिगम्याब्रवीदेनं नारदो भरतर्षभ ॥

tasya tā vipulāḥ śākhā dṛṣṭvā skandhaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | abhigamyābravīdenaṃ nārado bharatarṣabha

Seeing its vast branches and its trunk on every side, Narada went up to it and spoke to it, O best of the Bharatas.

Verse 10 (12.153.10)

अहो नु रमणीयस्त्वमहो चासि मनोहरः । प्रीयामहे त्वया नित्यं तरुप्रवर शाल्मके ॥

aho nu ramaṇīyastvamaho cāsi manoharaḥ | prīyāmahe tvayā nityaṃ tarupravara śālmake

Ah, how lovely you are, and how charming! We are always delighted with you, O shalmali, best of trees.

Note on the text: No heading on the page: Narada's speech, introduced in the narration of the previous verse, fills this verse and the verses that follow to the end of the adhyaya, so it is given to Narada.

Verse 11 (12.153.11)

सदैव शकुनास्तात मृगाश्चाथ तथा गजाः । वसन्ति तव संहृष्टा मनोहरतरास्तथा ॥

sadaiva śakunāstāta mṛgāścātha tathā gajāḥ | vasanti tava saṃhṛṣṭā manoharatarāstathā

Birds, deer and elephants, dear tree, always live happily with you, and are all the more charming for it.

Verse 12 (12.153.12)

तव शाखा महाशाख स्कन्धांश्च विपुलांस्तथा । न वै प्रभग्नान्पश्यामि मारुतेन कथंचन ॥

tava śākhā mahāśākha skandhāṃśca vipulāṃstathā | na vai prabhagnānpaśyāmi mārutena kathaṃcana

Great-branched one, I never see your branches or your vast trunk broken by the wind in any way.

Note on the text: After this verse the CE has a star passage (12.150.9d*0400_01, sarvāvāsasya sadbhāvāt sauhṛdāc cābhirakṣati) that Wikisource does not have; not added.

Verse 13 (12.153.13)

किंनु ते पवनस्तात प्रीतिमानथवा सुहृत् । त्वां रक्षति सदा येन वनेऽत्र पवनो ध्रुवम् ॥

kiṃnu te pavanastāta prītimānathavā suhṛt | tvāṃ rakṣati sadā yena vane'tra pavano dhruvam

Is the Wind fond of you, dear tree, or your friend? Surely that is why the Wind always protects you in this forest.

Verse 14 (12.153.14)

भगवान्पवनः स्थानाद्वृक्षानुच्चावचानपि । पर्वतानां च शिखराण्याचालयति वेगवान् ॥

bhagavānpavanaḥ sthānādvṛkṣānuccāvacānapi | parvatānāṃ ca śikharāṇyācālayati vegavān

For the glorious Wind, in his force, shakes trees great and small from their places, and the very peaks of the mountains.

Verse 15 (12.153.15)

शोषयत्येव पातालं वहन्गन्धवहः शुचिः । सरांसि सरितश्चैव सागरांश्च तथैव च ॥

śoṣayatyeva pātālaṃ vahangandhavahaḥ śuciḥ | sarāṃsi saritaścaiva sāgarāṃśca tathaiva ca

Blowing, the pure bearer of scents dries up even the nether world, and the lakes, rivers and oceans as well.

Verse 16 (12.153.16)

संरक्षति त्वां पवनः सखित्वेन न संशयः । तस्मात्त्वं बहुशाखोऽपि पर्णवान्पुष्पवानपि ॥

saṃrakṣati tvāṃ pavanaḥ sakhitvena na saṃśayaḥ | tasmāttvaṃ bahuśākho'pi parṇavānpuṣpavānapi

The Wind guards you out of friendship, without a doubt; that is why, though many-branched, you are rich in leaves and flowers.

Verse 17 (12.153.17)

इदं च रमणीयं ते प्रतिभाति वनस्पते । य इमे विहगास्तात रमन्ते मुदितास्त्वयि ॥

idaṃ ca ramaṇīyaṃ te pratibhāti vanaspate | ya ime vihagāstāta ramante muditāstvayi

And this too is lovely about you, O lord of the forest: these birds, dear tree, rejoice and play in you.

Verse 18 (12.153.18)

एषां पृथक्समस्तानां श्रूयते मधुरस्वरः । पुष्पसंमोदने काले वाशन्ते हरियूथपाः ॥

eṣāṃ pṛthaksamastānāṃ śrūyate madhurasvaraḥ | puṣpasaṃmodane kāle vāśante hariyūthapāḥ

Their sweet voices are heard, each by itself and all together, in the season when the flowers bring delight, and the leaders of the monkey troops call out.

Verse 19 (12.153.19)

तथेमे गर्जिता नागाः स्वयूथगणशोभिताः । घर्मार्तास्त्वां समासाद्य सुखं विन्दति शाल्मके ॥

tatheme garjitā nāgāḥ svayūthagaṇaśobhitāḥ | gharmārtāstvāṃ samāsādya sukhaṃ vindati śālmake

So too these roaring elephants, splendid in their own herds and tormented by the heat, find ease when they come to you, O shalmali.

Verse 20 (12.153.20)

तथैव मृगजातीभिरन्याभिरभिशोभसे । तथा सार्थाधिवासैश्च शोभसे मेरुवद्द्रुम् ॥

tathaiva mṛgajātībhiranyābhirabhiśobhase | tathā sārthādhivāsaiśca śobhase meruvaddrum

You are adorned likewise by other kinds of animals, and by the halting-places of the caravans you shine like Mount Meru, O tree.

Verse 21 (12.153.21)

ब्राह्मणैश्च तपः सिद्धैस्तापसैः श्रमणैस्तथा । त्रिविष्टपसमं मन्ये तवायतनमेव हि ॥

brāhmaṇaiśca tapaḥ siddhaistāpasaiḥ śramaṇaistathā | triviṣṭapasamaṃ manye tavāyatanameva hi

With Brahmins perfected in austerity, with ascetics and with shramana monks, I think your dwelling is the very equal of heaven.