The Wind Humbles the Shalmali

Verse 1 (12.155.1)

एवमुक्त्वा तु राजेन्द्र शाल्मलिं ब्रह्मवित्तमः । नारदः पवने सर्वं शाल्मलेर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

evamuktvā tu rājendra śālmaliṃ brahmavittamaḥ | nāradaḥ pavane sarvaṃ śālmalervākyamabravīt

Having spoken thus to the shalmali, O king of kings, Narada, best of the knowers of Brahman, told the Wind everything the shalmali had said.

Verse 2 (12.155.2)

हिमवत्पृष्ठजः कश्चिच्छाल्मलिः परिवारवान् । बृहन्मूलो बृहच्छायः स त्वां वायोऽवमन्यते ॥

himavatpṛṣṭhajaḥ kaścicchālmaliḥ parivāravān | bṛhanmūlo bṛhacchāyaḥ sa tvāṃ vāyo'vamanyate

On the back of the Himalaya there is a certain shalmali tree, with a great company about it, huge in root and huge in shade. He holds you in contempt, Wind.

Verse 3 (12.155.3)

बहुव्याक्षेपयुक्तानि त्वामाह वचनानि सः । न युक्तानि मया वायो तानि वक्तुं तवाग्रतः ॥

bahuvyākṣepayuktāni tvāmāha vacanāni saḥ | na yuktāni mayā vāyo tāni vaktuṃ tavāgrataḥ

He spoke many words of insult to you. It is not right for me to repeat them to you, Wind, in your presence.

Verse 4 (12.155.4)

जानामि त्वामहं वायो सर्वप्राणभृतां वरम् । वरिष्ठं च गरिष्ठं च सर्वलोकेश्वरं प्रभुम् ॥

jānāmi tvāmahaṃ vāyo sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ varam | variṣṭhaṃ ca gariṣṭhaṃ ca sarvalokeśvaraṃ prabhum

I know you, Wind, as the best of all that draw breath, the eldest and the weightiest, the lord and master of all the worlds.

Verse 5 (12.155.5)

एतत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदस्य समीरणः । शाल्मलिं तमुपागम्य क्रुद्धो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

etattu vacanaṃ śrutvā nāradasya samīraṇaḥ | śālmaliṃ tamupāgamya kruddho vacanamabravīt

Hearing these words of Narada, the Wind went to that shalmali and, enraged, said to him:

Verse 6 (12.155.6)

शाल्मले नारदो गच्छंस्त्वयोक्तो मद्विगर्हणम् । अहं वायुः प्रभावं ते दर्शयाम्यात्मनो बलम् ॥

śālmale nārado gacchaṃstvayokto madvigarhaṇam | ahaṃ vāyuḥ prabhāvaṃ te darśayāmyātmano balam

Shalmali, you spoke ill of me to Narada as he passed. I am the Wind, and I shall show you my power, my own strength.

Verse 7 (12.155.7)

नाहं त्वां नाभिजानामि विदितश्चासि मे द्रुम । पितामहः प्रजासर्गे त्वयि विश्रान्तवान्प्रभुः ॥

nāhaṃ tvāṃ nābhijānāmi viditaścāsi me druma | pitāmahaḥ prajāsarge tvayi viśrāntavānprabhuḥ

It is not that I do not know you; I know you well, tree. The Grandfather, the lord Brahma, rested in you at the creation of beings.

Verse 8 (12.155.8)

तस्य विश्रमणादेव प्रसादो मत्कृतस्तव । अभूत्तस्य प्रसादात्त्वां न भञ्जामि द्रुमाधम ॥

tasya viśramaṇādeva prasādo matkṛtastava | abhūttasya prasādāttvāṃ na bhañjāmi drumādhama

It is only because he rested there that this favour was done you by me; and by his grace I do not break you, vilest of trees.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रसादौ → प्रसादो and भज्यामि → भञ्जामि (misprints in Wikisource; a dual ending in place of प्रसादो, and a dropped ञ् so that भज्यामि, which does not fit, stands for भञ्जामि "I break"; the critical edition reads prasādo yaḥ kṛtas tava in line 1, and the page's footnote gives the variant रक्ष्यसे तेन दुर्बुद्धे नात्मवीर्याद्द्रुमाधम). Lines are variants of CE 12.151.8a and 12.151.8c; the alignment found no match.

Verse 9 (12.155.9)

यन्मां त्वमवजानीषे यथाऽन्यं प्राकृतं तथा । दर्शयाम्येष चात्मानं यथा मां नावमन्यसे ॥

yanmāṃ tvamavajānīṣe yathā'nyaṃ prākṛtaṃ tathā | darśayāmyeṣa cātmānaṃ yathā māṃ nāvamanyase

Because you scorn me as though I were some ordinary wind, I shall show you myself, so that you no longer despise me.

Verse 10 (12.155.10)

एवमुक्तस्ततः प्राह शाल्मलिः प्रहसन्निव । पवन त्वं वने क्रुद्धो दर्शयात्मानमात्मना ॥

evamuktastataḥ prāha śālmaliḥ prahasanniva | pavana tvaṃ vane kruddho darśayātmānamātmanā

Spoken to thus, the shalmali answered, as if laughing: "Wind, you are angry in the forest; show yourself, as you please."

Verse 11 (12.155.11)

मयि वै मुच्यतां क्रोधः किं मे क्रुद्धः करिष्यसि । न ते बिभेमि पवन यद्यपि त्वं स्वयं प्रभुः । बलाधिकोऽहं त्वत्तश्च न भीः कार्या मया तव ॥

mayi vai mucyatāṃ krodhaḥ kiṃ me kruddhaḥ kariṣyasi | na te bibhemi pavana yadyapi tvaṃ svayaṃ prabhuḥ | balādhiko'haṃ tvattaśca na bhīḥ kāryā mayā tava

Let go your anger against me; what will you do to me with your rage? I do not fear you, Wind, though you are a lord in your own right. I am the stronger, and I have no need to be afraid of you.

Note on the text: No heading on the page: the shalmali's reply, introduced in the narration of the previous verse, fills this verse and the next, so it is given to the shalmali. The alignment found no match; lines 1-2 = CE 12.151.11a, 12.151.11c, and line 3 = the CE star line 12.151.11d*0402_01 (balādhiko 'haṃ tvattaś ca na bhīḥ kāryā mayā tava).

Verse 12 (12.155.12)

ये तु बुद्ध्या हि बलिनस्ते भवन्ति बलीयसः । प्राणमात्रबला ये वै नैव ते बलिनो मताः ॥

ye tu buddhyā hi balinaste bhavanti balīyasaḥ | prāṇamātrabalā ye vai naiva te balino matāḥ

Those who are strong in intelligence are the stronger; those whose strength is only the breath of life are not counted strong at all.

Note on the text: Speaker as for the previous verse. Not matched by the alignment: the lines are the CE star passage 12.151.11d*0402_02-03 (ye tu buddhyā hi balinas te bhavanti balīyasaḥ / prāṇamātrabalā ye vai naiva te balino matāḥ), which the CE does not include in its constituted text.

Verse 13 (12.155.13)

इत्येवमुक्तः पवनः श्व इत्येवाब्रवीद्वचः । दर्शयिष्यामि ते तेजस्ततो रात्रिरुपागमत् ॥

ityevamuktaḥ pavanaḥ śva ityevābravīdvacaḥ | darśayiṣyāmi te tejastato rātrirupāgamat

Addressed thus, the Wind said, "Tomorrow! I shall show you my might," and then night came on.

Verse 14 (12.155.14)

अथ निश्चित्य मनसा शाल्मलिर्वैरधारणम् । पश्यमानस्तदात्मानमसमं मातरिश्वना ॥

atha niścitya manasā śālmalirvairadhāraṇam | paśyamānastadātmānamasamaṃ mātariśvanā

Then the shalmali, thinking it over and seeing that in this enmity he was no match for the Wind, reflected:

Verse 15 (12.155.15)

नारदे यन्मया प्रोक्तं वचनं प्रति तन्मृषा । असमर्थो ह्यहं वायोर्बलेन बलवान्हि सः ॥

nārade yanmayā proktaṃ vacanaṃ prati tanmṛṣā | asamartho hyahaṃ vāyorbalena balavānhi saḥ

What I said to Narada about the Wind was false. I am powerless against the Wind; he is strong in strength.

Verse 16 (12.155.16)

मारुतो बलवान्नित्यं यथा वै नारदोऽब्रवीत् । अहं तु दुर्बलोऽन्येभ्यो वृक्षेभ्यो नात्र संशयः ॥

māruto balavānnityaṃ yathā vai nārado'bravīt | ahaṃ tu durbalo'nyebhyo vṛkṣebhyo nātra saṃśayaḥ

The Wind is always strong, just as Narada said, and I am weaker than other trees, no doubt of that.

Note on the text: Corrected बल्यान् → बलवान् (misprint in Wikisource; बल्यान् is not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads balavān).

Verse 17 (12.155.17)

किं तु बुद्ध्या समो नास्ति मम कश्चिद्वनस्पतिः । तदहं बुद्धिमास्थाय भयं त्यक्ष्ये समीरणात् ॥

kiṃ tu buddhyā samo nāsti mama kaścidvanaspatiḥ | tadahaṃ buddhimāsthāya bhayaṃ tyakṣye samīraṇāt

But in intelligence no tree is my equal. So I shall rely on intelligence and be rid of my fear of the Wind.

Verse 18 (12.155.18)

यदि तां बुद्धिमास्थाय तिष्ठेयुः पर्णिनो वने । अरिष्टाः स्युः सदा क्रुद्धात्पवनान्नात्र संशयः ॥

yadi tāṃ buddhimāsthāya tiṣṭheyuḥ parṇino vane | ariṣṭāḥ syuḥ sadā kruddhātpavanānnātra saṃśayaḥ

If the leafy trees of the forest were to rely on that intelligence, they would always be safe from the angry Wind, beyond doubt.

Verse 19 (12.155.19)

ते तु बाला न जानन्ति यथा नैतान्समीरणः । समीरयेत संक्रुद्धो यथा जानाम्यहं तथा ॥

te tu bālā na jānanti yathā naitānsamīraṇaḥ | samīrayeta saṃkruddho yathā jānāmyahaṃ tathā

But those fools do not know how the furious Wind would hurl them about, as I know it.

Verse 20 (12.155.20)

ततो निश्चित्य मनसा शाल्मलिः क्षुभितस्तदा । शाखाः स्कन्धान्प्रशाखाश्च स्वयमेव व्यशातयत् ॥

tato niścitya manasā śālmaliḥ kṣubhitastadā | śākhāḥ skandhānpraśākhāśca svayameva vyaśātayat

Then, having made up his mind, the shalmali, agitated, himself cut off his branches, his great limbs and his twigs.

Verse 21 (12.155.21)

स परित्यज्य शाखाश्च पत्राणि कुसुमानि च । प्रभाते वायुमायान्तं प्रेक्षते स्म वनस्पतिः ॥

sa parityajya śākhāśca patrāṇi kusumāni ca | prabhāte vāyumāyāntaṃ prekṣate sma vanaspatiḥ

Having shed his branches, leaves and flowers, the lord of the forest at dawn watched the Wind come.

Verse 22 (12.155.22)

ततः क्रुद्धः श्वसन्वायुः पातयन्वै महाद्रुमान् । आजगामाथ तं देशमास्ते यत्र स शाल्मलिः ॥

tataḥ kruddhaḥ śvasanvāyuḥ pātayanvai mahādrumān | ājagāmātha taṃ deśamāste yatra sa śālmaliḥ

Then the Wind, angry and snorting, felling great trees as he came, reached the place where the shalmali stood.

Verse 23 (12.155.23)

तं हीनपर्णं पतिताग्रशाखं । निशीर्णपुष्पं प्रसमीक्ष्य वायुः । उवाच वाक्यं स्मयमान एवं । मुदायुतः शाल्मलिं रुग्णशाखम् ॥

taṃ hīnaparṇaṃ patitāgraśākhaṃ | niśīrṇapuṣpaṃ prasamīkṣya vāyuḥ | uvāca vākyaṃ smayamāna evaṃ | mudāyutaḥ śālmaliṃ rugṇaśākham

Seeing him without leaves, his top branches fallen, his blossoms shed and his branches broken, the Wind, smiling and full of joy, spoke thus to the shalmali:

Note on the text: Corrected स्ययमान → स्मयमान (misprint in Wikisource; य for म; the critical edition reads smayamāna). Wikisource निशीर्णपुष्पं (CE viśīrṇapuṣpaṃ) and मुदायुतः (CE mudā yutaṃ) are variants, kept. The four lines are CE 12.151.22a-d.

Verse 24 (12.155.24)

अहमप्येवमेव त्वां कुर्यां वै शाल्मले रुषा । आत्मना यत्कृतं कृच्छ्रं शाखानामपकर्षणम् ॥

ahamapyevameva tvāṃ kuryāṃ vai śālmale ruṣā | ātmanā yatkṛtaṃ kṛcchraṃ śākhānāmapakarṣaṇam

I too could have done this very thing to you in anger, shalmali: what you have done to yourself, the grievous stripping away of your branches.

Verse 25 (12.155.25)

हीनपुष्पाग्रशाखस्त्वं शीर्णाङ्कुरपलाशकः । आत्मदुर्मन्त्रितेनेह मद्वीर्यवशगः कृतः ॥

hīnapuṣpāgraśākhastvaṃ śīrṇāṅkurapalāśakaḥ | ātmadurmantriteneha madvīryavaśagaḥ kṛtaḥ

Stripped of flowers and top branches, your sprouts and leaves scattered, you have been brought under the power of my might by your own bad counsel.

Verse 26 (12.155.26)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो वायोः शाल्मलिर्व्रीडितस्तदा । अतप्यत वचः स्मृत्वा नारदो यत्तदाऽब्रवीत् ॥

etacchrutvā vaco vāyoḥ śālmalirvrīḍitastadā | atapyata vacaḥ smṛtvā nārado yattadā'bravīt

Hearing these words of the Wind, the shalmali was ashamed, and he burned with remorse, remembering what Narada had said to him.

Verse 27 (12.155.27)

एवं हि राजशार्दूल दुर्बलः सन्वलीयसा । वैरमासञ्जते बालस्तप्यते शाल्मलिर्यथा ॥

evaṃ hi rājaśārdūla durbalaḥ sanvalīyasā | vairamāsañjate bālastapyate śālmaliryathā

So it is, O tiger among kings, that a weak fool who sets himself in enmity with a stronger one suffers, as the shalmali did.

Verse 28 (12.155.28)

तस्माद्वैरं न कुर्वीत दुर्बलो बलवत्तरैः । शोचेद्धि वैरं कुर्वाणो यथा वै शाल्मलिस्तथा ॥

tasmādvairaṃ na kurvīta durbalo balavattaraiḥ | śoceddhi vairaṃ kurvāṇo yathā vai śālmalistathā

Therefore the weak should not make enmity with the stronger; he who does so grieves, as the shalmali did.

Verse 29 (12.155.29)

न हि वैरं महात्मानो विवृण्वन्त्यपकारिषु । शनैः शनैर्महाराज दर्शयन्ति स्म ते बलम् ॥

na hi vairaṃ mahātmāno vivṛṇvantyapakāriṣu | śanaiḥ śanairmahārāja darśayanti sma te balam

Great-souled men do not reveal their enmity to those who have wronged them. Slowly, slowly, great king, they show their strength.

Verse 30 (12.155.30)

वैरं न कुर्वीत नरो दुर्बुद्धिर्बुद्धिजीविना । बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतो याति तूलेष्विव हुताशनः ॥

vairaṃ na kurvīta naro durbuddhirbuddhijīvinā | buddhirbuddhimato yāti tūleṣviva hutāśanaḥ

A man of poor sense should not make enmity with one who lives by his intelligence; the wit of the wise spreads like fire through cotton.

Note on the text: Corrected बुद्धिर्वुद्धिमतो → बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतो and तूलष्विव → तूलेष्विव (misprints in Wikisource; व for ब, and a broken vowel sign in the locative plural; the critical edition reads buddhir buddhimato … tūleṣv iva). The page's footnote gives the variant तृणेष्विव.

Verse 31 (12.155.31)

न हि बुद्ध्या समं किंचिद्विद्यते पुरुषे नृप । तथा बलेन राजेन्द्र न समोऽस्तीह कश्चन ॥

na hi buddhyā samaṃ kiṃcidvidyate puruṣe nṛpa | tathā balena rājendra na samo'stīha kaścana

Nothing found in a man equals intelligence, O king; and likewise, O king of kings, in strength no one here stands as an equal.

Verse 32 (12.155.32)

तस्मात्क्षमेत बालाय जडान्धवधिराय च । बलाधिकाय राजेन्द्र तद्दृष्टं त्वयि शत्रुहन् ॥

tasmātkṣameta bālāya jaḍāndhavadhirāya ca | balādhikāya rājendra taddṛṣṭaṃ tvayi śatruhan

Therefore one should forbear with a child, with the dull, the blind and the deaf, and with one who is stronger; this has been seen in you, slayer of foes.

Verse 33 (12.155.33)

अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च सप्त चैव महाद्युते । बलेन न समा राजन्नर्जुनस्य महात्मनः ॥

akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca sapta caiva mahādyute | balena na samā rājannarjunasya mahātmanaḥ

Eighteen akshauhinis, ten and one and seven, O radiant one, were no match in strength for the great-souled Arjuna.

Verse 34 (12.155.34)

निहताश्चैव भग्नाश्च पाण्डवेन यशस्विना । चरता बलमास्थाय पाकशासनिना मृधे ॥

nihatāścaiva bhagnāśca pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā | caratā balamāsthāya pākaśāsaninā mṛdhe

They were slain and routed in battle by the glorious Pandava, son of Indra, who fought relying on his strength.

Verse 35 (12.155.35)

उक्ताश्च ते राजधर्मा आपद्धर्माश्च भारत । विस्तरेण महाराज किं भूयः प्रब्रवीमि ते ॥

uktāśca te rājadharmā āpaddharmāśca bhārata | vistareṇa mahārāja kiṃ bhūyaḥ prabravīmi te

I have told you, O Bharata, of the duties of kings and the duties in times of distress, at length. What more shall I tell you, great king?

Note on the text: Corrected प्रव्रवीमि → प्रब्रवीमि (misprint in Wikisource; व for ब; the critical edition reads prabravīmi).