Why Do Men Die? Brahma's Wrath

Verse 1 (12.262.1)

य इमे पृथिवीपालाः शेरते पृथिवीतले । पृतनामध्य एते हि गतसत्त्वा महाबलाः ॥

ya ime pṛthivīpālāḥ śerate pṛthivītale | pṛtanāmadhya ete hi gatasattvā mahābalāḥ

These rulers of the earth who lie on the ground in the midst of the army, their life gone, though they were men of great strength —

Note on the text: Speaker: the page's heading misprints युधिष्ठिरं उवाच (the input carried युधिष्ठिरं); set to युधिष्ठिर.

Verse 2 (12.262.2)

एकैकशो भीमबला नागायुतबलास्तथा । एते हि निहताः सङ्ख्ये तुल्यतेजोबलैर्नरैः ॥

ekaikaśo bhīmabalā nāgāyutabalāstathā | ete hi nihatāḥ saṅkhye tulyatejobalairnaraiḥ

each of them of terrible might, with the strength of ten thousand elephants — were struck down in battle by men equal to them in energy and strength.

Note on the text: Corrected तुल्यतेजीबलैः → तुल्यतेजोबलैः (misprint in Wikisource; ी for ो, the critical edition reads tulyatejobalaiḥ).

Verse 3 (12.262.3)

नैषां पश्यामि हन्तारं प्राणिनां संयुगे पुरा । विक्रमेणोपसंपन्नास्तेजोबलसमन्विताः ॥

naiṣāṃ paśyāmi hantāraṃ prāṇināṃ saṃyuge purā | vikrameṇopasaṃpannāstejobalasamanvitāḥ

I see no slayer of these living beings in battle before this; for they were endowed with valour and furnished with energy and strength.

Verse 4 (12.262.4)

अथ चेमे महाप्राज्ञाः शेरते हि गतासवः । मृता इति च शब्दोऽयं वर्तत्येषु गतासुषु ॥

atha ceme mahāprājñāḥ śerate hi gatāsavaḥ | mṛtā iti ca śabdo'yaṃ vartatyeṣu gatāsuṣu

And now these men of great wisdom lie with their breath gone, and the word 'dead' is applied to these lifeless ones.

Verse 5 (12.262.5)

इमे मृता नृपतयः प्रायशो भीमविक्रमाः । तत्र मे संशयो जातः कुतः संज्ञा मृता इति ॥

ime mṛtā nṛpatayaḥ prāyaśo bhīmavikramāḥ | tatra me saṃśayo jātaḥ kutaḥ saṃjñā mṛtā iti

These kings, for the most part of fearsome valour, are dead. Here a doubt has arisen in me: whence comes the name 'dead'?

Verse 6 (12.262.6)

कस्य मृत्युः कुतो मृत्युः केन मृत्युरिह प्रजाः । हरत्यमरसंकाश तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kasya mṛtyuḥ kuto mṛtyuḥ kena mṛtyuriha prajāḥ | haratyamarasaṃkāśa tanme brūhi pitāmaha

Whose is death? Whence comes death? By what means does death carry off living beings here? O grandfather, you who are like the immortals, tell me this.

Verse 7 (12.262.7)

पुरा कृतयुगे तात राजा ह्यासीदकम्पनः । स शत्रुवशमापन्नः संग्रामे क्षीणवाहनः ॥

purā kṛtayuge tāta rājā hyāsīdakampanaḥ | sa śatruvaśamāpannaḥ saṃgrāme kṣīṇavāhanaḥ

In the past, in the Krita age, my dear child, there was a king named Akampana. He fell into the power of his enemies in battle, his mounts spent.

Verse 8 (12.262.8)

तस्य पुत्रो हरिर्नाम नारायणसमो बले । स शत्रुभिर्हतः सङ्ख्ये सबलः सपदानुगः ॥

tasya putro harirnāma nārāyaṇasamo bale | sa śatrubhirhataḥ saṅkhye sabalaḥ sapadānugaḥ

His son, named Hari, equal to Narayana in strength, was killed in battle by the enemy, together with his troops and his followers.

Verse 9 (12.262.9)

स राजा शत्रुवशगः पुत्रशोकसमन्वितः । यदृच्छया शान्तिपरो ददर्श भुवि नारदम् ॥

sa rājā śatruvaśagaḥ putraśokasamanvitaḥ | yadṛcchayā śāntiparo dadarśa bhuvi nāradam

That king, in the power of his enemies and burdened with grief for his son, chanced to meet Narada on earth, seeking peace.

Note on the text: शान्तिपरः is kept as printed (a valid word and a recension reading, 'intent on peace'); the critical edition reads yadṛcchayāśāntiparo, i.e. aśāntiparaḥ, 'without peace'.

Verse 10 (12.262.10)

तस्मै स सर्वमाचष्ट यथावृत्तं जनेश्वरः । शत्रुभिर्ग्रहणं सङ्ख्ये पुत्रस्य मरणं तथा ॥

tasmai sa sarvamācaṣṭa yathāvṛttaṃ janeśvaraḥ | śatrubhirgrahaṇaṃ saṅkhye putrasya maraṇaṃ tathā

The lord of men told him everything as it had happened: his capture by his enemies in battle, and the death of his son.

Verse 11 (12.262.11)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदोऽथ तपोधनः । आख्यानमिदमाचष्ट पुत्रशोकापहं तदा ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā nārado'tha tapodhanaḥ | ākhyānamidamācaṣṭa putraśokāpahaṃ tadā

Hearing his words, Narada, rich in austerity, then told him this tale, which removes the grief of a son's loss.

Verse 12 (12.262.12)

राजञ्शृणु महाख्यानं ममेदं बहुविस्तरम् । यथावृत्तं श्रुतं चैव मयाऽपि वसुधाधिप ॥

rājañśṛṇu mahākhyānaṃ mamedaṃ bahuvistaram | yathāvṛttaṃ śrutaṃ caiva mayā'pi vasudhādhipa

O king, listen to this great tale of mine, of great length, as it happened and as I myself have heard it, O lord of the earth.

Verse 13 (12.262.13)

प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा महातेजाः प्रजासर्गे पितामहः । अतीव वृद्धा बहुला नामृष्यत पुनः प्रजाः ॥

prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā mahātejāḥ prajāsarge pitāmahaḥ | atīva vṛddhā bahulā nāmṛṣyata punaḥ prajāḥ

Having created beings, the Grandsire of great radiance, in the work of creation, could not bear them once more, for they had grown exceedingly many.

Verse 14 (12.262.14)

न ह्यन्तरमभूत्किंचित्क्वचिज्जन्तुभिरच्युत । निरुच्छ्वासमिवोन्नद्धं त्रैलोक्यमभवन्नृप ॥

na hyantaramabhūtkiṃcitkvacijjantubhiracyuta | nirucchvāsamivonnaddhaṃ trailokyamabhavannṛpa

There was no room left anywhere, O unfailing one, because of the living creatures; the three worlds, O king, were packed tight, as though breathless.

Verse 15 (12.262.15)

तस्य चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना संहारं प्रति भूपते । चिन्तयन्नाध्यगच्छच्च संहारे हेतुकारणम् ॥

tasya cintā samutpannā saṃhāraṃ prati bhūpate | cintayannādhyagacchacca saṃhāre hetukāraṇam

A thought of withdrawal arose in him, O lord of the earth; but though he pondered, he could find no cause or reason for the withdrawal.

Verse 16 (12.262.16)

तस्य रोषान्महाराज खेभ्योऽग्निरुदतिष्ठत । तेन सर्वा दिशो राजन्ददाह स पितामहः ॥

tasya roṣānmahārāja khebhyo'gnirudatiṣṭhata | tena sarvā diśo rājandadāha sa pitāmahaḥ

From his anger, great king, fire rose from the openings of his body; with it the Grandsire burned all the directions, O king.

Note on the text: Corrected रोपान्महाराज → रोषान्महाराज (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, the critical edition reads roṣān mahārāja; the sense is anger).

Verse 17 (12.262.17)

ततो दिवं भुवं खं च जगच्च सचराचरम् । ददाह पावको राजन्भगवत्कोपसंभवः ॥

tato divaṃ bhuvaṃ khaṃ ca jagacca sacarācaram | dadāha pāvako rājanbhagavatkopasaṃbhavaḥ

Then that fire, born of the Lord's wrath, burned heaven and earth and the sky, and the whole world with all that moves and does not move, O king.

Verse 18 (12.262.18)

तत्रादह्यन्त भूतानि जङ्गमानि ध्रुवाणि च । महता क्रोधवेगेन कुपिते प्रपितामहे ॥

tatrādahyanta bhūtāni jaṅgamāni dhruvāṇi ca | mahatā krodhavegena kupite prapitāmahe

There all beings were burned, the moving and the unmoving alike, by the great force of his rage, when the Great-grandsire grew wroth.

Verse 19 (12.262.19)

ततो हरो जटी स्थाणुर्देवोऽध्वरपतिः शिवः । जगाम शरणं देवो ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम् ॥

tato haro jaṭī sthāṇurdevo'dhvarapatiḥ śivaḥ | jagāma śaraṇaṃ devo brahmāṇaṃ parameṣṭhinam

Then Hara, matted-haired Sthanu, the god who is lord of sacrifice, Shiva, went for refuge to the god Brahma, the supreme one.

Verse 20 (12.262.20)

तस्मिन्नभिगते स्थाणौ प्रजानां हितकाम्यया । अब्रवीद्वरदो देवो ज्वलन्निव तदा शिवम् ॥

tasminnabhigate sthāṇau prajānāṃ hitakāmyayā | abravīdvarado devo jvalanniva tadā śivam

When Sthanu had come, the boon-giving god, blazing as it were, spoke to Shiva, out of a wish for the good of the creatures.

Verse 21 (12.262.21)

करवाण्यद्य कं कामं वरार्होऽसि मतो मम । कर्ता ह्यस्मि प्रियं शंभो तव यद्धृदि वर्तते ॥

karavāṇyadya kaṃ kāmaṃ varārho'si mato mama | kartā hyasmi priyaṃ śaṃbho tava yaddhṛdi vartate

What wish of yours shall I fulfil today? I hold you worthy of a boon. For I shall do what is dear to you, Shambhu, whatever lies in your heart.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints no heading; the verse is wholly Brahma's address to Shiva, introduced by verse 20. Corrected व्नरार्होऽसि → वरार्होऽसि (misprint in Wikisource; stray न in the conjunct, the critical edition reads varārho 'si) and कर्ता ह्यसि → कर्ता ह्यस्मि (the म of the conjunct dropped, the critical edition reads kartā hy asmi; 'I shall do', as the sense requires).