A Householder of Mahapadma Seeks the Highest Good

Verse 1 (12.363.1)

आसीत्किल नरश्रेष्ठ महापद्मे पुरोत्तमे । गङ्गाया दक्षिणे तीरे कश्चिद्विप्रः समाहितः ॥

āsītkila naraśreṣṭha mahāpadme purottame | gaṅgāyā dakṣiṇe tīre kaścidvipraḥ samāhitaḥ

Once, O best of men, in the excellent city of Mahapadma, on the southern bank of the Ganga, there lived a certain Brahmin of composed mind.

Note on the text: First line: Wikisource नरश्रेष्ठ for the CE kuruśreṣṭha (vocative); recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (12.363.2)

सौम्यः सोमान्वये जातो जितात्मा गोत्रतो भृगुः । धर्मनित्यो जितक्रोधो नित्यतप्तो जितेन्द्रियः ॥

saumyaḥ somānvaye jāto jitātmā gotrato bhṛguḥ | dharmanityo jitakrodho nityatapto jitendriyaḥ

He was gentle and born in the lunar line, master of himself, of the Bhrigu gotra, always devoted to dharma, free from anger, constantly given to austerity, and with his senses subdued.

Note on the text: Line 2 first half differs from the CE (saumyaḥ somānvaye vede gatādhvā chinnasaṃśayaḥ); recension variant, kept. Page footnote: सोमान्वये = अत्रिगोत्रे.

Verse 3 (12.363.3)

तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतः सत्यः सज्जनसंमतः । न्यायप्राप्तेन वित्तेन स्वेन शीलेन चान्वितः ॥

tapaḥsvādhyāyanirataḥ satyaḥ sajjanasaṃmataḥ | nyāyaprāptena vittena svena śīlena cānvitaḥ

He delighted in austerity and Vedic study, was truthful, and was esteemed by good people. He possessed wealth righteously gained, and a good character of his own.

Note on the text: Line 1 differs from the CE (ahiṃsānirato nityaṃ satyaḥ sajjanasaṃmataḥ); recension variant, kept.

Verse 4 (12.363.4)

ज्ञातिसंबन्धिविपुले पुत्रपौत्रप्रतिष्ठिते । कुले महति विख्याते विशिष्टां वृत्तिमास्थितः ॥

jñātisaṃbandhivipule putrapautrapratiṣṭhite | kule mahati vikhyāte viśiṣṭāṃ vṛttimāsthitaḥ

He belonged to a great and renowned family, wide with kinsmen and relatives and firmly established in sons and grandsons, and he followed an excellent way of life.

Note on the text: Corrected ज्ञाति संबन्धिविपुले → ज्ञातिसंबन्धिविपुले (misprint in Wikisource; stray space splitting the compound; the CE reads jñātisaṃbandhivipule).

Verse 5 (12.363.5)

स पुत्रान्बहुलाँल्लब्ध्वा विपुले कर्मणि स्थितः । कुलधर्माश्रितो राजन्धर्मचर्यास्थितोऽभवत् ॥

sa putrānbahulām̐llabdhvā vipule karmaṇi sthitaḥ | kuladharmāśrito rājandharmacaryāsthito'bhavat

Having many sons and being engaged in great undertakings, O king, he relied on the dharma of his family and became established in the practice of dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected धरर्मचर्यास्थितोऽभवत् → धर्मचर्यास्थितोऽभवत् (misprint in Wikisource; doubled र; the CE reads dharmacaryā-).

Verse 6 (12.363.6)

ततः स धर्मं वेदोक्तं तथा शास्त्रोक्तमेव च । शिष्टाचीर्णं च धर्मं च त्रिविधं चिन्त्य चेतसा ॥

tataḥ sa dharmaṃ vedoktaṃ tathā śāstroktameva ca | śiṣṭācīrṇaṃ ca dharmaṃ ca trividhaṃ cintya cetasā

Then he reflected in his mind on the threefold dharma: the dharma declared in the Veda, the dharma set out in the scriptures, and the dharma practised by the cultivated.

Note on the text: Corrected शास्त्राक्तमेव → शास्त्रोक्तमेव (misprint in Wikisource; broken vowel; शास्त्र + उक्त gives शास्त्रोक्त, as in the CE śāstroktam).

Verse 7 (12.363.7)

किंनु मे स्याच्छुभं कृत्वा किं कृतं किं परायणम् । इत्येवं चिन्तयन्नित्यं न च याति विनिश्चयम् ॥

kiṃnu me syācchubhaṃ kṛtvā kiṃ kṛtaṃ kiṃ parāyaṇam | ityevaṃ cintayannityaṃ na ca yāti viniścayam

"What good deed shall I do, and what once done will be my refuge?" Thinking thus constantly, he could not come to a settled conclusion.

Verse 8 (12.363.8)

तस्यैवं चिन्त्यमानस्य धर्मं परममास्थितः । कदाचिदतिथिः प्राप्तो ब्राह्मणः सुसमाहितः ॥

tasyaivaṃ cintyamānasya dharmaṃ paramamāsthitaḥ | kadācidatithiḥ prāpto brāhmaṇaḥ susamāhitaḥ

While he was brooding in this way, intent on the highest dharma, a Brahmin of deep composure came to him one day as a guest.

Verse 9 (12.363.9)

स तस्मै सत्क्रियां चक्रे क्रियायुक्तेन हेतुना । विश्रान्तं सुसमासीनमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

sa tasmai satkriyāṃ cakre kriyāyuktena hetunā | viśrāntaṃ susamāsīnamidaṃ vacanamabravīt

The householder honoured him with hospitality, in proper form and for a good reason; and when the guest had rested and was comfortably seated, he spoke these words.