The Serpent Kinsmen Plead with the Fasting Brahmin

Verse 1 (12.368.1)

अथ तेन नरश्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणेन तपस्विना । निराहारेण वसता दुःखितास्ते भुजङ्गमाः ॥

atha tena naraśreṣṭha brāhmaṇena tapasvinā | nirāhāreṇa vasatā duḥkhitāste bhujaṅgamāḥ

Then, O best of men, the serpents were distressed that the ascetic Brahmin was living there without food.

Verse 2 (12.368.2)

सर्वे संभूय सहिता ह्यस्य नागस्य बान्धवाः । भ्रातरस्तनया भार्या ययुस्तं ब्राह्मणं प्रति ॥

sarve saṃbhūya sahitā hyasya nāgasya bāndhavāḥ | bhrātarastanayā bhāryā yayustaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ prati

All the kinsmen of that serpent, his brothers, sons and wives, gathered together and went to the Brahmin.

Note on the text: Corrected नावस्य → नागस्य (misprint in Wikisource; व for ग; the CE reads nāgasya).

Verse 3 (12.368.3)

तेऽपश्यन्पुलिने तं वै विविक्ते नियतव्रतम् । समासीनं निराहारं द्विजं जप्यपरायणम् ॥

te'paśyanpuline taṃ vai vivikte niyatavratam | samāsīnaṃ nirāhāraṃ dvijaṃ japyaparāyaṇam

They saw him on the bank in a secluded spot, firm in his vows, seated, fasting, the twice-born one intent on his prayers.

Note on the text: Page footnote records विपिने for विविक्ते as ट. पाठः; the printed reading is kept.

Verse 4 (12.368.4)

ते सर्वे समभिक्रम्य विप्रमभ्यर्च्य चासकृत् । ऊचुर्वाक्यमसंदिग्धमातिथेयस्य बान्धवाः ॥

te sarve samabhikramya vipramabhyarcya cāsakṛt | ūcurvākyamasaṃdigdhamātitheyasya bāndhavāḥ

They all approached the Brahmin, honoured him again and again, and the kinsmen of their host spoke to him in clear words.

Verse 5 (12.368.5)

षष्ठो हि दिवसस्तेऽद्य प्राप्तस्येह तपोधन । न चाभिभाषसे किंचिदाहारं धर्मवत्सल ॥

ṣaṣṭho hi divasaste'dya prāptasyeha tapodhana | na cābhibhāṣase kiṃcidāhāraṃ dharmavatsala

Today is the sixth day since you came here, O rich in austerity, and you ask for no food at all, O lover of dharma.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Nagas, kinsmen of Padmanabha (no heading is printed on the page; verses 5-9 are their direct speech). Wikisource न चाभिभाषसे for the CE na cābhilaṣase; recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (12.368.6)

अस्मानभिगतश्चासि वयं च त्वामुपस्थिताः । कार्यं चातिथ्यमस्माभिरीप्सितं तव ऋद्धिमत् ॥

asmānabhigataścāsi vayaṃ ca tvāmupasthitāḥ | kāryaṃ cātithyamasmābhirīpsitaṃ tava ṛddhimat

You have come to us, and we have come to you; we wish to offer you a splendid hospitality.

Note on the text: Corrected आमानभिगतश्चासि → अस्मानभिगतश्चासि (misprint in Wikisource; आमान् is not a word; the CE reads asmān). Speaker: the Nagas. Line 2 second half differs from the CE (vayaṃ sarve kuṭumbinaḥ, recorded in the page footnote as झ. पाठः); recension variant, kept.

Verse 7 (12.368.7)

मूलं फलं वा पर्णं वा पयो वा द्विजसत्तम । आहारहेतोरन्नं वा भोक्तुमर्हसि ब्राह्मण ॥

mūlaṃ phalaṃ vā parṇaṃ vā payo vā dvijasattama | āhārahetorannaṃ vā bhoktumarhasi brāhmaṇa

Roots, fruit, leaves, or milk, or any food, grain or otherwise, O best of the twice-born: you ought to take something to eat, O Brahmin.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Nagas.

Verse 8 (12.368.8)

त्यक्ताहारेण भवता वने निवसता त्वया । बालवृद्धमिदं सर्वं पीड्यते धर्मसंकरात् ॥

tyaktāhāreṇa bhavatā vane nivasatā tvayā | bālavṛddhamidaṃ sarvaṃ pīḍyate dharmasaṃkarāt

Since you, living in the forest, have given up eating, all of us, children and elders alike, are tormented by the confusion of dharma.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Nagas. Wikisource धर्मसंकरात् for the CE dharmasaṃkaṭāt; recension variant, kept.

Verse 9 (12.368.9)

न हि नो भ्रूणहा कश्चित्पन्नगेष्विह विद्यते । पूर्वाशी वा कुले ह्यस्मिन्देवतातिथिबन्धुषु ॥

na hi no bhrūṇahā kaścitpannageṣviha vidyate | pūrvāśī vā kule hyasmindevatātithibandhuṣu

Not one among us serpents is a killer of the unborn, and in this family there is no one who eats before the gods, the guests and the kinsmen.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Nagas. Line 1 second half differs from the CE (rājāpathyo 'nṛto 'pi vā), see also the page footnote 12-368-9; recension variant, kept.

Verse 10 (12.368.10)

उपदेशेन युष्माकमाहारोऽयं कृतो मया । द्विरूनं दशरात्रं वै नागस्यागमनं प्रति ॥

upadeśena yuṣmākamāhāro'yaṃ kṛto mayā | dvirūnaṃ daśarātraṃ vai nāgasyāgamanaṃ prati

On your advice I have made this my food: eight nights, ten less two, until the serpent's coming.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Brahmin, as headed on the page. Wikisource कृतः for the CE vṛtaḥ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 11 (12.368.11)

यद्यष्टरात्रेऽतिक्रान्ते नागमिष्यति पन्नगः । तदाहारं करिष्यामि तन्निमित्तमिदं व्रतम् ॥

yadyaṣṭarātre'tikrānte nāgamiṣyati pannagaḥ | tadāhāraṃ kariṣyāmi tannimittamidaṃ vratam

If the serpent has not come when the eighth night has passed, I shall then take food; this vow of mine is for his sake.

Note on the text: Corrected तन्निमित्तमिद → तन्निमित्तमिदं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara; the CE reads idaṃ vratam). Speaker: the Brahmin.

Verse 12 (12.368.12)

कर्तव्यो न च संतापो गम्यतां च यथागतम् । तन्निमित्तमिदं सर्वं नैतद्भेत्तुमिहार्हथ ॥

kartavyo na ca saṃtāpo gamyatāṃ ca yathāgatam | tannimittamidaṃ sarvaṃ naitadbhettumihārhatha

You need not grieve; go back the way you came. This whole vow is for his sake, and you should not break it.

Note on the text: Corrected नैतद्भेत्तुगिहार्हथ → नैतद्भेत्तुमिहार्हथ (misprint in Wikisource; गि for मि; the CE reads bhettum ihārhatha). Speaker: the Brahmin. Line 2 differs from the CE (tannimittaṃ vrataṃ mahyaṃ); recension variant, kept.

Verse 13 (12.368.13)

ते तेन समनुज्ञाता ब्राह्मणेन भुजङ्गमाः । स्वमेव भवनं जग्मुरकृतार्था नरर्षभ ॥

te tena samanujñātā brāhmaṇena bhujaṅgamāḥ | svameva bhavanaṃ jagmurakṛtārthā nararṣabha

Dismissed by the Brahmin in this way, the serpents went back to their own dwelling, their purpose unfulfilled, O best of men.

Note on the text: Speaker: Bhishma (narration; the page's ब्राह्मण heading at verse 10 does not cover this verse).