Padmanabha Meets the Brahmin

Verse 1 (12.371.1)

स पन्नगपतिस्तत्र प्रययौ ब्राह्मणं प्रति । तमेव मनसा ध्यायन्कार्यवत्तां विचारयन् ॥

sa pannagapatistatra prayayau brāhmaṇaṃ prati | tameva manasā dhyāyankāryavattāṃ vicārayan

That lord of serpents went toward the Brahmin, thinking of him alone in his mind and pondering the purpose of his coming.

Verse 2 (12.371.2)

तमतिक्रम्य नागेन्द्रो मतिमान्स नरेश्वर । प्रोवाच मधुरं वाक्यं प्रकृत्या धर्मवत्सलः ॥

tamatikramya nāgendro matimānsa nareśvara | provāca madhuraṃ vākyaṃ prakṛtyā dharmavatsalaḥ

Approaching him, the wise lord of serpents, O king, spoke gentle words, loving of dharma as he was by nature.

Note on the text: Wikisource तमतिक्रम्य for the CE tam abhikramya; recension variant, kept.

Verse 3 (12.371.3)

भोभो क्षाम्याभिभाषे त्वां न रोषं कर्तुमर्हसि । इह त्वमभिसंप्राप्तः कस्यार्थे किं प्रयोजनम् ॥

bhobho kṣāmyābhibhāṣe tvāṃ na roṣaṃ kartumarhasi | iha tvamabhisaṃprāptaḥ kasyārthe kiṃ prayojanam

Ho, ho! Forgive me, I am addressing you; you should not be angry. For whom, and for what purpose, have you come here?

Note on the text: Corrected क्षाम्याभिभाषए → क्षाम्याभिभाषे (misprint in Wikisource; a misprinted vowel sign; the CE reads kṣāmyābhibhāṣe). Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha (the page prints only the Bhishma heading before this verse; verses 3-4 are the Naga's direct speech after the narration of verse 2). Page footnote: क्षाम्य = क्षमस्व.

Verse 4 (12.371.4)

आभिमुख्यादभिक्रम्य स्नेहात्पृच्छामि ते द्विज । विविक्ते गोमतीतीरे कं वा त्वं पर्युपाससे ॥

ābhimukhyādabhikramya snehātpṛcchāmi te dvija | vivikte gomatītīre kaṃ vā tvaṃ paryupāsase

Having come face to face with you, I ask out of affection, O twice-born: in this lonely spot on the bank of the Gomati, whom do you wait upon?

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha. Wikisource कं वा for the CE kiṃ vā; recension variant, kept.

Verse 5 (12.371.5)

धर्मारण्यं हि मां विद्धि नागं द्रष्टुमिहागतम् । पद्मनाभं द्विजश्रेष्ठ तत्र मे कार्यमाहितम् ॥

dharmāraṇyaṃ hi māṃ viddhi nāgaṃ draṣṭumihāgatam | padmanābhaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha tatra me kāryamāhitam

Know me as one of the Dharma-forest, come here to see the serpent Padmanabha, O best of the twice-born; I have business with him.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Brahmin, as headed on the page. Page footnote 12-371-5: धर्मारण्याद्धि मां विद्धि as ट. पाठः; the printed reading is kept. Wikisource द्विजश्रेष्ठ for the CE dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ; variant, kept.

Verse 6 (12.371.6)

तस्य चाहमसान्निध्ये श्रुतवानस्मि तं गतम् । स्वजनात्तं प्रतीक्षामि पर्जन्यमिव कर्षकः ॥

tasya cāhamasānnidhye śrutavānasmi taṃ gatam | svajanāttaṃ pratīkṣāmi parjanyamiva karṣakaḥ

When I arrived I learned that he was away, and I am waiting for him, as a farmer waits for the rain-cloud.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Brahmin. Wikisource स्वजनात्तं for the CE svajanaṃ taṃ (the page footnote gives तां गतिम् as ठ. पाठः); recension variant, kept.

Verse 7 (12.371.7)

तस्य चाक्लेशकरणं स्वस्तिकारसमाहितम् । आवर्तयामि तद्ब्रह्म योगयुक्तो निरामयः ॥

tasya cākleśakaraṇaṃ svastikārasamāhitam | āvartayāmi tadbrahma yogayukto nirāmayaḥ

For his sake I recite that holy text, which removes distress and is rich in blessing, absorbed in yoga and free from illness.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Brahmin. Line 2 differs from the CE (vartayāmy ayutaṃ brahma); recension variant, kept. Page footnote: अक्लेशकरणम् = क्लेशनिवारकम्.

Verse 8 (12.371.8)

अहो कल्याणवृत्तस्त्वं साधुः सज्जनवत्सलः । अवाच्यस्त्वं महाभाग परं स्नेहेन पश्यसि ॥

aho kalyāṇavṛttastvaṃ sādhuḥ sajjanavatsalaḥ | avācyastvaṃ mahābhāga paraṃ snehena paśyasi

Ah, you are of excellent conduct, a good man, kind to the virtuous. O fortunate one, you are beyond reproach, and you look upon me with deep affection.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha, as headed on the page. Wikisource अवाच्यस्त्वम् for the CE śravāḍhyas tvam (the page footnote gives a different line 2 as ट. पाठः); recension variant, kept.

Verse 9 (12.371.9)

अहं स नागो विप्रर्षे यथा मां विन्दते भवान् । आज्ञापय यथास्वैरं किं करोमि प्रियं तव ॥

ahaṃ sa nāgo viprarṣe yathā māṃ vindate bhavān | ājñāpaya yathāsvairaṃ kiṃ karomi priyaṃ tava

I am that serpent, O sage, whom you know me to be. Command me as you wish: what dear service shall I do for you?

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha.

Verse 10 (12.371.10)

भवन्तं स्वजनादस्मि संप्राप्तं श्रुतवानहम् । अतस्त्वां स्वयमेवाहं द्रष्टुमभ्यागतो द्विज ॥

bhavantaṃ svajanādasmi saṃprāptaṃ śrutavānaham | atastvāṃ svayamevāhaṃ draṣṭumabhyāgato dvija

I heard from my household that you had come, and so I have come myself to see you, O twice-born.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha. Wikisource श्रुतवानहम् for the CE śrutavān iha; recension variant, kept.

Verse 11 (12.371.11)

संप्राप्तश्च भवानद्य कृतार्थः प्रतियास्यति । विस्रब्धो मां द्विजश्रेष्ठ विषये योक्तमर्हसि ॥

saṃprāptaśca bhavānadya kṛtārthaḥ pratiyāsyati | visrabdho māṃ dvijaśreṣṭha viṣaye yoktamarhasi

Now that you have come, you will go away fulfilled today. Trust me, O best of the twice-born, and you may employ me in your purpose.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha.

Verse 12 (12.371.12)

वयं हि भवता सर्वे गुणक्रीता विशेषतः । यस्त्वमात्महितं त्यक्त्वा मामेवेहानुरुध्यसे ॥

vayaṃ hi bhavatā sarve guṇakrītā viśeṣataḥ | yastvamātmahitaṃ tyaktvā māmevehānurudhyase

We have all been won over by you in a special way, for you set aside your own good and seek only me.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Naga Padmanabha.

Verse 13 (12.371.13)

आगतोऽहं महाभाग तव दर्शनलालसः । कंचिदर्थमनर्थज्ञः प्रष्टुकामो भुजंगम ॥

āgato'haṃ mahābhāga tava darśanalālasaḥ | kaṃcidarthamanarthajñaḥ praṣṭukāmo bhujaṃgama

I have come, O fortunate one, longing to see you, wishing to ask you something, for I do not know the true meaning of things, O serpent.

Note on the text: Corrected मनर्यज्ञः → मनर्थज्ञः (misprint in Wikisource; य for थ; the CE reads anarthajñaḥ and the page footnote glosses अनर्थज्ञः अर्थानभिज्ञः). Speaker: the Brahmin, as headed on the page.

Verse 14 (12.371.14)

अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणोऽऽत्मनो गतिम् । वासार्थिनं महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह ॥

ahamātmānamātmastho mārgamāṇo''tmano gatim | vāsārthinaṃ mahāprajñaṃ calaccittamupāsmi ha

I, abiding in myself and seeking my own way, have come to you, who are of great wisdom, myself in need of a dwelling and wavering in mind.

Note on the text: Corrected मार्गगाणोऽऽत्मनो → मार्गमाणोऽऽत्मनो (misprint in Wikisource; गा for मा; the CE reads mārgamāṇo 'tmano). Speaker: the Brahmin. Line 1 ends गतिम् and line 2 reads चलच्चित्तम् where the CE has hitam and balavantam; recension variants, kept.

Verse 15 (12.371.15)

प्रकाशितस्त्वं स्वगुणैर्यशोगर्भगभस्तिभिः । शशाङ्ककरसंस्पर्शैर्हृद्यैरात्मप्रकाशितैः ॥

prakāśitastvaṃ svaguṇairyaśogarbhagabhastibhiḥ | śaśāṅkakarasaṃsparśairhṛdyairātmaprakāśitaiḥ

You are illumined by your own good qualities, whose rays of fame are at their core, as pleasing and self-luminous as the touch of the moon's beams.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रकाशितस्त्वं स गुणैर् → प्रकाशितस्त्वं स्वगुणैर् (misprint in Wikisource; "स गुणैः" does not construe with tvam; the CE reads svaguṇaiḥ). Speaker: the Brahmin. Page footnote gives आत्मन्यात्मप्रकाशिभिः as ट. पाठः; the printed reading is kept.

Verse 16 (12.371.16)

तस्य मे प्रश्नमुत्पन्नं छिन्धि त्वमनिलाशन । पश्चात्कार्यं वदिष्यामि श्रोतुमर्हति तद्भवान् ॥

tasya me praśnamutpannaṃ chindhi tvamanilāśana | paścātkāryaṃ vadiṣyāmi śrotumarhati tadbhavān

Cut through the doubt that has arisen in me, O wind-eater. Afterwards I shall tell you my errand, if you will hear it.

Note on the text: Speaker: the Brahmin. Wikisource श्रोतुमर्हति तद्भवान् for the CE śrotum arhati me bhavān; recension variant, kept.