Ushinara and the Birth of Shibi

Verse 1 (5.118.1)

तथैव तां श्रियं त्यक्त्वा कन्या भूत्वा यशस्विनी । माधवी गालवं विप्रमभ्ययात्सत्यसङ्गरा ॥

tathaiva tāṃ śriyaṃ tyaktvā kanyā bhūtvā yaśasvinī | mādhavī gālavaṃ vipramabhyayātsatyasaṅgarā

In the same way, the glorious Madhavi, true to her promise, gave up that royal splendour, became a maiden again and went to the brahmin Galava.

Verse 2 (5.118.2)

गालवो विमृशन्नेव स्वकार्यगतमानसः । जगाम भोजनगरं द्रष्टुमौशीनरं नृपम् ॥

gālavo vimṛśanneva svakāryagatamānasaḥ | jagāma bhojanagaraṃ draṣṭumauśīnaraṃ nṛpam

Galava, still pondering, his mind fixed on his own task, went to the city of the Bhojas to see King Ushinara.

Verse 3 (5.118.3)

तमुवाचाथ गत्वा स नृपतिं सत्यविक्रमम् । इयं कन्या सुतौ द्वौ ते जनयिष्यति पार्थिवौ ॥

tamuvācātha gatvā sa nṛpatiṃ satyavikramam | iyaṃ kanyā sutau dvau te janayiṣyati pārthivau

Arriving there, he said to that king of true valour: "This maiden will bear you two sons who will be kings.

Note on the text: Corrected इय → इयं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara, critical edition iyaṃ).

Verse 4 (5.118.4)

अस्यां भवानवाप्तार्थो भविता प्रेत्य चेह च । सोमार्कप्रतिसङ्काशौ जनयित्वा सुतौ नृप ॥

asyāṃ bhavānavāptārtho bhavitā pretya ceha ca | somārkapratisaṅkāśau janayitvā sutau nṛpa

Once you have begotten on her two sons like the moon and the sun, O king, you will have gained your purpose both in this world and the next.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Galava: his address to Ushinara, begun in the second half of verse 3, fills verses 4–8 with no printed heading in Wikisource (nor in the critical edition).

Verse 5 (5.118.5)

शुल्कं तु सर्वधर्मज्ञ हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम् । एकतःश्यामकर्णानां देयं मह्यं चतुःशतम् ॥

śulkaṃ tu sarvadharmajña hayānāṃ candravarcasām | ekataḥśyāmakarṇānāṃ deyaṃ mahyaṃ catuḥśatam

As the fee, you who know all of dharma, you must give me four hundred horses as bright as the moon, each black in one ear.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Galava (see verse 4).

Verse 6 (5.118.6)

गुर्वर्थोऽयं समारम्भो न हयैः कृत्यमस्ति मे । यदि शक्यं महाराज क्रियतामविचारितम् ॥

gurvartho'yaṃ samārambho na hayaiḥ kṛtyamasti me | yadi śakyaṃ mahārāja kriyatāmavicāritam

This undertaking is for my teacher's sake; I myself have no use for horses. If it can be done, great king, let it be done without hesitation.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Galava (see verse 4).

Verse 7 (5.118.7)

अनपत्योऽसि राजर्षे पुत्रौ जनय पार्थिव । पितॄन्पुत्रप्लवेन त्वमात्मानं चैव तारय ॥

anapatyo'si rājarṣe putrau janaya pārthiva | pitṝnputraplavena tvamātmānaṃ caiva tāraya

You are childless, royal sage. Beget two sons, O king, and on the raft of sons carry your ancestors and yourself across.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Galava (see verse 4).

Verse 8 (5.118.8)

न पुत्रफलभोक्ता हि राजर्षे पात्यते दिवः । न याति नरकं घोरं यत्र गच्छन्त्यनात्मजाः ॥

na putraphalabhoktā hi rājarṣe pātyate divaḥ | na yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yatra gacchantyanātmajāḥ

For one who enjoys the fruit of sons, royal sage, is not cast down from heaven, nor does he go to the dreadful hell where the sonless go."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Galava (see verse 4).

Verse 9 (5.118.9)

एतच्चान्यच्च विविधं श्रुत्वा गालवभाषितम् । उशीनरः प्रतिवचो ददौ तस्य नराधिपः ॥

etaccānyacca vividhaṃ śrutvā gālavabhāṣitam | uśīnaraḥ prativaco dadau tasya narādhipaḥ

Hearing this and much else that Galava said, King Ushinara gave him his answer:

Verse 10 (5.118.10)

श्रुतवानस्मि ते वाक्यं यथा वदसि गालव । विधिस्तु बलवान्ब्रह्मन्प्रवणं हि मनो मम ॥

śrutavānasmi te vākyaṃ yathā vadasi gālava | vidhistu balavānbrahmanpravaṇaṃ hi mano mama

"I have heard your words, Galava, just as you speak them. But fate is strong, brahmin, and my heart is already inclined to this.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara: his reply, announced in verse 9, fills verses 10–15 with no printed heading in Wikisource (nor in the critical edition).

Verse 11 (5.118.11)

शते द्वे तु ममाश्वानामीदृशानां द्विजोत्तम । इतरेषां सहस्राणि सुबहूनि चरन्ति मे ॥

śate dve tu mamāśvānāmīdṛśānāṃ dvijottama | itareṣāṃ sahasrāṇi subahūni caranti me

Of horses of this kind, best of brahmins, I have only two hundred; of other kinds many thousands of mine roam the pastures.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara (see verse 10).

Verse 12 (5.118.12)

अहमप्येकमेवास्यां जनयिष्यामि गालव । पुत्रवद्भिर्गतं मार्गं गमिष्यामि परैरहम् ॥

ahamapyekamevāsyāṃ janayiṣyāmi gālava | putravadbhirgataṃ mārgaṃ gamiṣyāmi parairaham

I too shall beget only one son on her, Galava, and so I shall walk the path that others who have sons have walked.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara (see verse 10).

Verse 13 (5.118.13)

मूल्येनापि समं कुर्यां तवाहं द्विजसत्तम । पौरजानपदार्थं तु ममार्थो नात्मभोगतः ॥

mūlyenāpi samaṃ kuryāṃ tavāhaṃ dvijasattama | paurajānapadārthaṃ tu mamārtho nātmabhogataḥ

I would even make up the rest of the price for you in other wealth, best of brahmins, but my wealth is meant for the people of my city and countryside, not for my own pleasure.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara (see verse 10).

Verse 14 (5.118.14)

कामतो हि धनं राजा पारक्यं यः प्रयच्छति । न स धर्मेण धर्मात्मन्युज्यते यशसा न च ॥

kāmato hi dhanaṃ rājā pārakyaṃ yaḥ prayacchati | na sa dharmeṇa dharmātmanyujyate yaśasā na ca

For a king who gives away at his pleasure wealth that belongs to others, righteous one, gains neither merit nor fame.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara (see verse 10).

Verse 15 (5.118.15)

सोऽहं प्रतिग्रहीष्यामि ददात्वेतां भवान्मम । कुमारीं देवगर्भाभामेकपुत्रभवाय मे ॥

so'haṃ pratigrahīṣyāmi dadātvetāṃ bhavānmama | kumārīṃ devagarbhābhāmekaputrabhavāya me

So I shall accept her. Let Your Honour give me this maiden, radiant as a child of the gods, that I may have one son by her."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Ushinara (see verse 10).

Verse 16 (5.118.16)

तथा तु बहुधा कन्यामुक्तवन्तं नराधिपम् । उशीनरं द्विजश्रेष्ठो गालवः प्रत्यपूजयत् ॥

tathā tu bahudhā kanyāmuktavantaṃ narādhipam | uśīnaraṃ dvijaśreṣṭho gālavaḥ pratyapūjayat

When King Ushinara had spoken thus at length about the maiden, Galava, best of brahmins, honoured him.

Verse 17 (5.118.17)

उशीनरं प्रतिग्राह्य गालवः प्रययौ वनम् । रेमे स तां समासाद्य कृतपुण्य इव श्रियम् ॥

uśīnaraṃ pratigrāhya gālavaḥ prayayau vanam | reme sa tāṃ samāsādya kṛtapuṇya iva śriyam

Having made Ushinara accept her, Galava went away to the forest; and the king, having won her, delighted in her as a man of merit delights in good fortune,

Verse 18 (5.118.18)

कन्दरेषु च शैलानां नदीनां निर्झरेषु च । उद्यानेषु विचित्रेषु वनेषूपवनेषु च ॥

kandareṣu ca śailānāṃ nadīnāṃ nirjhareṣu ca | udyāneṣu vicitreṣu vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca

in mountain caves and by the cascades of rivers, in lovely gardens, in woods and groves,

Verse 19 (5.118.19)

हर्म्येषु रमणीयेषु प्रासादशिखरेषु च । वातायनविमानेषु तथा गर्भगृहेषु च ॥

harmyeṣu ramaṇīyeṣu prāsādaśikhareṣu ca | vātāyanavimāneṣu tathā garbhagṛheṣu ca

in charming mansions and on palace terraces, in airy pavilions with lattice windows, and in the inner chambers.

Verse 20 (5.118.20)

ततोऽस्य समये जज्ञे पुत्रो बालरविप्रभः । शिबिर्नाम्नाभिविख्यातो यः स पार्थिवसत्तमः ॥

tato'sya samaye jajñe putro bālaraviprabhaḥ | śibirnāmnābhivikhyāto yaḥ sa pārthivasattamaḥ

Then in due time a son was born to him, radiant as the rising sun: he who is renowned by the name of Shibi, the best of kings.

Note on the text: Corrected यज्ञे → जज्ञे (misprint in Wikisource; the verse needs the verb "was born", critical edition jajñe).

Verse 21 (5.118.21)

उपस्थाय स तं विप्रो गालवः प्रतिगृह्य च । कन्यां प्रयातस्तां राजन्दृष्टवान्विनतात्मजम् ॥

upasthāya sa taṃ vipro gālavaḥ pratigṛhya ca | kanyāṃ prayātastāṃ rājandṛṣṭavānvinatātmajam

The brahmin Galava came to him, took the maiden back and set out; and on the way, O king, he saw the son of Vinata (Garuda).