Kanva's Counsel and Matali's Search for a Groom

Verse 1 (5.97.1)

जामदग्न्यवचः श्रुत्वा कण्वोऽपि भगवानृषिः । दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीत्कुरुसंसदि ॥

jāmadagnyavacaḥ śrutvā kaṇvo'pi bhagavānṛṣiḥ | duryodhanamidaṃ vākyamabravītkurusaṃsadi

Hearing the words of Jamadagni's son, the blessed seer Kanva too spoke these words to Duryodhana in the assembly of the Kurus:

Note on the text: Corrected कण्वेऽपि → कण्वोऽपि (misprint in Wikisource; nominative needed, critical edition kaṇvo 'pi).

Verse 2 (5.97.2)

अक्षयश्चाव्ययश्चैव ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तथैव भगवन्तौ तौ नरनारायणावृषी ॥

akṣayaścāvyayaścaiva brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | tathaiva bhagavantau tau naranārāyaṇāvṛṣī

Brahma, grandsire of the worlds, is imperishable and undecaying; so too are the two blessed seers Nara and Narayana.

Verse 3 (5.97.3)

आदित्यानां हि सर्वेषां विष्णुरेकः सनातनः । अजय्यश्चाव्ययश्चैव शाश्वतः प्रभुरीश्वरः ॥

ādityānāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ viṣṇurekaḥ sanātanaḥ | ajayyaścāvyayaścaiva śāśvataḥ prabhurīśvaraḥ

Of all the Adityas, Vishnu alone is eternal — unconquerable, undecaying, everlasting, the mighty Lord.

Note on the text: Corrected अजथ्यश्च → अजय्यश्च (misprint in Wikisource; थ for य, critical edition ajayyaś).

Verse 4 (5.97.4)

निमित्तमरणाश्चान्ये चन्द्रसूर्यौ मही जलम् । वायुरग्निस्तथाऽऽकाशं ग्रहास्तारागणास्तथा ॥

nimittamaraṇāścānye candrasūryau mahī jalam | vāyuragnistathā''kāśaṃ grahāstārāgaṇāstathā

The rest die when their cause is spent: the moon and the sun, earth and water, wind, fire and sky, the planets and the hosts of stars.

Verse 5 (5.97.5)

ते च क्षयान्ते जगतो हित्वा लोकत्रयं सदा । क्षयं गच्छन्ति वै सर्वे सृज्यन्ते च पुनः पुनः ॥

te ca kṣayānte jagato hitvā lokatrayaṃ sadā | kṣayaṃ gacchanti vai sarve sṛjyante ca punaḥ punaḥ

At the world's dissolution they all leave the three worlds and perish, and they are created again and again.

Verse 6 (5.97.6)

मुहूर्तमरणास्त्वन्ये मानुषा मृगपक्षिणः । तैर्यग्योन्याश्च ये चान्ये जीवलोकचरास्तथा ॥

muhūrtamaraṇāstvanye mānuṣā mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ | tairyagyonyāśca ye cānye jīvalokacarāstathā

Others die in a moment: men, beasts and birds, creatures born from animal wombs, and all the others that move in the world of the living.

Note on the text: Corrected मूगपक्षिणः → मृगपक्षिणः (misprint in Wikisource; ू for ृ, critical edition mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ).

Verse 7 (5.97.7)

भूयिष्ठेन तु राजानः श्रियं भुक्त्वाऽऽयुषः क्षये । तरुणाः प्रतिपद्यन्ते भोक्तुं सुकृतदुष्कृते ॥

bhūyiṣṭhena tu rājānaḥ śriyaṃ bhuktvā''yuṣaḥ kṣaye | taruṇāḥ pratipadyante bhoktuṃ sukṛtaduṣkṛte

Kings, for the most part, enjoy their fortune and then, when their span runs out, even in their youth, go on to reap the fruit of their good and evil deeds.

Verse 8 (5.97.8)

स भवान्धर्मपुत्रेण शमं कर्तुमिहार्हसि । पाण्डवाः कुरवश्चैव पालयन्तु वसुन्धराम् ॥

sa bhavāndharmaputreṇa śamaṃ kartumihārhasi | pāṇḍavāḥ kuravaścaiva pālayantu vasundharām

So you should make peace here with the son of Dharma. Let the Pandavas and the Kurus rule the earth together.

Note on the text: Corrected वसुन्धरान् → वसुन्धराम् (misprint in Wikisource; feminine accusative, critical edition vasuṃdharām).

Verse 9 (5.97.9)

बलवानहमित्येव न मन्तव्यं सुयोधन । बलवन्तो बलिभ्यो हि दृश्यन्ते पूरुषर्षभ ॥

balavānahamityeva na mantavyaṃ suyodhana | balavanto balibhyo hi dṛśyante pūruṣarṣabha

Do not think, Suyodhana, 'I am strong.' Men stronger than the strong are seen, O bull among men.

Verse 10 (5.97.10)

न बलं बलिनां मध्ये बलं भवति कौरव । बलवन्तो हि ते सर्वे पाण्डवा देवविक्रमाः ॥

na balaṃ balināṃ madhye balaṃ bhavati kaurava | balavanto hi te sarve pāṇḍavā devavikramāḥ

Among the truly mighty, an army counts for no strength, O Kaurava; and the Pandavas are all mighty, with the valour of gods.

Verse 11 (5.97.11)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । मातलेर्दातुकामस्य कन्यां मृगयतो वरम् ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | mātalerdātukāmasya kanyāṃ mṛgayato varam

On this they tell an ancient tale — of Matali, who wished to give his daughter in marriage and went looking for a groom.

Verse 12 (5.97.12)

मतस्त्रिलोकराजस्य मातलिर्नाम सारथिः । तस्यैकैव कुले कन्या रूपतो लोकविश्रुता ॥

matastrilokarājasya mātalirnāma sārathiḥ | tasyaikaiva kule kanyā rūpato lokaviśrutā

The king of the three worlds had a charioteer whom he prized, named Matali. In his family there was a single daughter, famed throughout the world for her beauty.

Note on the text: Corrected मन्या → कन्या (misprint in Wikisource; म for क, critical edition kanyā).

Verse 13 (5.97.13)

गुणकेशीति विख्याता नाम्ना सा देवरूपिणी । श्रिया च वपुषा चैव स्त्रियोऽन्याःसाऽतिरिच्यते ॥

guṇakeśīti vikhyātā nāmnā sā devarūpiṇī | śriyā ca vapuṣā caiva striyo'nyāḥsā'tiricyate

She was known by the name Gunakeshi and was godlike in form; in loveliness and grace of body she surpassed all other women.

Verse 14 (5.97.14)

तस्याः प्रदानसमयं मातलिः सह भार्यया । ज्ञात्वा विममृशे राजंस्तत्परः परिचिन्तयन् ॥

tasyāḥ pradānasamayaṃ mātaliḥ saha bhāryayā | jñātvā vimamṛśe rājaṃstatparaḥ paricintayan

Knowing that the time had come to give her in marriage, Matali, together with his wife, grew anxious, O king, and pondered it, wholly intent on it.

Verse 15 (5.97.15)

धिक्खल्वलघुशीलानामुच्छ्रितानां यशस्विनाम् । नराणां मृदुसत्वानां कुले कन्याप्ररोहणम् ॥

dhikkhalvalaghuśīlānāmucchritānāṃ yaśasvinām | narāṇāṃ mṛdusatvānāṃ kule kanyāprarohaṇam

Alas, for men of weighty character, high in standing and famous, gentle by nature — what a trial it is that a daughter should grow up in their house!

Note on the text: Matali's own reflection (verses 15–17); Wikisource prints no heading, and the input had carried Kanva's on.

Verse 16 (5.97.16)

मातुः कुलं पितृकुलं यत्र चैव प्रदीयते । कुलत्रयं संशयितं कुरुते कन्यका सताम् ॥

mātuḥ kulaṃ pitṛkulaṃ yatra caiva pradīyate | kulatrayaṃ saṃśayitaṃ kurute kanyakā satām

For good men a daughter puts three families in doubt: her mother's family, her father's family, and the one into which she is given.

Verse 17 (5.97.17)

देवमानुषलोकौ द्वौ मानुषेणैव चक्षुषा । अपगाह्यैव विचितौ न च मे रोचते वरः ॥

devamānuṣalokau dvau mānuṣeṇaiva cakṣuṣā | apagāhyaiva vicitau na ca me rocate varaḥ

I have searched both worlds, of gods and of men, plunging into them with a man's eye, and no groom pleases me.

Verse 18 (5.97.18)

न देवान्नैव दितिजान्न गन्धर्वान्न मानुषान् । अरोचयद्वरकृते तथैव बहुलानृषीन् ॥

na devānnaiva ditijānna gandharvānna mānuṣān | arocayadvarakṛte tathaiva bahulānṛṣīn

Neither gods nor Daityas, neither Gandharvas nor men, nor the many seers, pleased him as a groom.

Verse 19 (5.97.19)

भार्यया तु स संमन्त्र्य सह रात्रौ सुधर्मया । मातलिर्नागलोकाय चकार गमने मतिम् ॥

bhāryayā tu sa saṃmantrya saha rātrau sudharmayā | mātalirnāgalokāya cakāra gamane matim

Then, after taking counsel at night with his wife Sudharma, Matali made up his mind to go to the world of the Nagas.

Verse 20 (5.97.20)

न मे देवमनुष्येषु गुणकेश्याः समो वरः । रूपतो दृश्यते कश्चिन्नागेषु भविता ध्रुवम् ॥

na me devamanuṣyeṣu guṇakeśyāḥ samo varaḥ | rūpato dṛśyate kaścinnāgeṣu bhavitā dhruvam

Among gods and men no groom is to be seen who is Gunakeshi's equal in beauty; surely there will be one among the Nagas.

Note on the text: Matali's words to Sudharma; Wikisource prints no heading.

Verse 21 (5.97.21)

इत्यामन्त्र्य सुधर्मां स कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम् । कन्यां शिरस्युपाघ्राय प्रविवेश महीतलम् ॥

ityāmantrya sudharmāṃ sa kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam | kanyāṃ śirasyupāghrāya praviveśa mahītalam

With these words he took leave of Sudharma, walked around her keeping her on his right, kissed his daughter on the head, and entered the depths of the earth.