Dama's Vow of Vengeance

Verse 1 (markandeya.132.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच इन्द्रसेनासमाज्ञप्तः स गत्वा शूद्रतापसः । समाचष्ट यथापूर्वं दमाय निधनं पितुः ॥ 132.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca indrasenāsamājñaptaḥ sa gatvā śūdratāpasaḥ samācaṣṭa yathāpūrvaṁ damāya nidhanaṁ pituḥ

Markandeya said: "The shudra ascetic, commanded by Indrasena, went and told Dama exactly what had happened — the death of his father, in full."

Verse 2 (markandeya.132.2)

तापसेन समाख्याते दमस्तेन पितुर्वधे । क्रोधेनातीव जज्वाल हविषेवाग्निरुद्धतः ॥ 132.2 ॥

tāpasena samākhyāte damastena piturvadhe krodhenātīva jajvāla haviṣevāgniruddhataḥ

"Hearing from the ascetic of his father's slaying, Dama blazed with fury exceedingly, like a fire fed and flaring with offerings of ghee."

Verse 3 (markandeya.132.3)

स तु क्रोधाग्निना धीरे दह्यमानो महामुने । करं करेण निष्पिष्य वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥ 132.3 ॥

sa tu krodhāgninā dhīre dahyamāno mahāmune karaṁ kareṇa niṣpiṣya vākyametaduvāca ha

"O steadfast great sage, burning with the fire of wrath, he crushed one hand against the other and spoke these words —"

Verse 4 (markandeya.132.4)

अनाथ इव मे तातो मयि पुत्रे तु जीवति । घातितः सुनृशंसेन परिभूय कुलं मम ॥ 132.4 ॥

anātha iva me tāto mayi putre tu jīvati ghātitaḥ sunṛśaṁsena paribhūya kulaṁ mama

"'Even while I, his son, still live, my father was slain as though he had no protector at all — struck down by that utterly cruel man who has scorned my very lineage.'"

Verse 5 (markandeya.132.5)

तापं करोम्यहं किंवाप्येष क्लैब्यात्क्षमाम्यहम् । दुर्वृत्तशान्तौ शिष्टानां पालनेऽधिकृता वयम् ॥ 132.5 ॥

tāpaṁ karomyahaṁ kiṁvāpyeṣa klaibyātkṣamāmyaham durvṛttaśāntau śiṣṭānāṁ pālane’dhikṛtā vayam

"'Shall I merely grieve? Or shall I forgive out of cowardice? We are appointed for nothing less than the suppression of the wicked and the protection of the virtuous.'"

Verse 6 (markandeya.132.6)

पितरं चापि निहतं दृष्ट्वा जीवन्ति शत्रवः । तत्किमेतेन बहुना हा तातेति च किं पुनः ॥ 132.6 ॥

pitaraṁ cāpi nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā jīvanti śatravaḥ tatkimetena bahunā hā tāteti ca kiṁ punaḥ

"'My enemy still lives, even after slaying my own father before my eyes — of what use, then, is all this lamenting, or crying \"O father!\" again and again?'"

Verse 7 (markandeya.132.7)

विलापेनात्र यत्कृत्यं तदेषोऽत्र करोम्यहम् । यद्यहं तस्य रक्तेन देहोत्थेन वपुष्मतः । न करोमि गुरोस्तृप्तिं तत्प्रवेक्ष्ये हुताशनम् ॥ 132.7 ॥

vilāpenātra yatkṛtyaṁ tadeṣo’tra karomyaham yadyahaṁ tasya raktena dehotthena vapuṣmataḥ na karomi gurostṛptiṁ tatpravekṣye hutāśanam

"'Whatever must be done here beyond mere lamenting, that I shall now do. If I do not satisfy my departed father with the blood flowing from Vapushmat's own body, then I shall enter the fire myself.'"

Verse 8 (markandeya.132.8)

तच्छोणितेनोदककर्म तस्य मांसेन सम्यग्द्विजभोजनं च । कुर्यां पितुस्तस्य च पिण्डदानं न चेत्प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनं तत् ॥ 132.8 ॥

tacchoṇitenodakakarma tasya māṁsena samyagdvijabhojanaṁ ca kuryāṁ pitustasya ca piṇḍadānaṁ na cetpravekṣyāmi hutāśanaṁ tat

"'With his very blood I shall perform the water-offering; with his very flesh I shall duly feast the brahmins; and I shall offer the funeral pinda to my father. If I do not do this, then into that same fire shall I enter.'"

Verse 9 (markandeya.132.9)

साहाय्यमस्यासुरदेवयक्षगन्धर्वविद्याधरसिद्धसंघाः । कुर्वन्ति चेत्तानपि चास्त्रपूगैर्भस्मीकरोम्येष रुषा समेतः ॥ 132.9 ॥

sāhāyyamasyāsuradevayakṣagandharvavidyādharasiddhasaṁghāḥ kurvanti cettānapi cāstrapūgairbhasmīkaromyeṣa ruṣā sametaḥ

"'And if the very hosts of asuras, gods, yakshas, gandharvas, vidyadharas and siddhas come to his aid, then I, filled with fury, shall reduce even them to ashes with volleys of my weapons.'"

Verse 10 (markandeya.132.10)

निःशूरमाधार्मिकमप्रशस्तं तं दाक्षिणात्यं समरे निहत्य । भोक्ष्ये ततोऽहं पृथिवीं च कृत्स्नां वह्निं प्रवेक्ष्याम्यनिहत्य तं वा ॥ 132.10 ॥

niḥśūramādhārmikamapraśastaṁ taṁ dākṣiṇātyaṁ samare nihatya bhokṣye tato’haṁ pṛthivīṁ ca kṛtsnāṁ vahniṁ pravekṣyāmyanihatya taṁ vā

"'Having slain that cowardly, unrighteous, contemptible southern prince in battle, I shall then enjoy the whole earth — or else, failing to kill him, I shall enter the fire myself.'"

Verse 11 (markandeya.132.11)

सुदुर्मतिं तापसवृद्धघातिनं वनस्थगं साधुविधिं विदग्धगम् । हन्ताहमद्याखिलबन्धुमित्रपदातिहस्त्यश्वबलैः समेतम् ॥ 132.11 ॥

sudurmatiṁ tāpasavṛddhaghātinaṁ vanasthagaṁ sādhuvidhiṁ vidagdhagam hantāhamadyākhilabandhumitrapadātihastyaśvabalaiḥ sametam

"'That evil-minded man, slayer of an aged ascetic, a coward skulking in the forest, treacherously cunning in violating sacred rites — him I shall kill this very day, together with all his kinsmen, friends, foot-soldiers, elephants and cavalry.'"

Verse 12 (markandeya.132.12)

एषोऽहमादाय धनुःसखड्गो रथी तथैवारिबलं समेत्य । करोमि वै यत्कदनं समस्ताः पश्यन्तु मे देवगणा समेताः ॥ 132.12 ॥

eṣo’hamādāya dhanuḥsakhaḍgo rathī tathaivāribalaṁ sametya karomi vai yatkadanaṁ samastāḥ paśyantu me devagaṇā sametāḥ

"'Bow and sword in hand, mounted upon my own chariot, I shall meet the enemy's army and wreak such slaughter that let the assembled hosts of the gods themselves watch it.'"

Verse 13 (markandeya.132.13)

यो यः सहायो भविताद्य तस्य मया समेतस्य रणाय भूयः । तस्यैव निःशेषकुलक्षयाय समुद्यतोऽहं निजबाहुसैन्यः ॥ 132.13 ॥

yo yaḥ sahāyo bhavitādya tasya mayā sametasya raṇāya bhūyaḥ tasyaiva niḥśeṣakulakṣayāya samudyato’haṁ nijabāhusainyaḥ

"'Whoever comes today to his aid, to face me once more in battle — for the utter destruction of that very man's entire line, too, I stand ready, with the army of my own two arms.'"

Verse 14 (markandeya.132.14)

यदि कुलिशकरोऽस्मिन्सयुगे देवराजः पितृपतिरथ चोग्रं दण्डमुद्यस्य कोपात् । धनपतिवरुणार्का रक्षितुं तं यतन्ते निशितशरवरौघैर्घातियिष्ये तथापि ॥ 132.14 ॥

yadi kuliśakaro’sminsayuge devarājaḥ pitṛpatiratha cograṁ daṇḍamudyasya kopāt dhanapativaruṇārkā rakṣituṁ taṁ yatante niśitaśaravaraughairghātiyiṣye tathāpi

"'Even should Indra, thunderbolt-wielding lord of the gods, or Yama, lord of the ancestors, raise his terrible rod in fury, or should Kubera, Varuna and Surya themselves strive to shield him — still I shall slay him with volley upon volley of my sharpened arrows.'"

Verse 15 (markandeya.132.15)

नियतमतिरदोषः काननाखण्डलोका निपतितफलभक्षः सर्वभूतेषु मैत्रः । प्रभवति मयि पुत्रे हिंसितो येन तातः पिशितरुधिरतृप्तास्तस्य सन्त्वद्य गृध्राः ॥ 132.15 ॥

niyatamatiradoṣaḥ kānanākhaṇḍalokā nipatitaphalabhakṣaḥ sarvabhūteṣu maitraḥ prabhavati mayi putre hiṁsito yena tātaḥ piśitarudhiratṛptāstasya santvadya gṛdhrāḥ

"'May the vultures — steady of mind, faultless, forest-dwellers who feed only on what has fallen, friends to every creature — today grow sated on the flesh and blood of that very man who slew my father while I, his son, still lived and had the power to prevent it.'"