The Glory of the Gita's Seventeenth Chapter

Verse 1 (padma.6.191.1)

ईश्वर उवाच- षोडशाध्यायसामर्थ्यं कथितं शृणु सांप्रतम् । स्पष्टं सप्तदशाध्यायमहिमांभोनिधिं शिवे

īśvara uvāca- ṣoḍaśādhyāyasāmarthyaṁ kathitaṁ śṛṇu sāṁpratam spaṣṭaṁ saptadaśādhyāyamahimāṁbhonidhiṁ śive

Ishvara said: The power of the sixteenth chapter has been told; now hear clearly, O Shiva, the ocean of the glory of the seventeenth chapter.

Verse 2 (padma.6.191.2)

खड्गबाहोः सुतस्यैव भृत्यो दुःशासनोऽभवत् । तं गजं धर्तुमागत्य गजात्प्राप्तो यमक्षयम्

khaḍgabāhoḥ sutasyaiva bhṛtyo duḥśāsano'bhavat taṁ gajaṁ dhartumāgatya gajātprāpto yamakṣayam

There was a servant of Khadgabahu's own son, named Dushasana; coming to restrain that elephant, he met death by that same elephant.

Verse 3 (padma.6.191.3)

तद्वासनानिबद्धात्मा गजयोनिमवाप्य च । गीता सप्तदशाध्यायं श्रुत्वा प्राप्तः परं पदम्

tadvāsanānibaddhātmā gajayonimavāpya ca gītā saptadaśādhyāyaṁ śrutvā prāptaḥ paraṁ padam

His soul bound by that impression, he attained the womb of an elephant; and, hearing the seventeenth chapter of the Gita, he attained the supreme state.

Verse 4 (padma.6.191.4)

देव्युवाच । दुःशासनो गजत्वं च प्राप्य मुक्त इति श्रुतम् । तदेव वद कल्याण विस्तरेण मम प्रभो

devyuvāca duḥśāsano gajatvaṁ ca prāpya mukta iti śrutam tadeva vada kalyāṇa vistareṇa mama prabho

The Goddess said: I have heard that Dushasana, having attained elephant-form, was liberated. Tell me that very story in full detail, O auspicious Lord.

Verse 5 (padma.6.191.5)

ईश्वर उवाच-। स्थितः कश्चन दुर्मेधा मंडलीककुमारकैः । बहुमूल्यं पणं कृत्वा गजमारूढवांस्ततः

īśvara uvāca- sthitaḥ kaścana durmedhā maṁḍalīkakumārakaiḥ bahumūlyaṁ paṇaṁ kṛtvā gajamārūḍhavāṁstataḥ

Ishvara said: There stood a certain dim-witted man; having made a high-value wager with the young princes of the feudatory chieftains, he then mounted the elephant.

Verse 6 (padma.6.191.6)

गत्वा कतिपयान्येव पदानि जनवारितः । नाम्ना दुःशासनो मूढः प्रौढवाक्यमुदीरयन्

gatvā katipayānyeva padāni janavāritaḥ nāmnā duḥśāsano mūḍhaḥ prauḍhavākyamudīrayan

Having gone only a few paces, though warned off by the people, that fool named Dushasana, uttering boastful words—

Verse 7 (padma.6.191.7)

ततो निशम्य तद्वाक्यं क्रोधांधः सिंधुरोऽभवत् । न्यपतच्च स्खलत्पादः कंपमानकुमारकैः

tato niśamya tadvākyaṁ krodhāṁdhaḥ siṁdhuro'bhavat nyapatacca skhalatpādaḥ kaṁpamānakumārakaiḥ

—then, hearing those words, the elephant grew blind with fury; it charged and fell upon him, its feet stumbling, while the princes trembled.

Verse 8 (padma.6.191.8)

ततो निपतितं किंचिदुच्छ्वसंतं गजो रुषा । ऊर्द्ध्वमुन्मूलयांचक्रे कृतांतकनिरंकुशः

tato nipatitaṁ kiṁciducchvasaṁtaṁ gajo ruṣā ūrddhvamunmūlayāṁcakre kṛtāṁtakaniraṁkuśaḥ

Then, in its fury, the elephant, uncontrollable as very Death, tossed upward and gored the fallen man, who was still faintly breathing.

Verse 9 (padma.6.191.9)

गतासोरपि रोषेण तस्यास्थ्न्यां च गणं गजः । विकीर्णवान्पृथक्कृत्वा मत्तो दंतावलस्ततः

gatāsorapi roṣeṇa tasyāsthnyāṁ ca gaṇaṁ gajaḥ vikīrṇavānpṛthakkṛtvā matto daṁtāvalastataḥ

Even after he had died, that maddened elephant, in fury, scattered the mass of his bones, tearing them apart.

Verse 10 (padma.6.191.10)

ततः कालेन संप्रेत्य गजयोनिमवाप सः । महांतं कालमनयत्सिंहलद्वीपभूपतेः

tataḥ kālena saṁpretya gajayonimavāpa saḥ mahāṁtaṁ kālamanayatsiṁhaladvīpabhūpateḥ

Then, in time, having died, he attained the womb of an elephant; he spent a long time in the service of the king of the island of Sinhala—

Verse 11 (padma.6.191.11)

मैत्री गरीयसी सार्द्धं खड्गबाहुमहीभुजा । ततोऽयं जलमार्गेण प्रापितो वारुणो मतः

maitrī garīyasī sārddhaṁ khaḍgabāhumahībhujā tato'yaṁ jalamārgeṇa prāpito vāruṇo mataḥ

—who held a great friendship with king Khadgabahu; then he, regarded as sacred to Varuna, was sent by the sea route—

Verse 12 (padma.6.191.12)

जयदेवेन खड्गबाहोः प्रीत्या नीतो महीभुजा । जातिं स्मरन्स्वकीयां स पश्यन्बंधून्सहोदरान्

jayadevena khaḍgabāhoḥ prītyā nīto mahībhujā jātiṁ smaransvakīyāṁ sa paśyanbaṁdhūnsahodarān

—brought with affection by Jayadeva to king Khadgabahu; remembering his own former birth and seeing his own kinsmen and brothers—

Verse 13 (padma.6.191.13)

दुःखेन महतास्तोकान्दिवसानत्यवाहयत् । उवास खड्गबाहोश्च गृहे तूष्णीमनिर्दिशन्

duḥkhena mahatāstokāndivasānatyavāhayat uvāsa khaḍgabāhośca gṛhe tūṣṇīmanirdiśan

—he passed a few days in great sorrow; he dwelt silently in Khadgabahu's household, giving no sign of his true nature.

Verse 14 (padma.6.191.14)

स कदाचित्तु संतुष्टः समस्याश्लोकपूरणे । कस्मैचित्कवये प्रादात्तमुपायन हस्तिनम्

sa kadācittu saṁtuṣṭaḥ samasyāślokapūraṇe kasmaicitkavaye prādāttamupāyana hastinam

Once, pleased at the completion of a riddle-verse by a poet, that king gave the elephant to a certain poet as a gift.

Verse 15 (padma.6.191.15)

शतेन तेन कविना रोगोपद्रवभीरुणा । मालवक्षोणिपालस्य विक्रीतश्चैत्यकुंजरः

śatena tena kavinā rogopadravabhīruṇā mālavakṣoṇipālasya vikrītaścaityakuṁjaraḥ

That poet, fearing disease and trouble, sold that temple-elephant for a hundred gold pieces to the ruler of Malava.

Verse 16 (padma.6.191.16)

कियत्यपि गते काले पाल्यमानोऽपि यत्नतः । मुमूर्षुरभवत्तत्र कुंजरो दुर्जरज्वरः

kiyatyapi gate kāle pālyamāno'pi yatnataḥ mumūrṣurabhavattatra kuṁjaro durjarajvaraḥ

After some time had passed, though carefully looked after, that elephant, seized by an unyielding fever, drew near to death there.

Verse 17 (padma.6.191.17)

न जिघ्रति पयः शीतं नादत्ते कवलं गजः । स्वपित्यपि न सौख्येन मुंचत्यश्रूणि केवलम् । ततो हस्तिपकाख्यातं वृत्तांतमवनीपतिः

na jighrati payaḥ śītaṁ nādatte kavalaṁ gajaḥ svapityapi na saukhyena muṁcatyaśrūṇi kevalam tato hastipakākhyātaṁ vṛttāṁtamavanīpatiḥ

He would not so much as smell cool water, nor take a mouthful of food, nor sleep in comfort — he only shed tears. Then the king, having heard this state of affairs told by the elephant-keeper—

Verse 18 (padma.6.191.18)

आकर्ण्य स समायातो यत्रास्ते ज्वरितो गजः । स चावलोक्य भूपालं जगद्विस्मयकारिणीम्

ākarṇya sa samāyāto yatrāste jvarito gajaḥ sa cāvalokya bhūpālaṁ jagadvismayakāriṇīm

—came to where the feverish elephant lay. Beholding the king, the elephant, in a manner astonishing to the whole world—

Verse 19 (padma.6.191.19)

वाचमूचे गजः सम्यग्विसृष्टज्वरवेदनः । राजन्नशेषशास्त्रज्ञ राजनीतिपयोनिधे

vācamūce gajaḥ samyagvisṛṣṭajvaravedanaḥ rājannaśeṣaśāstrajña rājanītipayonidhe

—momentarily freed of the pain of its fever, spoke these words: 'O king, knower of all the scriptures, ocean of statecraft—'

Verse 20 (padma.6.191.20)

निर्जितारातिसंघात मुरारिचरणप्रिय । किमौषधैरलं वैद्यैः किं धानैः किं नु जापकैः

nirjitārātisaṁghāta murāricaraṇapriya kimauṣadhairalaṁ vaidyaiḥ kiṁ dhānaiḥ kiṁ nu jāpakaiḥ

'—conqueror of hosts of enemies, beloved of the feet of Murari — what use are medicines? What use physicians? What use grain? What use ordinary chanters?—'

Verse 21 (padma.6.191.21)

गीतासप्तदशाध्यायजापकं द्विजमानय । तेनायं मामको रोगः शाम्यत्यत्र न संशयः

gītāsaptadaśādhyāyajāpakaṁ dvijamānaya tenāyaṁ māmako rogaḥ śāmyatyatra na saṁśayaḥ

'—bring instead a brahmin who recites the seventeenth chapter of the Gita; by him, without doubt, this illness of mine shall be cured.'

Verse 22 (padma.6.191.22)

यथादिष्टं गजेनासौ तथा चक्रे नराधिपः । ततो गजत्वमुत्सृज्य मुक्तो दुःशासनोऽभवत्

yathādiṣṭaṁ gajenāsau tathā cakre narādhipaḥ tato gajatvamutsṛjya mukto duḥśāsano'bhavat

Just as the elephant instructed, so the king did; then, casting off its elephant-form, Dushasana became liberated.

Verse 23 (padma.6.191.23)

तेन विप्रेणाभिमंत्र्य जले क्षिप्ते तदुत्तमे । अथ दिव्यं समारूढं विमानमवनीपतिः

tena vipreṇābhimaṁtrya jale kṣipte taduttame atha divyaṁ samārūḍhaṁ vimānamavanīpatiḥ

When that brahmin, having consecrated it with mantra, sprinkled that excellent water upon him, the king then beheld him mounted upon a divine chariot—

Verse 24 (padma.6.191.24)

तं दुःशासनमद्राक्षीत्पाकशासनतेजसम्

taṁ duḥśāsanamadrākṣītpākaśāsanatejasam

—that Dushasana, radiant with the splendor of Indra.

Verse 25 (padma.6.191.25)

राजोवाच। किं जातीयः किमात्मा त्वं किं वृत्त इति मे वद । केन वा कर्मणा जातो गजः कथमिहागतः

rājovāca kiṁ jātīyaḥ kimātmā tvaṁ kiṁ vṛtta iti me vada kena vā karmaṇā jāto gajaḥ kathamihāgataḥ

The king said: 'Of what lineage, what nature are you? Tell me your account. By what deed were you born an elephant, and how did you come here?'

Verse 26 (padma.6.191.26)

पृष्टो राज्ञा विमुक्तोऽसौ विमानस्थः स्थिराक्षरम् । वृत्तं यथा यदाचख्यौ निजं दुःशासनः क्रमात्

pṛṣṭo rājñā vimukto'sau vimānasthaḥ sthirākṣaram vṛttaṁ yathā yadācakhyau nijaṁ duḥśāsanaḥ kramāt

Thus questioned by the king, that liberated one, seated in his chariot, related his own account in order, in steady words, just as it had happened.

Verse 27 (padma.6.191.27)

गीतासप्तदशाध्यायं जपन्मालवभूपतिः । नरवर्माभवन्मुक्तः कालेनाल्पीयसा ततः

gītāsaptadaśādhyāyaṁ japanmālavabhūpatiḥ naravarmābhavanmuktaḥ kālenālpīyasā tataḥ

Then the king of Malava, Naravarma, reciting the seventeenth chapter of the Gita, was himself liberated after only a short time.