Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 230

MBh 1 230.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः प्रज्वलिते वह्नौ शाईकास्ते सुदुःखिताः। व्यथिताः परमोद्विग्ना नाधिजग्मुः परायणम्॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ prajvalite vahnau śāīkāste suduḥkhitāḥ| vyathitāḥ paramodvignā nādhijagmuḥ parāyaṇam||

Vaishampayana said: When the fire blazed up the Sharangakas became very much distressed. Afflicted with anxiety, they did not fine any means of escape.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.2

निशम्य पुत्रकान् बालान् माता तेषां तपस्विनी। जरिता शोकदुःखाती विललाप सुदुःखिता॥

niśamya putrakān bālān mātā teṣāṃ tapasvinī| jaritā śokaduḥkhātī vilalāpa suduḥkhitā||

Their ascetic mother Jarita, full of grief and sorrow, seeing that her sons were too young to escape, wept and lamented in grief.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.3

जरितोवाच अयमग्निर्दहन् कक्षमित आयाति भीषणः। जगत् संदीपयन् भीमो मम दुःखविवर्धनः॥

jaritovāca ayamagnirdahan kakṣamita āyāti bhīṣaṇaḥ| jagat saṃdīpayan bhīmo mama duḥkhavivardhanaḥ||

Jarita said : Alas, the terrible fire, the enhancer of my misery, is coming towards us, illuminating the whole universe and burning the forest.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.4

इमे च मां कर्षयन्ति शिशवो मन्दचेतसः। अबर्दाश्चरङ्गीनाः पूर्वेषां नः परायणाः॥

ime ca māṃ karṣayanti śiśavo mandacetasaḥ| abardāścaraṅgīnāḥ pūrveṣāṃ naḥ parāyaṇāḥ||

I am filled with sorrow for the sake of these infants with immature understanding and without feathers and feet, who are the sole refuge of our deceased ancestors.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.5

त्रासयंश्चायमायाति लेलिहानो महीरुहान्। अजातपक्षाश्च सुता न शक्ताः सरणे मम॥

trāsayaṃścāyamāyāti lelihāno mahīruhān| ajātapakṣāśca sutā na śaktāḥ saraṇe mama||

The fire is rushing towards us, licking with its tongue the tallest trees and spreading fear all around. My unfledged children are incapable of effecting their escape.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.6

आदाय च न शक्नोमि पुत्रांस्तरितुमात्मना। न च त्यक्तुमहं शक्ता हृदयं दूयतीव मे॥

ādāya ca na śaknomi putrāṃstaritumātmanā| na ca tyaktumahaṃ śaktā hṛdayaṃ dūyatīva me||

I myself am incapable of escapingspecially taking all these (my children) with me. I am incapable of abandoning them; my heart is distressed for their sake.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.7

कं तु जह्यामहं पुत्रं कमादाय व्रजाम्यहम्। किं न मे नु मे स्यात् कृतं कृत्वा मन्यध्वं पुत्रकाः कथम्।७।।

kaṃ tu jahyāmahaṃ putraṃ kamādāya vrajāmyaham| kiṃ na me nu me syāt kṛtaṃ kṛtvā manyadhvaṃ putrakāḥ katham|7||

Whom amongst my sons shall I leave behind and whom shall I carry with me? What should I do which is consistent with duty? O my infant sons, what is your opinion?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.8

चिन्तयानां विमोक्षं वो नाधिगच्छामि किंचन। छादयिष्यामि वो गात्रैः करिष्ये मरणं सह॥

cintayānāṃ vimokṣaṃ vo nādhigacchāmi kiṃcana| chādayiṣyāmi vo gātraiḥ kariṣye maraṇaṃ saha||

Even after good deal of reflection, I do not see any way of escape for you. I shall now cover you with my wings and die with you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.9

जरितारौ कुलं ह्येतज्ज्येष्ठत्वेन प्रतिष्ठितम्। सारिसृक्कः प्रजायेत पितॄणां कुलवर्धनः॥ स्तम्बमित्रस्तपः कुर्याद् द्रोणो ब्रह्मविदां वरः। इत्येवमुक्त्वा प्रययौ पिता वो निर्वृणः पुरा॥

jaritārau kulaṃ hyetajjyeṣṭhatvena pratiṣṭhitam| sārisṛkkaḥ prajāyeta pitṝṇāṃ kulavardhanaḥ|| stambamitrastapaḥ kuryād droṇo brahmavidāṃ varaḥ| ityevamuktvā prayayau pitā vo nirvṛṇaḥ purā||

Your cruel father went away saying, “O Jarita, my race will depend on this Jaritari, because he is the eldest of my sons. My second son Sarisrikka will beget offsprings for the spread of my forefather's race; my third son Stambamitra will be devoted to asceticism; and my youngest son Drona will be the foremost of all the learned men in the Vedas."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.10

कमुपादाय शक्येयं गन्तुं कष्टापदुत्तमा। किं नु कृत्वा कृतं कार्यं भवेदिति च विह्वला। नापश्यत् स्वधिया मोक्षं स्वसुतानां तदानलात्॥

kamupādāya śakyeyaṃ gantuṃ kaṣṭāpaduttamā| kiṃ nu kṛtvā kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ bhavediti ca vihvalā| nāpaśyat svadhiyā mokṣaṃ svasutānāṃ tadānalāt||

Now this great calamity has befallen on us, whom shall I take with me? I am deprived of my judgement. What should I do consistent with duty? By exercising my judgement, I do not find any means of escape for my children from this fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.11

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणां शास्तेि प्रत्यूचुरथ मातरम्। स्नेहमुत्सृज्य मातस्त्वं पत यत्र न हव्यवाट॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca evaṃ bruvāṇāṃ śāstei pratyūcuratha mātaram| snehamutsṛjya mātastvaṃ pata yatra na havyavāṭa||

Vaishampayana said : The young Sharangakas thus spoke to their mother who was thus lamenting, “O mother, giving up all affection for us, go to the place where there is no fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.12

अस्मास्विह विनष्टेषु भवितारः सुतास्तव। त्वयि मातर्विनष्टायां न नः स्यात् कुलसंततिः॥

asmāsviha vinaṣṭeṣu bhavitāraḥ sutāstava| tvayi mātarvinaṣṭāyāṃ na naḥ syāt kulasaṃtatiḥ||

If we are killed, you might have other children born to you, but, O mother, if you are killed, we shall have no children in our race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.13

अन्ववैश्यैतदुभयं क्षेमं स्याद् यत् कुलस्य नः। तद् वै कर्तुं परः कालो मातरेष भवेत् तव॥

anvavaiśyaitadubhayaṃ kṣemaṃ syād yat kulasya naḥ| tad vai kartuṃ paraḥ kālo mātareṣa bhavet tava||

O mother, taking into your consideration both these two calamities, the time has come for you to do that which will be for the good of our race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.14

मा त्वं सर्वविनाशाय स्नेहं कार्षीः सुतेषु नः। न हीदं कर्म मोघं स्याल्लोककामस्य नः पितुः॥

mā tvaṃ sarvavināśāya snehaṃ kārṣīḥ suteṣu naḥ| na hīdaṃ karma moghaṃ syāllokakāmasya naḥ pituḥ||

Do not perform anything out of affection for your children. If you are saved, our father who is desirous of acquiring regions of felicity will have his wishes fulfilled.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.15

जरितोवाच इदमाखोर्बिलं भूमौ वृक्षस्यास्य समीपतः। तदाविशध्वं त्वरिता वढेरत्र न वो भयम्॥

jaritovāca idamākhorbilaṃ bhūmau vṛkṣasyāsya samīpataḥ| tadāviśadhvaṃ tvaritā vaḍheratra na vo bhayam||

Jarita said: There is a hole here in the ground near to this tree; enter this hole without any delay; you shall then have no fear from fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.16

ततोऽहं पांसुना छिद्रमपिधास्यामि पुत्रकः। एवं प्रतिकृतं मन्ये ज्वलतः कृष्णवर्त्मनः॥

tato'haṃ pāṃsunā chidramapidhāsyāmi putrakaḥ| evaṃ pratikṛtaṃ manye jvalataḥ kṛṣṇavartmanaḥ||

O children, when you will enter it, I shall then cover its mouth with dust. This is the only means that I see for your escape from this blazing fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.17

तत एष्याम्यतीतेऽग्नौ विहन्तुं पांसुसंचयम्। रोचतामेष वो वादो मोक्षार्थं च हुताशनात्॥

tata eṣyāmyatīte'gnau vihantuṃ pāṃsusaṃcayam| rocatāmeṣa vo vādo mokṣārthaṃ ca hutāśanāt||

When the fire will be out, I shall then come back here to remove the ashes. If you want to escape from the fire, follow my advice.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.18

शाईका ऊचुः अबर्हान् मांसभूतान् नः क्रव्यादाखुर्विनाशयेत्। पश्यमाना भयमिदं प्रवेष्टुं नाा शक्नुमः॥

śāīkā ūcuḥ abarhān māṃsabhūtān naḥ kravyādākhurvināśayet| paśyamānā bhayamidaṃ praveṣṭuṃ nāā śaknumaḥ||

The Sharangakas said : We are but so many balls of flesh without having our feathers. if we enter the hole, there is no doubt the carnivorous mouse will destroy us all. Seeing this fear before us, we cannot enter the hole.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.19

कथमग्निर्न ने धक्ष्येत् कथमाखु नाशयेत्। कथं न स्यात् पिता मोघः कथं माता ध्रियेत नः॥

kathamagnirna ne dhakṣyet kathamākhu nāśayet| kathaṃ na syāt pitā moghaḥ kathaṃ mātā dhriyeta naḥ||

We do not know how we may escape from the fire, or from the mouse. We do not see how our father's act of procreation may not be in vain and how our mother may be saved.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.20

बिल आखोर्विनाशः स्यादग्नेराकाशचारिणाम्। अन्ववेक्ष्यैतदुभयं श्रेयान् दाहो न भक्षणम्॥

bila ākhorvināśaḥ syādagnerākāśacāriṇām| anvavekṣyaitadubhayaṃ śreyān dāho na bhakṣaṇam||

If we enter the hole, the mouse will kill us. If we remain where we are, the sky-ranger Agni will destroys us. Taking both the (two) calamities into our consideration, (we think) death from the fire is preferable to the death by being eaten up.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 230.21

गर्हितं मरणं नः स्यादाखुना भक्षिते बिले। शिष्टादिष्टः परित्यागः शरीरस्य हुताशनात्॥

garhitaṃ maraṇaṃ naḥ syādākhunā bhakṣite bile| śiṣṭādiṣṭaḥ parityāgaḥ śarīrasya hutāśanāt||

To be eaten up by the mouse in the hole is a most ignoble death. But destruction of the body by fire is praised by the wise.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)