Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 113
MBh 7 113.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच राजा राज्यमनुप्राप्य दुर्लभं भरतर्षभ। अमित्रस्यातिवृद्धस्य कथं तिष्ठेदसाधनः॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca rājā rājyamanuprāpya durlabhaṃ bharatarṣabha| amitrasyātivṛddhasya kathaṃ tiṣṭhedasādhanaḥ||
Yudhishthira said Tell me, O foremost of Bharata's race, how a king, without the usual helps, having obtained a kingdom which is so valuable a possession, should treat a powerful enemy.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.2
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। सरितां चैव संवादं सागरस्य च भारत॥
bhīṣma uvāca atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam| saritāṃ caiva saṃvādaṃ sāgarasya ca bhārata||
Bhishma said-Regarding it is cited the old story of the discourse between the Ocean and the Rivers.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.3
सुरारिनिलयः शश्वत्सागरः सरिताम्पतिः। पप्रच्छ सरितः सर्वाः संशयं जातमात्मनः॥
surārinilayaḥ śaśvatsāgaraḥ saritāmpatiḥ| papraccha saritaḥ sarvāḥ saṃśayaṃ jātamātmanaḥ||
In days of yore, eternal Ocean that lord of Rivers, that refuge of the enemies of the gods, asked all the Rivers for solving this doubt that had arisen in his mind.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.4
सागर उवाच समूलशाखान् पश्यामि निहतान् कायिनो दुमान्। युष्माभिरिह पूर्णाभिर्नास्तत्र न वेतसम्॥
sāgara uvāca samūlaśākhān paśyāmi nihatān kāyino dumān| yuṣmābhiriha pūrṇābhirnāstatra na vetasam||
The Ocean said Ye Rivers, I see that all of you, with our strong currents, wash away trees of huge trunks, with their roots and branches. You do not, however, ever bring to me a cane.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.5
अकायश्चाल्पसारश्च वेतसः कूलजश्च वः। अवज्ञया वा नानीतः किं च वा तेन वः कृतम्॥
akāyaścālpasāraśca vetasaḥ kūlajaśca vaḥ| avajñayā vā nānītaḥ kiṃ ca vā tena vaḥ kṛtam||
The canes that grow on your banks have small stems and are not strong. Do you refuse to wash them down through contempt, or are they of any utility to you?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.6
तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वासामेव वो मतम्। यथा चेमानि कूलानि हित्वा नायाति वेतसः॥ तत्र प्राह नदी गङ्गा वाक्यमुत्तममर्थवत्। हेतुमद् ग्राहकं चैव सागरं सरिताम्पतिम्॥
tadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi sarvāsāmeva vo matam| yathā cemāni kūlāni hitvā nāyāti vetasaḥ|| tatra prāha nadī gaṅgā vākyamuttamamarthavat| hetumad grāhakaṃ caiva sāgaraṃ saritāmpatim||
I desire, therefore, to hear what is your motive about it. Indeed, why is it that canes, are not washed down by any of you from the banks were they grow?-Thus addressed, the River Ganga replied, to Ocean, that Lord of all Rivers, in these words of great significance, fraught with reason, and, therefore, liked of all.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.7
गङ्गोवाच तिष्ठन्त्येते यथास्थान नगा टेकनिकेतनाः। ते त्यजन्ति ततः स्थान प्रातिलोम्यान्न वेतसः॥
gaṅgovāca tiṣṭhantyete yathāsthāna nagā ṭekaniketanāḥ| te tyajanti tataḥ sthāna prātilomyānna vetasaḥ||
Ganga said Trees stand in one and the same place and are never displaced from where they stand. For this by their nature resisting our currents, they are obliged to leave the place of their growth. Canes, however, act otherwise.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.8
वेतसो वेगमायातं दृष्ट्वा नमति नापरे। सरिद्वेगेऽव्यतिक्रान्ते स्थानमासाद्य तिष्ठति॥
vetaso vegamāyātaṃ dṛṣṭvā namati nāpare| saridvege'vyatikrānte sthānamāsādya tiṣṭhati||
The cane, seeing the advancing current, bends to it. The others do not act in this way. After the current has passed away, the cane resumes its pristine posture.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.9
कालज्ञः समयज्ञश्च सदा वश्यश्च नोद्धतः। अनुलोमस्तथास्तब्धस्तेन नाभ्येति वेतसः॥
kālajñaḥ samayajñaśca sadā vaśyaśca noddhataḥ| anulomastathāstabdhastena nābhyeti vetasaḥ||
The cane is acquainted with the virtues of Time and opportunity. It is docile and obedient. It is yielding, but not stiff. Therefore, it stands where it grows, without being compelled to follow our current.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.10
मारुतोदकवेगेन ये नमन्त्युन्नमन्ति च। ओषध्यः पापदा गुल्मा न ते यान्ति पराभवम्॥
mārutodakavegena ye namantyunnamanti ca| oṣadhyaḥ pāpadā gulmā na te yānti parābhavam||
Those plants, trees, and creepers that bend and rise before the force of wind and water, are never rooted out.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.11
भीष्म उवाच यो हि शत्रोविवृद्धस्य प्रभोर्बन्धविनाशने। पूर्वं न सहते वेगं क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति॥
bhīṣma uvāca yo hi śatrovivṛddhasya prabhorbandhavināśane| pūrvaṃ na sahate vegaṃ kṣiprameva vinaśyati||
Bhishma said-That person, who does not yield to the power of a powerful foe who has grown and who is competent to imprison or kill, soon meets with ruin.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.12
सारासारं बलं वीर्यमात्मनो द्विषतश्च यः। जानन् विचरति प्राज्ञो न स याति पराभवम्॥
sārāsāraṃ balaṃ vīryamātmano dviṣataśca yaḥ| jānan vicarati prājño na sa yāti parābhavam||
That wise man, who acts after determining fully the strength and weakness, the power and energy, of himself and his enemies is never discomfitted.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 113.13
एवमेव यदा विद्वान् मन्यतेऽतिबलं रिपुम्। संश्रयेद् वैतसी वृत्तिमेतत् प्रज्ञानलक्षणम्॥
evameva yadā vidvān manyate'tibalaṃ ripum| saṃśrayed vaitasī vṛttimetat prajñānalakṣaṇam||
An intelligent man, therefore, when he sees liis enemy to be more powerful than himself imitate the conduct of the cane. That is a sign of wisdom.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)