Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 150

MBh 7 150.1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच अबुद्धिपूर्वं यत् पापं कुर्याद् भरतसत्तम। मुच्यते स कथं तस्मादेतत् सर्वं वदस्व मे॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca abuddhipūrvaṃ yat pāpaṃ kuryād bharatasattama| mucyate sa kathaṃ tasmādetat sarvaṃ vadasva me||

Yudhishthira said O best of the Bharatas, when a person commits sin from want of discrimination, how may he be purified by it? Tell me all about it.

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

MBh 7 150.2

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पुराणमृषिसंस्तुतम्। इन्द्रोत: शौनको विप्रो यदाह जनमेजयम्॥

bhīṣma uvāca atra te vartayiṣyāmi purāṇamṛṣisaṃstutam| indrota: śaunako vipro yadāha janamejayam||

Bhishma said In this connection I shall recite to you the old narrative, spoken highly of by the Rishis, of what the twice-born Indrota, the son of Shunaka, said to Janamejaya.

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

MBh 7 150.3

आसीद् राजा महावीर्यः परिक्षिज्जनमेजयः। अबुद्धिपूर्वामागच्छद् ब्रह्महत्यां महीपतिः॥

āsīd rājā mahāvīryaḥ parikṣijjanamejayaḥ| abuddhipūrvāmāgacchad brahmahatyāṃ mahīpatiḥ||

There was, in days of old, a highly energetic king, called Janamejaya, who was the son of Parikshit. On one occasion from want of discrimination, that king became guilty of Brahmanicide.

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

MBh 7 150.4

ब्राह्मणाः सर्व एवैते तत्यजुः सपुरोहिताः। स जगाम वनं राजा दह्यमानो दिवानिशम्॥

brāhmaṇāḥ sarva evaite tatyajuḥ sapurohitāḥ| sa jagāma vanaṃ rājā dahyamāno divāniśam||

Upon this, all the Brahmanas together with his priests cast him off. Burning day and night with grief, the king retired into the forest.

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

MBh 7 150.5

प्रजाभिः स परित्यक्तश्चकार कुशलं महत्। अतिवेलं तपस्तेपे दह्यमानः स मन्युना॥

prajābhiḥ sa parityaktaścakāra kuśalaṃ mahat| ativelaṃ tapastepe dahyamānaḥ sa manyunā||

Deserted by his subjects too, he adopted this course for acquiring great merit. Reduced by repentance, the king practised the most rigid austerities.

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

MBh 7 150.6

ब्रह्महत्यापनोदार्थमपृच्छद् ब्राह्मणान् बहून्। पर्यटन् पृथिवीं कृत्स्ना देशे देशे नराधिपः॥

brahmahatyāpanodārthamapṛcchad brāhmaṇān bahūn| paryaṭan pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnā deśe deśe narādhipaḥ||

For purifying himself of the sin of Brahmanicide he asked many Brahmanas, and travelled from one country to another over the whole Earth.

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

MBh 7 150.7

तत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि धर्मस्यास्योपबृंहणम्। दह्यमानः पापकृत्या जगाम जनमेजयः॥

tatretihāsaṃ vakṣyāmi dharmasyāsyopabṛṃhaṇam| dahyamānaḥ pāpakṛtyā jagāma janamejayaḥ||

I shall now tell you the story of his expiation. Burning with the recollection of his sin, Janamejaya wandered about.

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

MBh 7 150.8

चरिष्यमाण इन्द्रोतं शौनकं संशितव्रतम्। समासाद्योपजग्राह पादयोः परिपीडयन्॥

cariṣyamāṇa indrotaṃ śaunakaṃ saṃśitavratam| samāsādyopajagrāha pādayoḥ paripīḍayan||

One day, in course of his peregrinations, he met Indrota, the son of Shunaka, of rigid vows, and approaching him touched his feet.

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

MBh 7 150.9

ऋषिर्दृष्ट्वा नृपं तत्र जगहें सुभृशं तदा। कर्ता पापस्य महतो भ्रूणहा किमिहागतः॥

ṛṣirdṛṣṭvā nṛpaṃ tatra jagaheṃ subhṛśaṃ tadā| kartā pāpasya mahato bhrūṇahā kimihāgataḥ||

Seeing the king before him, the sage reproved him, saying,-You have committed a great sin. You have been guilty of foeticide. Why have you come here.

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

MBh 7 150.10

किं त्वयास्मासु कर्तामा मां स्प्राक्षीः कथंचन। गच्छ गच्छ न ते स्थानं प्रीणात्यस्मानिति ब्रुवन्॥

kiṃ tvayāsmāsu kartāmā māṃ sprākṣīḥ kathaṃcana| gaccha gaccha na te sthānaṃ prīṇātyasmāniti bruvan||

What have you to do with us? Do not touch me! Go, go away! Your presence does not give us pleasure!

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

MBh 7 150.11

रुधिरस्येव ते गन्धः शवस्येव च दर्शनम्। अशिवः शिवसंकाशो मृतो जीवन्निवाटसि॥

rudhirasyeva te gandhaḥ śavasyeva ca darśanam| aśivaḥ śivasaṃkāśo mṛto jīvannivāṭasi||

Your body smells like blood. You look like a corpse. Though impure, you appear as pure, and though dead you move like a living being!

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

MBh 7 150.12

ब्रह्ममृत्युरशुद्धात्मा पापमेवानुचिन्तयन्। प्रबुद्ध्यसे प्रस्वपिषि वर्तसे परमे सुखे॥

brahmamṛtyuraśuddhātmā pāpamevānucintayan| prabuddhyase prasvapiṣi vartase parame sukhe||

Dead within, you are of impure soul for you always wish to commit sin. Though you sleep, and wake, your life, however, is spent in great misery.

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

MBh 7 150.13

मोघं ते जीवितं राजन् परिक्लिष्टं च जीवसि। पापायैव हि सृष्टोऽसि कर्मणे हि यवीयसे॥

moghaṃ te jīvitaṃ rājan parikliṣṭaṃ ca jīvasi| pāpāyaiva hi sṛṣṭo'si karmaṇe hi yavīyase||

Useless is your life, O king. You live most miserably. You have been created for ignoble and sinful acts.

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

MBh 7 150.14

बहुकल्याणमिच्छन्ति ईहन्ते पितरः सुतान्। तपसा दैवतेज्याभिर्वन्दनेन तितिक्षया॥

bahukalyāṇamicchanti īhante pitaraḥ sutān| tapasā daivatejyābhirvandanena titikṣayā||

Fathers wish for sons for obtaining various kinds of blessings, and hoping they would perform penances and sacrifices, adore the gods, and practise renunciation.

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

MBh 7 150.15

पितृवंशमिमं पश्य त्वत्कृते नरकं गतम्। निरर्थाः सर्व एवैषामाशाबन्धास्त्वदाश्रयाः॥

pitṛvaṃśamimaṃ paśya tvatkṛte narakaṃ gatam| nirarthāḥ sarva evaiṣāmāśābandhāstvadāśrayāḥ||

See all your ancestors have fallen into hell for your acts. All the hopes your fathers had placed upon you have been frustrated,

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

MBh 7 150.16

यान् पूजयन्तो विन्दन्ति स्वर्गमायुर्यशः प्रजाः। तेषु त्वं सततं द्वेष्टा ब्राह्मणेषु निरर्थकः॥

yān pūjayanto vindanti svargamāyuryaśaḥ prajāḥ| teṣu tvaṃ satataṃ dveṣṭā brāhmaṇeṣu nirarthakaḥ||

You live in vain, for you, always entertain hatred and malice towards the Brahmanas,-by worshipping whom other men acquire long life, fame, and heaven.

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

MBh 7 150.17

इमं लोकं विमुच्य त्वमवाङ्मूर्द्धा पतिष्यसि। अशाश्वतीः शाश्वतीश्च समाः पापेन कर्मणा॥

imaṃ lokaṃ vimucya tvamavāṅmūrddhā patiṣyasi| aśāśvatīḥ śāśvatīśca samāḥ pāpena karmaṇā||

Leaving this world, you shall have to fall (into hell) with head downwards and remain in that posture for numberless years for your sinful deeds.

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

MBh 7 150.18

अर्धमानो यत्र गृधैः शितिकण्ठैरयोमुखैः। ततश्च पुनरावृत्तः पापयोनि गमिष्यसि॥

ardhamāno yatra gṛdhaiḥ śitikaṇṭhairayomukhaiḥ| tataśca punarāvṛttaḥ pāpayoni gamiṣyasi||

There you will be tortured by vultures and peacocks having iron beaks. Returning thence into this world, you will be born again in a wretched order of creatures.

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

MBh 7 150.19

यदिदं मन्यसे राजन् नायमस्ति कुतः परः। प्रतिस्मारयितारस्त्वां यमदूता यमक्षये॥

yadidaṃ manyase rājan nāyamasti kutaḥ paraḥ| pratismārayitārastvāṃ yamadūtā yamakṣaye||

If you think, o king, that this world is nothing and that the next world is nothing and that the next world is but a shadow, the attendants of Yama in the infernal regions will convince you, removing your scepticism.

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