Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 119

MBh 9 119.1

भीष्म उवाच क्षत्रधर्ममनुप्राप्तः स्मरन्नेव च वीर्यवान्। त्यक्त्वा स कीटतां राजंश्चचार विपुलं तपः॥

bhīṣma uvāca kṣatradharmamanuprāptaḥ smaranneva ca vīryavān| tyaktvā sa kīṭatāṃ rājaṃścacāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ||

Bhishma said Having renounced the status of a worm and taken birth as a Kshatriya of great energy, the person remembering his previous changes, O monarch began to practise severe austerities.

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

MBh 9 119.2

तस्य धर्मार्थविदुषो दृष्ट्वा तद् विपुलं तपः। आजगाम द्विजश्रेष्ठः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा॥

tasya dharmārthaviduṣo dṛṣṭvā tad vipulaṃ tapaḥ| ājagāma dvijaśreṣṭhaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā||

Seeing those severe austerities of the Kshatriya who was well conversant with religion and Profit, Krishna Dvaipayana, that foremost of Brahmanas, went to him.

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

MBh 9 119.3

व्यास उवाच क्षानं देवव्रतं कीट भूतानां परिपालनम्। क्षात्रं देवव्रतं व्यायंस्ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि॥

vyāsa uvāca kṣānaṃ devavrataṃ kīṭa bhūtānāṃ paripālanam| kṣātraṃ devavrataṃ vyāyaṃstato vipratvameṣyasi||

Vyasa said The penances, O worm, of the Kshatriyas consist of the protection of all creatures. Consider these duties of the Kshatriya to be the penances laid down for you. You shall come by the status of a Brahmana.

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

MBh 9 119.4

पाहि सर्वाः प्रजाः सम्यक् शुभाशुभविदात्मवान्। शुभैः संविभजन् कामैरशुभानां च पावनैः॥

pāhi sarvāḥ prajāḥ samyak śubhāśubhavidātmavān| śubhaiḥ saṃvibhajan kāmairaśubhānāṃ ca pāvanaiḥ||

Ascertaining what is right and what is wrong, and purifying your soul, do you duly cherish and protect all creatures, judiciously satisfying all good desires and correcting all that is unholy.

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

MBh 9 119.5

आत्मवान् भव सुप्रीतः स्वधर्माचरणे रतः। क्षात्री तनुं समुत्सृज्य ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि॥

ātmavān bhava suprītaḥ svadharmācaraṇe rataḥ| kṣātrī tanuṃ samutsṛjya tato vipratvameṣyasi||

Be you of purified soul, be contented and be devoted to the practice of virtue. Acting thus, you will then, when you die, become a Brahmana.

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

MBh 9 119.6

भीष्म उवाच सोऽप्यवरण्यमनुप्राप्य पुनरेव युधिष्ठिर। महर्षेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रजा धर्मेण पाल्य च॥

bhīṣma uvāca so'pyavaraṇyamanuprāpya punareva yudhiṣṭhira| maharṣervacanaṃ śrutvā prajā dharmeṇa pālya ca||

Bhishma said Although he had retired into the forest yet, O Yudhishthira, having heard the words of the great Rishi, he began to cherish and protect his subjects righteously.

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

MBh 9 119.7

अचिरेणैव कालेन कीट: पार्थिवसत्तम। प्रजापालनधर्मेण प्रेत्य विप्रत्वमागतः॥

acireṇaiva kālena kīṭa: pārthivasattama| prajāpālanadharmeṇa pretya vipratvamāgataḥ||

Soon O best of kings, that worm, on account of the duty of protecting his subjects became a Brahmana after renouncing his Kshatriya body.

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

MBh 9 119.8

ततस्तं ब्राह्मणं दृष्ट्वा पुनरेव महायशाः। आजगाम महाप्राज्ञः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा॥

tatastaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā punareva mahāyaśāḥ| ājagāma mahāprājñaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā||

Secing him changed into a Brahmana, the celebrated Rishi,viz.,. Krishna Dvaipayana of great wisdom came to him.

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

MBh 9 119.9

व्यास उवाच भो भो ब्रह्मर्षभ श्रीमन् मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथंचन। शुभकृच्छुभयोनीषु पापकृत् पापयोनिषु॥ उपपद्यति धर्मज्ञ यथापापफलोपगम्।

vyāsa uvāca bho bho brahmarṣabha śrīman mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathaṃcana| śubhakṛcchubhayonīṣu pāpakṛt pāpayoniṣu|| upapadyati dharmajña yathāpāpaphalopagam|

Vyasa said ochief of Brahmanas, O blessed one, be not troubled. He who acts piously, comes by a respectable birth. He on the other hand, who acts impiously comes by a low and vile birth. O you who are conversant with virtue, one attains to misery according to the measure of his sin.

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

MBh 9 119.10

तस्मान्मृत्युभयात् कीट मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथंचन।॥ धर्मलोपभयं ते स्यात् तस्माद् धर्मं चरोत्तमम्।

tasmānmṛtyubhayāt kīṭa mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathaṃcana||| dharmalopabhayaṃ te syāt tasmād dharmaṃ carottamam|

Therefore, O worm do not be troubled through fear of death. The only fear you should entertain is about the loss of virtue. Do you therefore, go on practising virtue.

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

MBh 9 119.11

कीट उवाच सुखात् सुखतरं प्राप्तो भगवंस्त्वत्कृते ह्यहम्॥ धर्ममूलां श्रियं प्राप्य पाप्मा नष्ट इहाद्य मे।

kīṭa uvāca sukhāt sukhataraṃ prāpto bhagavaṃstvatkṛte hyaham|| dharmamūlāṃ śriyaṃ prāpya pāpmā naṣṭa ihādya me|

The Worm said Through your favour, O Holy one, I have attained from happy to happier positions! Having obtained such prosperity as is established in virtue, I think my demerits have been lost.

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

MBh 9 119.12

भीष्म उवाच भगवद्वचनात् कीटो ब्राह्मण्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम्॥ अकरोत् पृथिवीं राजन् यज्ञयूपशताङ्किताम्।

bhīṣma uvāca bhagavadvacanāt kīṭo brāhmaṇyaṃ prāpya durlabham|| akarot pṛthivīṃ rājan yajñayūpaśatāṅkitām|

Bhishma said The worin having at the command of the holy Rishi acquired the status of a Brahmana that is so difficult to attain, caused the Earth to be marked with a thousand sacrificial stakes.

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

MBh 9 119.13

ततः सालोक्यमगमद ब्रह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः॥ अवाप च पदं कीटः पार्थ ब्रह्म सनातनम्। स्वकर्मफलनिर्वृत्तं व्यासस्य वचनात् तदा॥

tataḥ sālokyamagamada brahmaṇo brahmavittamaḥ|| avāpa ca padaṃ kīṭaḥ pārtha brahma sanātanam| svakarmaphalanirvṛttaṃ vyāsasya vacanāt tadā||

That foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma then gained a residence in the region of Brahman himself. Indeed, O son of Pritha, the worm acquired the highest status viz. that of eternal Brahma as the result of his own deeds done according to the counsels of Vyasa.

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

MBh 9 119.14

तेऽपि यस्मात् प्रभावेण हताः क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः। सम्प्राप्तास्ते गतिं पुण्यां तस्मान्मा शोच पुत्रक॥

te'pi yasmāt prabhāveṇa hatāḥ kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ| samprāptāste gatiṃ puṇyāṃ tasmānmā śoca putraka||

Those foremost of Kshatriyas, also, who have renounced their lifebreaths, exerting their energy all the while have all acquired a meritorious end. Therefore, O king, do not mourn on their account.

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