Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 131

MBh 9 131.1

भीष्म उवाच ततः सर्वे महाभाग देवाश्च पितरश्च ह। ऋषयश्च महाभागाः प्रमथान् वाक्यमब्रुवन्॥ भवन्तो वै महाभागा अपरोक्षनिशाचराः। उच्छिष्टानशुचीन् क्षुद्रान् कथं हिंसथ मानवान्॥

bhīṣma uvāca tataḥ sarve mahābhāga devāśca pitaraśca ha| ṛṣayaśca mahābhāgāḥ pramathān vākyamabruvan|| bhavanto vai mahābhāgā aparokṣaniśācarāḥ| ucchiṣṭānaśucīn kṣudrān kathaṃ hiṃsatha mānavān||

Bhishma said Then all the highly blessed celestials and the departed Manes, and the highly blessed Rishis also, addressing the Pramathas, said, Ye are all highly blessed beings. Ye are invincible right rangers. Why do you afflict those men who are vile and impure and that are unclean?

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

MBh 9 131.2

के च स्मृताः प्रतीघाता येन मर्त्यान् न हिंसथ। रक्षोनानि च कानि स्युर्यगृहेषु प्रणश्यथ। श्रोतुमिच्छाम युष्माकं सर्वमेतन्निशाचराः॥

ke ca smṛtāḥ pratīghātā yena martyān na hiṃsatha| rakṣonāni ca kāni syuryagṛheṣu praṇaśyatha| śrotumicchāma yuṣmākaṃ sarvametanniśācarāḥ||

What acts are considered as obstacles to your power? What indeed, are those acts on account of which you cannot afflict men? What are those acts that are destructive of Rakshasas and which prevent you from influencing the dwellings of men? Ye night rangers, we wish to hear all this from you.

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

MBh 9 131.3

प्रथमा ऊचुः मैथुनेन सदोच्छिष्टाः कुते चैवाधरोत्तरे। मोहान्मांसानि खादेत वृक्षमूले च यः खपेत्॥ आमिषं शीर्षतो यस्य पादतो यश्च संविशेत्। तत उच्छिष्टकाः सर्वे बहुच्छिद्राश्च मानवाः॥

prathamā ūcuḥ maithunena sadocchiṣṭāḥ kute caivādharottare| mohānmāṃsāni khādeta vṛkṣamūle ca yaḥ khapet|| āmiṣaṃ śīrṣato yasya pādato yaśca saṃviśet| tata ucchiṣṭakāḥ sarve bahucchidrāśca mānavāḥ||

The Pramathas said Men are rendered unclean by acts of sexual intercourse. They who do not purify themselves after such deeds, they who insult their elders, they who from stupefaction eat different sorts of meat, the man also who sleeps at the foot of a tree, he who keeps any animal matter under his pillow while lying down for sleeps and who lies down or sleeps putting the head where his feet should be placed, or his feet where his feet should be placed, these men are considered by us as unclean. Indeed, these men have many holes.

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

MBh 9 131.4

उदके चाप्यमेध्यानि श्लेष्माणं च प्रमुञ्चति। एते भक्ष्याश्च वध्याश्च मानुषा नात्र संशयः॥ एवं शीलसमाचारान् धर्षयामो हि मानवान्। श्रूयतां च प्रतीघातान् यैर्न शक्नुम हिंसितुम्॥

udake cāpyamedhyāni śleṣmāṇaṃ ca pramuñcati| ete bhakṣyāśca vadhyāśca mānuṣā nātra saṃśayaḥ|| evaṃ śīlasamācārān dharṣayāmo hi mānavān| śrūyatāṃ ca pratīghātān yairna śaknuma hiṃsitum||

Those also are classed amongst those who throw their phlegm and other uncle and secretions into the water, Forsooth, these men deserve to be killed and eaten up by us. Indeed, we afflict those human beings who are endued with such conduct. Listen now to what those acts are which are considered as antidotes and on account of which we fail to do any injury on men.

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

MBh 9 131.5

गोरोचनासमालम्भो वचाहस्तश्च यो भवेत्। घृताक्षतं च यो दद्यान्मस्तके तत्परायणः॥ ये च मांसं न खादन्ति तान् न शक्नुम हिसितुम्। यस्य चाग्निगृहे नित्यं दिवारात्रौ च दीप्यते॥ तरक्षोश्चर्म दंष्ट्राश्च तथैव गिरिकच्छपः। आज्यधूमो बिडालश्चच्छागः कृष्णोऽथ पिङ्गलः॥

gorocanāsamālambho vacāhastaśca yo bhavet| ghṛtākṣataṃ ca yo dadyānmastake tatparāyaṇaḥ|| ye ca māṃsaṃ na khādanti tān na śaknuma hisitum| yasya cāgnigṛhe nityaṃ divārātrau ca dīpyate|| tarakṣoścarma daṃṣṭrāśca tathaiva girikacchapaḥ| ājyadhūmo biḍālaścacchāgaḥ kṛṣṇo'tha piṅgalaḥ||

Those men on whose body are marks of Gorochana, or who hold Vachas in their hands, or who make gifts of clarified butter with Akshata, or who place clarified butter and Akshata on their heads, or those who abstain from meat, are incapable of being afflicted by us. That man in whose house the sacred fire burns day and night without being ever extinguished or who keeps the skin or teeth of a wolf in his house or a hill-tortoise, or from whose house the sacrificial smoke is seen to curl upwards or who keeps a cat or a goat that is either tawny or black in colour, is free from our power.

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

MBh 9 131.6

येषामेतानि तिष्ठन्ति गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम्। तान्यधृष्याण्यगाराणि पिशिताशैः सुदारुणैः॥ लोकानस्मद्विधा ये च विचरन्ति यथासुखम्।

yeṣāmetāni tiṣṭhanti gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām| tānyadhṛṣyāṇyagārāṇi piśitāśaiḥ sudāruṇaiḥ|| lokānasmadvidhā ye ca vicaranti yathāsukham|

Those householders who keeps these things in their houses always find them free from the attacks of even the most dreadful spirit that live on carrion.

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

MBh 9 131.7

तस्मादेतानि गेहेषु रक्षोनानि विशाम्पते। एतद् वः कथितं सर्वे यत्र वः संशयो महान्॥

tasmādetāni geheṣu rakṣonāni viśāmpate| etad vaḥ kathitaṃ sarve yatra vaḥ saṃśayo mahān||

Those beings also, that like us range through different words seeking pleasure, are unable to do any harm to such houses. Therefore, should men keep such articles in their houses as are destructive of Rakshasas. We have thus told you everything in solution of your great doubts.

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