Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 28
MBh 9 28.1
भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्तो मतङ्गस्तु संशितात्मा यतव्रतः। अतिष्ठदेकपादेन वर्षाणां शतमच्युतः॥
bhīṣma uvāca evamukto mataṅgastu saṃśitātmā yatavrataḥ| atiṣṭhadekapādena varṣāṇāṃ śatamacyutaḥ||
Bhishma said Thus addressed by Indra, Matanga of restrained vows and wellcontrolled soul, stood for a century of years on one foot, O you of unfading glory.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.2
तमुवाच ततः शक्रः पुनरेव महायशाः। ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्लभं तात प्रार्थयानो न लप्स्यसे॥
tamuvāca tataḥ śakraḥ punareva mahāyaśāḥ| brāhmaṇyaṃ durlabhaṃ tāta prārthayāno na lapsyase||
Highly illustrious Shakra more appeared before him and addressing him said The dignity of a Brahmana, O child, is unattainable. Although you covet it. It is impossible for you to obtain it.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.3
मतङ्ग परमं स्थानं प्रार्थयन् विनशिष्यसि। मा कृथाः साहसं पुत्र नैष धर्मपथस्तव॥
mataṅga paramaṃ sthānaṃ prārthayan vinaśiṣyasi| mā kṛthāḥ sāhasaṃ putra naiṣa dharmapathastava||
O Matanga, by coveting that very great dignity you are sure to meet with destruction. Do not, O son, betray such rashness. This is not a righteous path for you to follow.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.4
न हि शक्यं त्वया प्राप्तुं ब्राह्मण्यमिह दुर्मते। अप्राप्यं प्रार्थयानो हि नचिराद् विनशिष्यसि॥
na hi śakyaṃ tvayā prāptuṃ brāhmaṇyamiha durmate| aprāpyaṃ prārthayāno hi nacirād vinaśiṣyasi||
O you of foolish understanding, it is impossible for you to obtain it in this world, Verily, by coveting that which is unattainable you are sure to meet with destruction forthwith.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.5
मतङ्ग परमं स्थानं वार्यमाणोऽसकृन्मया। चिकीर्षस्येव तपसा सर्वथा न भविष्यसि॥
mataṅga paramaṃ sthānaṃ vāryamāṇo'sakṛnmayā| cikīrṣasyeva tapasā sarvathā na bhaviṣyasi||
I am repeatedly forbidding you. By trying, however, to attain that high dignity by the help of your penances, despite my repeated admonitions, you are sure to meet with destruction.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.6
तिर्यग्योनिगतः सर्वो मानुष्यं यदि गच्छति। स जायते पुल्कसो वा चण्डालो वाप्यसंशयः॥
tiryagyonigataḥ sarvo mānuṣyaṃ yadi gacchati| sa jāyate pulkaso vā caṇḍālo vāpyasaṃśayaḥ||
From a brute life one gains the status of humanity. If born as a human being, he is sure to be born as a Pukkasha or a Chandala.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.7
पुल्कसः पापयोनिर्वा यः कश्चिदिह लक्ष्यते। स तस्यामेव सुचिरं मतङ्ग परिवर्तते॥
pulkasaḥ pāpayonirvā yaḥ kaścidiha lakṣyate| sa tasyāmeva suciraṃ mataṅga parivartate||
Verily, one having taken birth in that sinful caste, viz., Pulkasa, one, O Matanga, has to wander in it for a very long time.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.8
ततो दशशते काले लभते शूद्रतामपि। शूद्रयोनावपि ततो बहुशः परिवर्तते॥
tato daśaśate kāle labhate śūdratāmapi| śūdrayonāvapi tato bahuśaḥ parivartate||
Passing a period of one thousand years in that order one is next born as a Shudra. In the Shudra order, again, one has to wander for a long time.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.9
ततस्त्रिंशद्गुणे काले लभते वैश्यतामपि। वैश्यतायां चिरं कालं तत्रैव परिवर्तते॥
tatastriṃśadguṇe kāle labhate vaiśyatāmapi| vaiśyatāyāṃ ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate||
After thirty thousand years one is born as a Vaishya. There in that order, one has to pass a very long time.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.10
ततः षष्टिगुणे काले राजन्यो नाम जायते। ततः षष्टिगुणे काले लभते ब्रह्मबन्धुताम्॥ ब्रह्मबन्धुश्चिरं कालं ततस्तु परिवर्तते।
tataḥ ṣaṣṭiguṇe kāle rājanyo nāma jāyate| tataḥ ṣaṣṭiguṇe kāle labhate brahmabandhutām|| brahmabandhuściraṃ kālaṃ tatastu parivartate|
After a time that is sixty times longer than what has been stated as the period of Shudra birth, one becomes a Kshatriya. In the Kshatriya order one has to pass a very long time. After a time that is measured by multiplying the period last referred to by sixty, one is born as a fallen Brahmana. In this order one has to wander for a long period.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.11
ततस्तु द्विशते काले लभते काण्ड पृष्ठताम्॥ काण्डपृष्ठिश्चिरं कालं तत्रैव परिवर्तते।
tatastu dviśate kāle labhate kāṇḍa pṛṣṭhatām|| kāṇḍapṛṣṭhiściraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate|
After a time measured by multiplying the period last named by two hundred, one is born in the race of such a Brahmana as lives by the profession of arms. There in that order one has to wander for a long period.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.12
ततस्तु त्रिंशते काले लभते जपतामपि॥ तं च प्राप्य चिरं कालं तत्रैव परिवर्तते। ततश्चतुःशते काले श्रोत्रियो नाम जायते। श्रोत्रियत्वे चिरं कालं तत्रैव परिवर्तते॥
tatastu triṃśate kāle labhate japatāmapi|| taṃ ca prāpya ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate| tataścatuḥśate kāle śrotriyo nāma jāyate| śrotriyatve ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate||
After a time measured by multiplying the period last name by three hundred, one is born in the race of a Brahmana that is given to the recitation of the Gayatri and other sacred Mantras. There, in that order, one has to wander for a long period. After a time measured by multiplying the period last named by four hundred, one is born in the race of such a Bralımana who knows the entire Vedas and the scriptures. There, in that order, one has to wander for a very long period.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.13
तदेवं शोकहर्षी तु कामद्वेषौ च पुत्रका अतिमानातिवादौ च प्रविशेते द्विजाधमम्॥
tadevaṃ śokaharṣī tu kāmadveṣau ca putrakā atimānātivādau ca praviśete dvijādhamam||
While wandering in that existence, joy and grief, desire and hatred vanity and evil speech, scck to enter into him and make a wretch of him.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.14
तांश्चज्जयति शत्रून् स तदा प्राप्नोति सद्गतिम्। अथ ते वै जयन्त्येनं तालाग्रादिव पात्यते॥
tāṃścajjayati śatrūn sa tadā prāpnoti sadgatim| atha te vai jayantyenaṃ tālāgrādiva pātyate||
If he succeeds in subjugating those foes, he then acquires a high end. If, on the other hand, those enemies succeed in subjugating him, he falls down from that high position like a person falling down on the ground from the high top of a palmyra tree.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 28.15
मतङ्ग सम्प्रधायँवं यदहं त्वामचूचुदम्। वृणीष्व काममन्यं त्वं ब्राह्मण्यं हि सुदुर्लभम्॥
mataṅga sampradhāya~vaṃ yadahaṃ tvāmacūcudam| vṛṇīṣva kāmamanyaṃ tvaṃ brāhmaṇyaṃ hi sudurlabham||
Knowing this for certain, O Matanga that I say to you do you name some other boon, for the status of a Brahmana is incapable of being acquired by you.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)