Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 3
MBh 9 3.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच ब्राह्मण्यं यदि दुष्प्राप्यं त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्नराधिप। कथं प्राप्तं महाराज क्षत्रियेण महात्मना॥ विश्वामित्रेण धर्मात्पन् ब्राह्मणत्वं नरर्षभ। श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वेन तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca brāhmaṇyaṃ yadi duṣprāpyaṃ tribhirvarṇairnarādhipa| kathaṃ prāptaṃ mahārāja kṣatriyeṇa mahātmanā|| viśvāmitreṇa dharmātpan brāhmaṇatvaṃ nararṣabha| śrotumicchāmi tattvena tanme brūhi pitāmaha||
Yudhishthira said If, O prince, it is so very difficult for the other three castes to acquire Brahmanahood, how then did the great Vishvasmitra, O king, though a Kshatriya, acquire the status of a Brahmana? I desire to know this, O sire! Therefore, do you truly describe this matter to me.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.2
तेन ह्यमितवीर्येण वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। हतं पुत्रशतं सद्यस्तपसाऽपि पितामह॥
tena hyamitavīryeṇa vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ| hataṃ putraśataṃ sadyastapasā'pi pitāmaha||
O Sire, by virtue of his austerities that powerful man destroyed in a moment the hundred sons of the great Vasishtha.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.3
यातुधानाश्च बहवो राक्षसास्तिग्मतेजसः। मन्युनाऽऽविष्टदेहेन सृष्टाः कालान्तकोपमाः॥
yātudhānāśca bahavo rākṣasāstigmatejasaḥ| manyunā''viṣṭadehena sṛṣṭāḥ kālāntakopamāḥ||
While under the influence of ire, he created numberless evil spirits and Rakshasas of great vigour and resembling the great destroyer Kala himself.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.4
महान् कुशिकवंशश्च ब्रह्मर्षिशतसंकुलः। स्थापितो नरलोकेऽस्मिन् विद्वद्ब्राह्मणसंस्तुतः॥
mahān kuśikavaṃśaśca brahmarṣiśatasaṃkulaḥ| sthāpito naraloke'smin vidvadbrāhmaṇasaṃstutaḥ||
The great and learned family of Kushika, containing hundreds of twiceborn sages in it and highly spoken of by the Brahmanas, was founded in this world of men by him.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.5
ऋचीकस्यात्मजश्चैव शुनःशेपो महातपाः। विमोक्षितो महासत्रात् पशुतामप्युपागतः॥
ṛcīkasyātmajaścaiva śunaḥśepo mahātapāḥ| vimokṣito mahāsatrāt paśutāmapyupāgataḥ||
Having been sought to be killed as an animal in the great sacrifice of Amvarisha, Shunashepha of austere penances the son of Richika acquired his deliverance through Vishvamitra.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.6
हरिश्चन्द्रक्रतौ देवांस्तोषयित्वाऽऽत्मतेजसा। पुत्रतामनु सम्प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः॥
hariścandrakratau devāṃstoṣayitvā''tmatejasā| putratāmanu samprāpto viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ||
Having pleased the gods at a sacrifice Harishchandra became a son of the wise Vishvamitra.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.7
नाभिवादयते ज्येष्ठं देवरातं नराधिप। पुत्राः पञ्चाशदेवापि शप्ताः श्वपचतां गताः॥
nābhivādayate jyeṣṭhaṃ devarātaṃ narādhipa| putrāḥ pañcāśadevāpi śaptāḥ śvapacatāṃ gatāḥ||
For not having honoured their eldest brother Devarat, the other fifty brothers of his were imprecated, and all of them became Chandalas.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.8
त्रिशङ्कुर्वन्धुभिर्मुक्त ऐक्ष्वाकः प्रीतिपूर्वकम्। अवाशिरा दिवं नीतो दक्षिणामाश्रितो दिशम्॥
triśaṅkurvandhubhirmukta aikṣvākaḥ prītipūrvakam| avāśirā divaṃ nīto dakṣiṇāmāśrito diśam||
When abandoned by his friends, and hanging with his head down wards in the lower regions, Trisanku, the son of Ikshaku, was translated to heaven at the pleasure of Vishvamitra.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.9
विश्वामित्रस्य विपुला नदी देवर्षिसेविता। कौशिकी च शिवा पुण्या ब्रह्मर्षिसुरसेविता॥
viśvāmitrasya vipulā nadī devarṣisevitā| kauśikī ca śivā puṇyā brahmarṣisurasevitā||
Vishvamitra had a large river, named Kaushiki, that was frequented by celestial Rishis. This sacred and suspicious river was frequented by the celestials and twiceborn Rishis.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.10
तपोविनकरी चैव पञ्चचूडा सुसम्मता। रम्भा नामाप्सराः शापाद् यस्य शैलत्वमागता॥
tapovinakarī caiva pañcacūḍā susammatā| rambhā nāmāpsarāḥ śāpād yasya śailatvamāgatā||
For disturbing his devotions, the famous celestial nymph Rambha, having fine bracelets, was cursed and changed into a rock.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.11
तथैवास्य भयाद् बद्ध्वा वसिष्ठः सलिले पुरा। आत्मानं मज्जयन् श्रीमान् विपाशः पुनरुत्थितः॥
tathaivāsya bhayād baddhvā vasiṣṭhaḥ salile purā| ātmānaṃ majjayan śrīmān vipāśaḥ punarutthitaḥ||
From fear of Vishvamitra the glorious Vasishtha, in days of yore, binding himself with creepers, threw himself down into a river and again rose released from his fetters,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.12
तदाप्रभृति पुण्या हि विपाशाऽभून्महानदी। विख्याता कर्मणा तेन वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः॥
tadāprabhṛti puṇyā hi vipāśā'bhūnmahānadī| vikhyātā karmaṇā tena vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ||
On account of this, that large and sacred river became thenceforth famous by the name of Vipasha.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.13
वाग्भिश्च भगवान् येन देवसेनाग्रगः प्रभुः। स्तुतः प्रीतमनाश्चासीच्छापाञ्चैनममुञ्चत॥ ध्रुवस्यौत्तानपादस्य ब्रह्मर्षीणां तथैव च। मध्यं ज्वलति यो नित्यमुदीचीमाश्रितो दिशम्॥
vāgbhiśca bhagavān yena devasenāgragaḥ prabhuḥ| stutaḥ prītamanāścāsīcchāpāñcainamamuñcata|| dhruvasyauttānapādasya brahmarṣīṇāṃ tathaiva ca| madhyaṃ jvalati yo nityamudīcīmāśrito diśam||
He prayed to the glorious and powerful Indra who was pleased with him and freed him from a curse. Remaining on the northern side of the sky, he sheds his lustre from a position in the midst of the seven twiceborn Rishis, and Dhruva the son of Uttanpada.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.14
तस्यैतानि च कर्माणि तथान्यानि च कौरव। क्षत्रियस्येत्यतो जातमिदं कौतूहलं मम॥
tasyaitāni ca karmāṇi tathānyāni ca kaurava| kṣatriyasyetyato jātamidaṃ kautūhalaṃ mama||
These and many others are his feats. O descendant of Kuru, my curiosity has been kindled in this respect, because they were performed by a Kshstriya.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.15
किमेतदिति तत्त्वेन प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ। देहान्तरमनासाद्य कथं स ब्राह्मणोऽभवत्॥
kimetaditi tattvena prabrūhi bharatarṣabha| dehāntaramanāsādya kathaṃ sa brāhmaṇo'bhavat||
Therefore, O foremost one of Bharata's race do you relate this matter to me truly! How without renouncing his body and taking another body of flesh could he become a Brahmana?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.16
एतत् तत्त्वेन मे तात सर्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि। मतङ्गस्य यथातत्त्वं तथैवैतद् वदस्व मे॥
etat tattvena me tāta sarvamākhyātumarhasi| mataṅgasya yathātattvaṃ tathaivaitad vadasva me||
Do you, O sire, truly describe this matter to me as you have described to me the story of Matanga.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.17
स्थाने मतङ्गा ब्राह्मण्यं नालभद् भरतर्षभ। चण्डालयोनौ जातो हि कथं ब्राह्मण्यमाप्तवान्॥
sthāne mataṅgā brāhmaṇyaṃ nālabhad bharatarṣabha| caṇḍālayonau jāto hi kathaṃ brāhmaṇyamāptavān||
Matanga was born as a Chandala, and could not acquire Brahmanahood, but how could this man acquire the status of a Brahmana?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.18
किमेतदिति तत्त्वेन प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ। देहान्तरमनासाद्य कथं स ब्राह्मणोऽभवत्॥
kimetaditi tattvena prabrūhi bharatarṣabha| dehāntaramanāsādya kathaṃ sa brāhmaṇo'bhavat||
Therefore, O foremost one of Bharata's race do you relate this matter to me truly! How without renouncing his body and taking another body of flesh could he become a Brahmana?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.19
एतत् तत्त्वेन मे तात सर्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि। मतङ्गस्य यथातत्त्वं तथैवैतद् वदस्व मे॥
etat tattvena me tāta sarvamākhyātumarhasi| mataṅgasya yathātattvaṃ tathaivaitad vadasva me||
Do you, O sire, truly describe this matter to me as you have described to me the story of Matanga.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 3.20
स्थाने मतङ्गा ब्राह्मण्यं नालभद् भरतर्षभ। चण्डालयोनौ जातो हि कथं ब्राह्मण्यमाप्तवान्॥
sthāne mataṅgā brāhmaṇyaṃ nālabhad bharatarṣabha| caṇḍālayonau jāto hi kathaṃ brāhmaṇyamāptavān||
Matanga was born as a Chandala, and could not acquire Brahmanahood, but how could this man acquire the status of a Brahmana?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)