01145001a ekacakrAGM gatAs te tu kuntIputrA mahArathAH
01145001c ataH paraM dvijazreSTha kim akurvata pANDavAH 'janamejaya asked, 'O first of brAhmaNas, what did the pANDavas, those mighty car-warriors, the sons of kuntI, do after arriving at Ekachakra?'
01145002 vaizamMpAyana uvAca 'vaizaMpAyana said,
01145002a ekacakrAGM gatAs te tu kuntIputrA mahArathAH 'Those mighty car-warriors, the sons of kuntI, on arriving at Ekachakra,
01145002c USur nAticiraGM kAlamM brAhmaNasya nivezane lived for a short time in the abode of a brAhmaNa.
01145003a ramaNIyAni pazyanto vanAni vividhAni ca They beheld (in course of their wanderings) various delightful forests
01145003c pArthivAn api coddezAn saritaz ca sarAMsi ca and earthly regions, and many rivers and lakes,
01145004a cerur bhaikSanM tadA te tu sarva eva vizAmM pate leading an eleemosynary life,
01145004c babhUvur nAgarANAJM ca svair guNaiH priyadarzanAH and they became great favourites of the inhabitants of that town in consequence of their own accomplishments.
01145005a nivedayanti sma ca te bhaikSaGM kuntyAsH sadA nizi At nightfall they placed before kuntI all they gathered in their mendicant tours,
01145005c tayA vibhaktAn bhAgAMs te bhuJjate sma pRthak pRthak and kuntI used to divide the whole amongst them, each taking what was allotted to him.
01145006a ardhanM te bhuJjate vIrAsH saha mAtrA paranMtapAH And those heroic chastisers of foes, with their mother, together ate half,
01145006c ardhamM bhaikSasya sarvasya bhImo bhuGkte mahAbalaH while the mighty bhIma ate the other half.
01145007a tathA tu teSAM vasatAnM tatra rAjan mahAtmanAm
01145007c aticakrAma sumahAn kAlo 'tha bharatarSabha In this way, O bull of bharata's race, the illustrious pANDavas lived there for some time.
01145008a tataH kadA cid bhaikSAya gatAs te bharatarSabhAH 'One day, while those bulls of the bharata race were out on their tour of mendicancy,
01145008c saGMgatyA bhImasenas tu tatrAste pRthayA saha it so happened that bhIma was (at home) with (his mother) pRthA.
01145009c bhRzam utpatitaGM ghoraGM kuntI zuzrAva bhArata That day, O bharata, kuntI heard a loud and heart-rending wail of sorrow coming from within the apartments of the brAhmaNa.
01145010a rorUyamANAMs tAn sarvAn paridevayataz ca sA Hearing the inmates of the brAhmaNa's house wailing and indulging in piteous lamentations, kuntI, O king,
01145010c kAruNyAt sAdhubhAvAc ca devI rAjan na cakSame from compassion and the goodness of her heart, could not bear it with indifference.
01145011a mathyamAneva duHkhena hRdayena pRthA tataH Afflicted with sorrow, the amiable pRthA,
01145011c uvAca bhImaGM kalyANI kRpAnvitam idaM vacaH addressing bhIma, said these words full of compassion.
01145012a vasAmasH susukhamM putra brAhmaNasya nivezane 'Our woes assuaged, we are, O son, living happily in the house of this brAhmaNa,
01145012c ajJAtA dhArtarASTrANAM satkRtA vItamanyavaH respected by him and unknown to dhRtarASTra's son.
01145013a sA cintaye sadA putra brAhmaNasyAsya kinM nv aham O son, I always think of the good I should do to this brAhmaNa,
01145013c priyaGM kuryAm iti gRhe yat kuryur uSitAsH sukham like what they do that live happily in others' abodes!
01145014a etAvAn puruSas tAta kRtaM yasmin na nazyati O child, he is a true man upon whom favours are never lost.
01145014c yAvac ca kuryAd anyo 'sya kuryAd abhyadhikanM tataH He payeth back to others more than what he receiveth at their hands.
01145015a tad idamM brAhmaNasyAsya duHkham ApatitaM dhruvam There is no doubt, some affliction hath overtaken this brAhmaNa.
01145015c tatrAsya yadi sAhAyyaGM kuryAma sukRtamM bhavet If we could be of any help to him, we should then be requiting his services.'
01145016 bhIma uvAca 'Hearing these words of his mother, bhIma said,
01145016a jJAyatAm asya yad duHkhaM yataz caiva samutthitam
01145016c vidite vyavasiSyAmi yady api syAt suduSkaram 'Ascertain, O mother the nature of the brAhmaNa's distress and whence also it hath arisen. Learning all about it, relieve it I will however difficult may the task prove.'
01145017 vaizamMpAyana uvAca 'vaizaMpAyana continued
01145017a tathA hi kathayantau tau bhUyazH zuzruvatusH svanam 'While mother and son were thus talking with each other, they heard again,
01145017c ArtijanM tasya viprasya sabhAryasya vizAmM pate O king, another wail of sorrow proceeding from the brAhmaNa and his wife.
01145018a antaHpuraM tatas tasya brAhmaNasya mahAtmanaH Then kuntI quickly entered the inner apartments of that illustrious brAhmaNa,
01145018c viveza kuntI tvaritA baddhavatseva saurabhI like unto a cow running towards her tethered calf.
01145019a tatas tamM brAhmaNanM tatra bhAryayA ca sutena ca She beheld the brAhmaNa with his wife, son
01145019c duhitrA caiva sahitanM dadarza vikRtAnanam and daughter, sitting with a woeful face, and she heard the brAhmaNa say,
01145020 brAhmaNa uvAca
01145020a dhig idaJM jIvitaM loke 'nalasAram anarthakam 'Oh, fie on this earthly life which is hollow as the reed and so fruitless after all
01145020c duHkhamUlaM parAdhInaM bhRzam apriyabhAgi ca which is based on sorrow and hath no freedom, and which hath misery for its lot!
01145021a jIvite paramanM duHkhaM jIvite paramo jvaraH Life is sorrow and disease;
01145021c jIvite vartamAnasya dvandvAnAm Agamo dhruvaH life is truly a record of misery!
01145022a ekAtmApi hi dharmArthau kAmaJM ca na niSevate The soul is one: but it hath to pursue virtue, wealth and pleasure.
01145022c etaiz ca viprayogo 'pi duHkhaM paramakaM matam And because these are pursued at one and the same time, there frequently occurs a disagreement that is the source of much misery.
01145023a AhuH ke cit paraM mokSaM sa ca nAsti kathaM cana Some say that salvation is the highest object of our desire. But I believe it can never be attained.
01145023c arthaprAptau ca narakaH kRtsna evopapadyate The acquisition of wealth is hell;
01145024a arthepsutA paranM duHkham arthaprAptau tato 'dhikam the pursuit of wealth is attended with misery; there is more misery after one has acquired it,
01145024c jAtasnehasya cArtheSu viprayoge mahattaram for one loves one's possessions, and if any mishap befalls them, the possessor becomes afflicted with woe.
01145025a na hi yogamM prapazyAmi yena mucyeyam ApadaH I do not see by what means I can escape from this danger,
01145025c putradAreNa vA sArdhamM prAdraveyAm anAmayam nor how I can fly hence, with my wife to some region free from danger.
01145026a yatitaM vai mayA pUrvaM yathA tvaM vettha brAhmaNi
01145026c yataH kSemaM tato gantuM tvayA tu mama na zrutam Remember, O wife, that I endeavoured to migrate to some other place where we would be happy, but thou didst not then listen to me.
01145027a iha jAtA vivRddhAsmi pitA ceha mameti ca
01145027c uktavaty asi durmedhe yAcyamAnA mayAsakRt Though frequently solicited by me, thou, O simple woman, said to me, 'I have been born here, and here have I grown old; this is my ancestral homestead.'
01145028a svargato hi pitA vRddhas tathA mAtA ciranM tava Thy venerable father, O wife, and thy mother also, have, a long time ago, ascended to heaven.
01145028c bAndhavA bhUtapUrvAz ca tatra vAse tu kA ratiH Thy relations also had all been dead. Oh why then didst thou yet like to live here?
01145029a so 'yanM te bandhukAmAyA azRNvantyA vaco mama Led by affection for thy relatives thou didst not then hear what I said.
01145029c bandhupraNAzasH samMprApto bhRzanM duHkhakaro mama But the time is now come when thou art to witness the death of a relative. Oh, how sad is that spectacle for me!
01145030a atha vA madvinAzo 'yanM na hi zakSyAmi kaJM cana Or perhaps the time is come for my own death, for I shall never be able
01145030c parityaktum ahamM bandhuM svayaJM jIvan nRzaMsavat to abandon cruelly one of my own as long as I myself am alive.
01145031a sahadharmacarInM dAntAnM nityamM mAtRsamAmM mama Thou art my helpmate in all good deeds, self-denying and always affectionate unto me as a mother.
01145031c sakhAyaM vihitAnM devair nityamM paramikAGM gatim The gods have given thee to me as a true friend and thou art ever my prime stay.
01145032a mAtrA pitrA ca vihitAM sadA gArhasthyabhAginIm Thou hast, by my parents, been made the participator in my domestic concerns.
01145032c varayitvA yathAnyAyamM mantravat pariNIya ca
01145033a kulInAM zIlasamMpannAm apatyajananImM mama Thou art of pure lineage and good disposition, the mother of my children,
01145033c tvAm ahaJM jIvitasyArthe sAdhvIm anapakAriNIm devoted to me, and so innocent;
01145033e parityaktunM na zakSyAmi bhAryAnM nityam anuvratAm having chosen and wedded thee with due rites, I cannot abandon thee, my wife, so constant in thy vows, to save my life.
01145034a kuta eva parityaktuM sutAM zakSyAmy ahaM svayam How shall I myself be able to sacrifice my son
01145034c bAlAm aprAptavayasam ajAtavyaJjanAkRtim a child of tender years and yet without the hirsute appendages (of manhood)?
01145035a bhartur arthAya nikSiptAnM nyAsanM dhAtrA mahAtmanA How shall I sacrifice my daughter whom I have begotten myself, who hath been placed, as a pledge, in my hands by the Creator himself for bestowal on a husband
01145035c yasyAnM dauhitrajAl~ lokAn AzaMse pitRbhisH saha
01145035e svayam utpAdya tAmM bAlAGM katham utsraSTum utsahe and through whom I hope to enjoy, along with my ancestors, the regions attainable by those only that have daughters' sons?
01145036a manyante ke cid adhikaM snehamM putre pitur narAH
01145036c kanyAyAnM naiva tu punar mama tulyAv ubhau matau Some people think that the father's affection for a son is greater; others, that his affection for a daughter is greater, mine, however, is equal.
01145037a yasmil~ lokAH prasUtiz ca sthitA nityam atho sukham
01145037c apApAnM tAm ahamM bAlAGM katham utsraSTum utsahe How can I be prepared to give up the innocent daughter upon whom rest the regions of bliss obtainable by me in after life and my own lineage and perpetual happiness?
01145038a AtmAnam api cotsRjya tapsye pretavazaGM gataH If, again, I sacrifice myself and go to the other world, I should scarcely know any peace,
01145038c tyaktA hy ete mayA vyaktanM neha zakSyanti jIvitum for, indeed, it is evident that, left by me these would not be able to support life.
01145039a eSAJM cAnyatamatyAgo nRzaMso garhito budhaiH The sacrifice of any of these would be cruel and censurable.
01145039c AtmatyAge kRte ceme mariSyanti mayA vinA On the other hand, if I sacrifice myself, these, without me, will certainly perish.
01145040a sa kRcchrAm aham Apanno na zaktas tartum Apadam The distress into which I have fallen is great; nor do I know the means of escape.
01145040c aho dhik kAGM gatinM tv adya gamiSyAmi sabAndhavaH Alas, what course shall I take today with my near ones.
01145040e sarvaisH saha mRtaM zreyo na tu me jIvitaGM kSamam It is well that I should die with all these, for I can live no longer.''
