12216001c kAladaNDaviniSpiSTas tan me brUhi pitAmaha 'yudhiSThira said, 'Tell me, O grandsire, by adopting what sort of intelligence may a monarch, who has been divested of prosperity and crushed by Time's heavy bludgeon, still live on this earth.'
12216002 bhISma uvAca 'bhISma said,
12216002a atrApy udAharantImam itihAsamM purAtanam 'In this connection is cited the old narrative
12216002c vAsavasya ca saMvAdamM baler vairocanasya ca of the discourse between vAsava and Virochana's son, vAlin.
12216003a pitAmaham upAgatya praNipatya kRtAJjaliH One day vAsava, after having subjugated all the asuras, repaired to the Grandsire
12216003c sarvAn evAsurAJ jitvA balimM papraccha vAsavaH and joining his hands bowed to him and enquired after the whereabouts of vAlin.
12216004a yasya sma dadato vittanM na kadA cana hIyate That vAlin whose wealth continued undiminished even though he used to give it away as lavishly as he wished,
12216004c tamM balinM nAdhigacchAmi brahmann AcakSva me balim tell me, O brahma, where I may now find him.
12216005a sa eva hy astam ayate sa sma vidyotate dizaH it was he who used to illumine all the points of the compass (as sUrya) and to set (when evening came).
12216005c sa varSati sma varSANi yathAkAlam atandritaH Casting off idleness, it was he who used to pour rain upon all creatures at the proper season.
12216005e tamM balinM nAdhigacchAmi brahmann AcakSva me balim I do not now see that vAlin. Indeed, tell me, O brAhmaNa, where I may find that chief of the asuras now.'
12216006a sa vAyur varuNaz caiva sa ravisH sa ca candramAH He was the god of wind. He was Varuna. He was sUrya. He was Soma.
12216006c so 'gnis tapati bhUtAni pRthivI ca bhavaty uta He was agni that used to warm all creatures. He became water (for the use of all).
12216006e tamM balinM nAdhigacchAmi brahmann AcakSva me balim I do not find where he now is. Indeed, O brahma, tell me where I may find vAlin now. Formerly,
12216007 brahmovAca 'brahma said,
12216007a naitat te sAdhu maghavan yad etad anupRcchasi 'It is not becoming in thee, O Maghavat, to thus enquire after vAlin now.
12216007c pRSTas tu nAnRtamM brUyAt tasmAd vakSyAmi te balim One should not, however, speak an untruth when one is questioned by another. For this reason, I shall tell thee the whereabouts of vAlin.
12216008a uSTreSu yadi vA goSu khareSv azveSu vA punaH O lord of zacI, vAlin may now have taken his birth among camels or bulls or asses or horses,
12216008c variSTho bhavitA jantuzH zUnyAgAre zacIpate and having become the foremost of his species may now be staying in an empty house.'
12216009 zakra uvAca 'zakra said,
12216009a yadi sma balinA brahmaJ zUnyAgAre sameyivAn 'If, O brahma, I happen to meet with vAlin in an empty house,
12216009c hanyAm enanM na vA hanyAnM tad brahmann anuzAdhi mAm shall I slay him or spare him? Tell me how I shall act.'
12216010 brahmovAca 'brahma said,
12216010a mA sma zakra baliM hiMsIr na balir vadham arhati 'Do not, O zakra, injure vAlin, vAlin does not deserve death.
12216010c nyAyAMs tu zakra praSTavyas tvayA vAsava kAmyayA Thou shouldst, on the other hand, O vAsava, solicit instruction from him about morality, O zakra, as thou pleasest.'
(skipped 33 lines)
12216028a tvanM tu prAkRtayA buddhyA puranMdara vikatthase Led, however, by a vulgar intelligence, thou indulgest in brag, O Purandara!
12216028c yadAham iva bhAvI tvanM tadA naivaM vadiSyasi When thou shalt become like me thou shalt not talk that way.
