01.036
Library: Shringi comes to know about the episode of King Parikshit placing dead snake on his father's neck.
śaunaka uvāca॥
Śaunaka spoke:
jaratkāruriti proktaṃ yattvayā sūtanandana। icchāmyetadahaṃ tasya ṛṣeḥ śrotuṃ mahātmanaḥ ॥1-36-1॥
O son of Suta, I wish to hear about the sage Jaratkaru, the great soul, as you have mentioned.
kiṁ kāraṇaṁ jaratkārornāmaitatprathitaṁ bhuvi। jaratkāruniruktaṁ tvaṁ yathāvadvaktumarhasi ॥1-36-2॥
What is the reason for the name of Jaratkaru being renowned in the world? You should properly explain the etymology of Jaratkaru.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
jareti kṣayam āhur vai dāruṇaṃ kārusañjñitam. śarīraṃ kāru tasyāsīt tat sa dhīmāñ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ॥1-36-3॥
Old age is described as a terrible decay known as the artisan. His body was that of an artisan, and he, being wise, moved slowly and steadily.
kṣapayāmāsa tīvreṇa tapasetyata ucyate| jaratkāruriti brahmanvāsukerbhaginī tathā ॥1-36-4॥
It is said that Jaratkaru, the sister of Vasuki, destroyed through intense penance. Thus, O Brahman, she is known.
evamuktastu dharmātmā śaunakaḥ prāhasattadā| ugraśravasamāmantrya upapannamiti bruvan ॥1-36-5॥
Upon being addressed in this manner, the virtuous Śaunaka spoke to Ugraśravas, acknowledging that it was indeed appropriate.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
atha kālasya mahataḥ sa muniḥ saṃśitavrataḥ। tapasyabhirato dhīmānna dārānabhyakāṅkṣata ॥1-36-6॥
Then, after a long time, that wise sage, who was firm in his vows and engaged in penance, did not desire to marry.
sa ūrdhvaretāstapasi prasaktaḥ; svādhyāyavānvītabhayaklamaḥ san. cacāra sarvāṃ pṛthivīṃ mahātmā; na cāpi dārānmanasāpyakāṅkṣat ..1-36-7..
He, a great soul with upward-flowing energy, was deeply engaged in penance and self-study, free from fear and fatigue. He wandered the entire earth and did not even think of desiring a wife.
tato'parasmin samprāpte kāle kasmiṁścideva tu। parikṣiditi vikhyāto rājā kauravavaṁśabhṛt ॥1-36-8॥
Then, at another time, somewhere, King Parikshit, known as the bearer of the Kaurava dynasty, appeared.
yathā pāṇḍurmahābāhurdhanurdharavaro bhuvi| babhūva mṛgayāśīlaḥ purāsya prapitāmahaḥ ॥1-36-9॥
Just as Pandu, the mighty-armed and the best archer on earth, was once fond of hunting, so was his great-grandfather in ancient times.
mṛgānvidhyanvarāhāṃśca tarakṣūnmahiṣāṃstathā| anyāṃśca vividhānvanyāṃścacāra pṛthivīpatiḥ ॥1-36-10॥
The king roamed the land, hunting deer, boars, jackals, buffaloes, and various other wild animals.
sa kadācin mṛgaṃ viddhvā bāṇena nataparvaṇā। pṛṣṭhato dhanur ādāya sasāra gahane vane ॥1-36-11॥
Once, he shot a deer with a bent-jointed arrow and, taking his bow from behind, ventured into the dense forest.
yathā hi bhagavān rudro viddhvā yajñamṛgaṃ divi। anvagacchad dhanuṣpāṇiḥ paryanveṣaṃs tatas tataḥ ॥1-36-12॥
Just as the revered Rudra, after piercing the sacrificial animal in the sky, pursued it with his bow in hand, searching everywhere.
na hi tena mṛgo viddho jīvangacchati vai vanam। pūrvarūpaṃ tu tannūnamāsītsvargagatiṃ prati ॥ parikṣitastasya rājño viddho yanṇaṣṭavānmṛgaḥ ॥1-36-13॥
The deer, once pierced by him, does not survive to reach the forest. It was certainly a sign of the previous form leading towards the heavenly path. King Parikshit, whose deer was lost after being pierced.
dūraṃ cāpahṛtastena mṛgeṇa sa mahīpatiḥ| pariśrāntaḥ pipāsārta āsasāda muniṃ vane ॥1-36-14॥
The king was led far away by the deer. Tired and thirsty, he came upon a sage in the forest.
gavāṃ pracāreṣvāsīnaṃ vatsānāṃ mukhaniḥsṛtam। bhūyiṣṭhamupayuñjānaṃ phenamāpibatāṃ payaḥ ॥1-36-15॥
In the pastures where the cows grazed, the calves drank the milk abundantly, utilizing the foam that came from their mouths.
tam abhidrutya vegena sa rājā saṃśitavratam। apṛcchad dhanurudyamya taṃ muniṃ kṣucchrāmānvitaḥ ॥1-36-16॥
The king, steadfast in his vows, swiftly approached the sage, raising his bow, and asked him, as he was afflicted by hunger and fatigue.
bho bho brahmannahaṁ rājā parikṣidabhimanyujaḥ। mayā viddho mṛgo naṣṭaḥ kaccittvaṁ dṛṣṭavānasi ॥1-36-17॥
O Brahmin, I am King Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu. I have lost a deer that I pierced. Have you seen it, by any chance?
sa munistasya novāca kiñcinmaunavrate sthitaḥ। tasya skandhe mṛtaṃ sarpaṃ kruddho rājā samāsajat ॥1-36-18॥
The sage, maintaining his vow of silence, did not respond. In anger, the king placed a dead snake on the sage's shoulder.
dhanuṣkoṭyā samutkṣipya sa cainaṃ samudaikṣata| na ca kiñciduvācainaṃ śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham ॥1-36-19॥
He lifted him up with the end of the bow, looked at him, and did not say anything, whether it was auspicious or inauspicious.
sa rājā krodhamutsṛjya vyathitastaṃ tathāgatam। dṛṣṭvā jagāma nagaramṛṣistvāste tathaiva saḥ ॥1-36-20॥
The king, having abandoned his anger and feeling distressed, went to the city after seeing the sage who remained there as he was.
taruṇastasya putro'bhūttigmatejā mahātapāḥ। śṛṅgī nāma mahākrodho duṣprasādo mahāvrataḥ ॥1-36-21॥
His young son was named Śṛṅgī, who was sharp in brilliance, performed great penance, was known for his great anger, was difficult to appease, and was committed to a great vow.
sa devaṁ paramīśānaṁ sarvabhūtahite ratam। brahmāṇamupatasthe vai kāle kāle susaṁyataḥ ॥ sa tena samanujñāto brahmaṇā gṛhameyivān ॥1-36-22॥
He, devoted to the welfare of all beings, approached the supreme lord, Brahma, with great restraint at every moment. With Brahma's permission, he became a householder.
sakhyoktaḥ krīḍamānena sa tatra hasatā kila। saṁrambhī kopano'tīva viṣakalpa ṛṣeḥ sutaḥ ॥ ṛṣiputreṇa narmārthaṁ kṛśena dvijasattama ॥1-36-23॥
Addressed by a friend while playing, he was laughing there. The sage's son, extremely angry and irritable like poison, jested with the thin one, O best of the twice-born.
tejasvinastava pitā tathaiva ca tapasvinaḥ। śavaṃ skandhena vahati mā śṛṅgiṅgarvito bhava ॥1-36-24॥
Your brilliant father, who is also an ascetic, carries the corpse on his shoulder. Do not be proud, O horned one.
vyāharatsvṛṣiputreṣu mā sma kiñcidvaco vadīḥ। asmadvidheṣu siddheṣu brahmavitsu tapasviṣu ॥1-36-25॥
Do not utter a word among the sons of sages, especially among those like us who are perfected, knowers of Brahman, and ascetics.
kva te puruṣamānitvaṃ kva te vācastathāvidhāḥ। darpajāḥ pitaraṃ yastvaṃ draṣṭā śavadharaṃ tathā ॥1-36-26॥
Where is your manliness, and where are those words of yours, born of arrogance? You, who are supposed to be wise, are now like a bearer of a corpse to your father.
