01.037
Library: Shringi curses King Parikshit. Father Shamika teaches Shringi on ascetic dharma.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
evamuktaḥ sa tejasvī śṛṅgī kopasamanvitaḥ। mṛtadhāraṃ guruṃ śrutvā paryatapyata manyunā ॥1-37-1॥
Upon being addressed in this manner, the radiant Śṛṅgī, overwhelmed with anger, lamented with wrath after hearing about the deadly curse on his teacher.
sa taṃ kṛśam abhipreṣkya sūnṛtāṃ vācam utsṛjan। apṛcchat kathaṃ tātaḥ sa me'dya mṛtadhārakaḥ ॥1-37-2॥
He noticed the emaciated state of the person and, speaking kindly, asked, "Father, how is he still sustaining my life today?"
kṛśa uvāca॥
Krisha said:
rājñā parikṣitā tāta mṛgayāṃ paridhāvatā। avasaktaḥ pituste'dya mṛtaḥ skandhe bhujaṅgamaḥ ॥1-37-3॥
O dear, today a dead serpent is affixed on your father's shoulder while King Parikshit was roaming in the hunt.
śṛṅgyuvāca॥
Śṛṅgi spoke:
kiṁ me pitrā kṛtaṁ tasya rājño'niṣṭaṁ durātmanaḥ। brūhi tvaṁ kṛśa tattvena paśya me tapaso balam ॥1-37-4॥
What undesirable act has my father committed against that wicked king? Tell me truthfully, you thin one, and witness the strength of my penance.
kṛśa uvāca॥
Krisha spoke:
sa rājā mṛgayāṃ yātaḥ parikṣidabhimanyujaḥ। sasāra mṛgamekākī viddhvā bāṇena patriṇā ॥1-37-5॥
The king, descendant of Parikshit and Abhimanyu, went on a hunt. He pursued the deer alone and shot it with a feathered arrow.
na cāpaśyan mṛgaṃ rājā caraṃs tasmin mahāvane। pitaraṃ te sa dṛṣṭvaiva papracchānabhibhāṣiṇam ॥1-37-6॥
The king, while wandering in the great forest, did not see any deer. Upon seeing your father, he immediately asked the silent one.
taṁ sthāṇubhūtaṁ tiṣṭhantaṁ kṣutpipāsāśramāturaḥ। punaḥ punarmṛgaṁ naṣṭaṁ papraccha pitaraṁ tava ॥1-37-7॥
The one who was standing still, afflicted by hunger and thirst, repeatedly asked your father about the lost deer.
sa ca maunavratopeto naiva taṃ pratyabhāṣata. tasya rājā dhanuṣkoṭyā sarpaṃ skandhe samāsṛjat ॥1-37-8॥
The sage, who had taken a vow of silence, did not respond to him. The king, in anger, placed a snake on the sage's shoulder using the tip of his bow.
śṛṅgiṃstava pitādyāsau tathaivāste yatavrataḥ। so'pi rājā svanagaraṃ pratiyāto gajāhvayam ॥1-37-9॥
Śṛṅgin, your father remains steadfast in his vow today, just as he always has. The king has also returned to his city, Gajāhvaya.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
śrutvaivamṛṣiputrastu divaṃ stabdhveva viṣṭhitaḥ। kopasaṃraktanayanaḥ prajvalanniva manyunā ॥1-37-10॥
Upon hearing this, the sage's son stood motionless, his eyes red with anger, appearing as if blazing with fury.
āviṣṭaḥ sa tu kopena śaśāpa nṛpatiṃ tadā। vāryupaspṛśya tejasvī krodhavegabalātkṛtaḥ ॥1-37-11॥
Overcome by anger, he cursed the king. Then, after touching water, the powerful one acted with the force of his rage.
śṛṅgyuvāca॥
Śṛṅgi spoke:
yo'sau vṛddhasya tātasya tathā kṛcchragatasya ca। skandhe mṛtamavāsrākṣītpannagaṃ rājakilbiṣī ॥1-37-12॥
He who shed tears on the shoulder of the dead snake, which was the sin of the king, for the old father and also for the one in difficulty.
taṃ pāpamatisaṅkruddhastakṣakaḥ pannagottamaḥ। āśīviṣastigmatejā madvākyabalacoditaḥ ॥1-37-13॥
The enraged and evil-minded Takshaka, the best among serpents, driven by the power of my words, is a fierce and venomous snake.
saptarātrādito netā yamasya sadanaṃ prati। dvijānāmavamantāraṃ kurūṇāmayaśaskaram ॥1-37-14॥
In seven days, the leader will head towards Yama's abode, bringing disgrace to the Kurus by insulting the twice-born.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
iti śaptvā nṛpaṃ kruddhaḥ śṛṅgī pitaramabhyayāt। āsīnaṃ gocare tasminvahantaṃ śavapannagam ॥1-37-15॥
After cursing the king, the enraged Śṛṅgī went to his father, who was seated in the pasture, holding a dead snake.
sa tam ākṣya pitaraṃ śṛṅgī skandhagtena vai। śavena bhujagenāsīdbhūyaḥ krodhasamanvitaḥ ॥1-37-16॥
Śṛṅgī, upon seeing his father with a corpse and a snake on his shoulder, was once again filled with intense anger.
duḥkhāccāśrūṇi mumuce pitaraṃ cedamabravīt. śrutvemāṃ dharṣaṇāṃ tāta tava tena durātmanā ॥1-37-17॥
Overcome with sorrow, she released tears and said to her father: "Having heard of this outrage committed by that wicked soul against you, father."
rājñā parikṣitā kopādaśapaṃ tamahaṃ nṛpam। yathārhati sa evograṃ śāpaṃ kurukulādhamaḥ ॥1-37-18॥
King Parikshit, in his anger, cursed the king as he deserved. He indeed deserved a severe curse, being the disgrace of the Kuru dynasty.
saptame'hani taṃ pāpaṃ takṣakaḥ pannagottamaḥ। vaivasvatasya bhavanaṃ netā paramadāruṇam ॥1-37-19॥
On the seventh day, the dreadful serpent Takshaka, known as the best among serpents, led the way to the abode of Vaivasvata, bringing great terror.
tam abravīt pitā brahman tathā kopasamanvitam। na me priyaṃ kṛtaṃ tāta naiṣa dharmas tapasvinām ॥1-37-20॥
The father, filled with anger, said to him, O Brahman: "Dear, what you have done is not pleasing to me; this is not the duty of ascetics."
vayaṁ tasya narendrasya viṣaye nivasāmahe। nyāyato rakṣitāstena tasya pāpaṁ na rocaye ॥1-37-21॥
We live in the kingdom of the king, protected justly by him; I do not approve of his wrongdoing.
sarvathā vartamānasya rājño hyasmadvidhaiḥ sadā। kṣantavyaṃ putra dharmo hi hato hanti na saṃśayaḥ ॥1-37-22॥
O son, in every way, the present king should always be forgiven by people like us. Indeed, when duty is destroyed, it kills without a doubt.
yadi rājā na rakṣeta pīḍā vai naḥ parā bhavet. na śaknuyāma carituṃ dharmaṃ putra yathāsukham ॥1-37-23॥
If the king does not protect us, our suffering would indeed be great. We would not be able to live according to dharma comfortably, my son.
rakṣyamāṇā vayaṃ tāta rājabhiḥ śāstradṛṣṭibhiḥ। carāmo vipulaṃ dharmaṃ teṣāṃ cāṃśo'sti dharmataḥ ॥1-37-24॥
Dear father, we are protected by kings who follow the views of the scriptures, and we practice extensive dharma, which is rightfully a part of them.
parikṣittu viśeṣeṇa yathāsya prapitāmahaḥ। rakṣatyasmānyathā rājñā rakṣitavyāḥ prajāstathā ॥1-37-25॥
Parikshit, like his great-grandfather, especially protects us; just as a king should protect his subjects.
teneha kṣudhitenādya śrāntena ca tapasvinā। ajānatā vratamidaṃ kṛtametadasaṃśayam ॥1-37-26॥
Today, the hungry and tired ascetic unknowingly performed this vow here, undoubtedly.
tasmād idaṃ tvayā bālyāt sahasā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam। na hy arhati nṛpaḥ śāpam asmattah putra sarvathā ॥1-37-27॥
Therefore, my son, this wrongdoing was done by you suddenly out of childishness. Indeed, the king does not deserve a curse from us in any way.
