01.109
Core-Pancharatra:Pandu cursed by Kimdama
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said:
kathito dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām ārṣaḥ sambhava uttamaḥ. amānuṣo mānuṣāṇāṁ bhavatā brahmavittama ॥1॥
You have told of the excellent ṛṣi-origin of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which is non-human among men, O knower of Brahman.
nāmadheyāni cāpyeṣāṁ kathyamānāni bhāgaśaḥ. tvattaḥ śrutāni me brahman pāṇḍavānāṁ tu kīrtaya ॥2॥
I have heard the names of these told in parts from you, O sage; now recount the Pāṇḍavas.
te hi sarve mahātmāno devarājaparākramāḥ. tvayaivāṁśāvataraṇe devabhāgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ ॥3॥
Indeed all of them are great souls with the might of the king of gods; you have declared them to be divine portions in partial descents.
tasmādicchāmyahaṁ śrotumatimānuṣakarmaṇām. teṣāmājananaṁ sarvaṁ vaiśampāyana kīrtaya ॥4॥
Therefore I desire to hear, O Vaiśampāyana, the entire origin of their superhuman deeds; narrate it.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
rājā pāṇḍurmahāraṇye mṛgavyālaniṣevite. vane maithunakālasthaṁ dadarśa mṛgayūthapam ॥5॥
King Pāṇḍu, in the great forest frequented by deer and beasts, saw a leader of the deer herd engaged in mating.
tatastāṁ ca mṛgīṁ taṁ ca rukmapuṅkhaiḥ supatribhiḥ. nirbibheda śaraistīkṣṇaiḥ pāṇḍuḥ pañcabhirāśugaiḥ ॥6॥
Then Pāṇḍu pierced both the female deer and him with five swift and sharp arrows adorned with golden feathers.
sa ca rājanmahātejā ṛṣiputrastapodhanaḥ. bhāryayā saha tejasvī mṛgarūpeṇa saṅgataḥ ॥7॥
And he, O king, was a radiant son of a sage, rich in austerity, who had united with his wife in the form of a deer.
saṁsaktastu tayā mṛgyā mānuṣīmīrayangiram. kṣaṇena patito bhūmau vilalāpākulendriyaḥ ॥8॥
Joined with the female deer, uttering human speech, he fell to the ground in a moment and lamented with distressed senses.
mṛga uvāca॥
The deer said:
kāmamanyuparītāpi buddhyangarahitāpi ca. varjayanti nṛśaṁsāni pāpeṣvabhiratā narāḥ ॥9॥
Even those overpowered by lust and anger, and lacking sound judgment, avoid cruel acts, though they delight in sin.
na vidhiṁ grasate prajñā prajñāṁ tu grasate vidhiḥ. vidhiparyāgatānarthān prajñā na pratipadyate ॥10॥
Wisdom does not consume fate, but fate consumes wisdom. Wisdom cannot withstand misfortunes brought by fate.
śaśvaddharmātmanāṁ mukhye kule jātasya bhārata. kāmalobhābhibhūtasya kathaṁ te calitā matiḥ ॥11॥
O Bhārata, born in a noble line of ever-righteous men, how has your mind been shaken, overpowered by desire and greed?
pāṇḍuruvāca॥
Pāṇḍu said:
śatrūṇāṁ yā vadhe vṛttiḥ sā mṛgāṇāṁ vadhe smṛtā. rājñāṁ mṛga na māṁ mohāttvaṁ garhayitumarhasi ॥12॥
O deer, For a King, the practice that applies in slaying enemies is also considered proper in hunting deer; you should not reproach me in delusion.
acchadmanāmāyayā ca mṛgāṇāṁ vadha iṣyate. sa eva dharmo rājñāṁ tu tadvidvān kiṁ nu garhase ॥13॥
Killing of deer by undeceitful means or even with trickery is accepted; this is the dharma of kings. Being wise, why do you reproach that?
agastyaḥ satramāsīnaścacāra mṛgayāmṛṣiḥ. āraṇyān sarvadaivatyān mṛgān prokṣya mahāvane ॥14॥
The sage Agastya, engaged in a sacrificial rite, moved through the great forest for hunting, having consecrated the deer of the forest sacred to all gods.
pramāṇadṛṣṭadharmeṇa katham asmān vigarhase. agastyasyābhicāreṇa yuṣmākaṁ vai vapā hutā ॥15॥
How do you reproach us with a dharma supported by precedent? Your own fat offering was once sacrificed in Agastya’s ritual.
mṛga uvāca॥
The deer said:
na ripūnvai samuddiśya vimuñcanti purā śarān. randhra eṣāṁ viśeṣeṇa vadhakālaḥ praśasyate ॥16॥
In ancient times, arrows were not loosed at enemies at random; the time of striking was praised only when their vulnerability was manifest.
pāṇḍuruvāca॥
Pāṇḍu said:
pramattamapramattaṁ vā vivṛtaṁ ghnanti caujasā. upāyairiṣubhistīkṣṇaiḥ kasmān mṛga vigarhase ॥17॥
Whether careless or alert, when exposed they are struck with force and sharp arrows by all means. Why then do you reproach me, O deer?
mṛga uvāca॥
The deer said:
nāhaṁ ghnantaṁ mṛgānrājan vigarhe ātmakāraṇāt. maithunaṁ tu pratīkṣyaṁ me syāttvayehānṛśaṁsataḥ ॥18॥
O king, I do not reproach the slaying of deer for personal cause, but during mating it should have been spared — you acted without compassion.
sarvabhūtahite kāle sarvabhūtepsite tathā. ko hi vidvān mṛgaṁ hanyāc carantaṁ maithunaṁ vane. puruṣārthaphalaṁ kāntaṁ yat tvayā vitathaṁ kṛtam ॥19॥
Who indeed, being wise, would slay a deer engaged in mating in the forest, at a time beneficial and desirable for all beings? You have made false the beloved fruit of human purpose.
pauravāṇām ṛṣīṇāṁ ca teṣām akliṣṭakarmaṇām. vaṁśe jātasya kauravya nānurūpam idaṁ tava ॥20॥
O Kauravya, born in the lineage of the Pauravas and sages of untainted deeds, this act is not appropriate for you.
nṛśaṁsaṁ karma sumahat sarvalokavigarhitam. asvargyamayaśasyaṁ ca adharmaṣṭhaṁ ca bhārata ॥21॥
O Bhārata, this cruel act is great, condemned by all, leads not to heaven, brings disgrace, and is utterly unrighteous.
strībhogānāṁ viśeṣajñaḥ śāstradharmārthatattvavit. nārhastvaṁ surasaṅkāśa kartumasvargyam īdṛśam ॥22॥
You, knower of pleasures and scriptures, and godlike in form, are not worthy of doing such a heaven-barring act.
tvayā nṛśaṁsakartāraḥ pāpācārāś ca mānavāḥ. nigrāhyāḥ pārthivaśreṣṭha trivargaparivarjitāḥ ॥23॥
O best of kings, men who are cruel and sinful should be restrained by you, being devoid of the three aims of life.
kiṁ kṛtaṁ te naraśreṣṭha nighnato māmanāgasam. muniṁ mūlaphalāhāraṁ mṛgaveṣadharaṁ nṛpa. vasamānam araṇyeṣu nityaṁ śamaparāyaṇam ॥24॥
O best of men, what did I, an innocent sage, living on roots and fruits in a deer’s form, devoted to peace in the forest, do to deserve your blow?
tvayāhaṁ hiṁsito yasmāt tasmāt tvām apy asaṁśayam. dvayor nṛśaṁsakartāram avaśaṁ kāmamohitam. jīvitāntakaro bhāva evam evāgamiṣyati ॥25॥
Because you harmed me, without doubt, a similar cruel fate will come to you, helpless and deluded by desire, ending your life.
ahaṁ hi kiṁdamo nāma tapasāpratimo muniḥ. vyapatrapan manuṣyāṇāṁ mṛgyāṁ maithunam ācaram ॥26॥
I am the sage named Kiṁdama, unmatched in austerity, who, feeling shame among men, mated in the form of a deer.
mṛgo bhūtvā mṛgaiḥ sārdhaṁ carāmi gahane vane. na tu te brahmahatyeyaṁ bhaviṣyaty avijānataḥ. mṛgarūpadharaṁ hatvā mām evaṁ kāmamohitam ॥27॥
Having become a deer, I roam with deer in the dense forest. Though unaware, your slaying of me in deer form will not avoid being Brahmanicide, for I was deluded by desire.
asya tu tvaṁ phalaṁ mūḍha prāpsyasīdr̥śam eva hi. priyayā saha saṁvāsaṁ prāpya kāmavimohitaḥ. tvam apy asyām avasthāyāṁ pretalokaṁ gamiṣyasi ॥28॥
You, O deluded one, will reap the same result — deluded by desire, in union with your beloved, you will die and go to the world of the dead.
antakāle ca saṁvāsaṁ yayā gantāsi kāntayā. pretarājavaśaṁ prāptaṁ sarvabhūtaduratyayam. bhaktyā matimatāṁ śreṣṭha saiva tvām anuyāsyati ॥29॥
At your death, you will go with your beloved to the lord of the dead — irresistible to all beings. By her devotion, she alone will follow you, O best of the wise.
vartamānaḥ sukhe duḥkhaṁ yathāhaṁ prāpitas tvayā. tathā sukhaṁ tvāṁ samprāptaṁ duḥkham abhyāgamiṣyati ॥30॥
As you brought me from happiness into sorrow, so too sorrow will come to you in the midst of your happiness.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
evam uktvā suduḥkhārto jīvitāt sa vyayujyata. mṛgaḥ pāṇḍuś ca śokārtaḥ kṣaṇena samapadyata ॥31॥
Having said this, the sorrow-stricken deer gave up his life, and Pāṇḍu too, afflicted by grief, collapsed in a moment.
