01.148
Core:Kunti enquires about Brahmana's grief.
कुन्त्युवाच॥
Kuntī said:
कुतोमूलमिदं दुःखं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । विदित्वा अपकर्षेयं शक्यं चेदपकर्षितुम् ॥१॥
I wish to know truly the root of this sorrow. If it is possible to remove, I will remove it having known it.
ब्राह्मण उवाच॥
The Brahmin said:
उपपन्नं सतामेतद्यद्ब्रवीषि तपोधने । न तु दुःखमिदं शक्यं मानुषेण व्यपोहितुम् ॥२॥
What you say is fitting for the virtuous, O ascetic one. But this sorrow cannot be removed by a human.
समीपे नगरस्यास्य बको वसति राक्षसः । ईशो जनपदस्यास्य पुरस्य च महाबलः ॥३॥
Near this city resides the demon Baka, the powerful lord of this region and town.
पुष्टो मानुषमांसेन दुर्बुद्धिः पुरुषादकः । रक्षत्यसुरराण्नित्यमिमं जनपदं बली ॥४॥
Nourished by human flesh, evil-minded, and a man-eater, the powerful demon king constantly protects this region.
नगरं चैव देशं च रक्षोबलसमन्वितः । तत्कृते परचक्राच्च भूतेभ्यश्च न नो भयम् ॥५॥
Endowed with demonic power, he protects both city and country. Therefore, we have no fear from foreign armies or other beings.
वेतनं तस्य विहितं शालिवाहस्य भोजनम् । महिषौ पुरुषश्चैको यस्तदादाय गच्छति ॥६॥
His remuneration is fixed as food — two buffaloes and one man — carried by the rice-bearer who goes with them.
एकैकश्चैव पुरुषस्तत्प्रयच्छति भोजनम् । स वारो बहुभिर्वर्षैर्भवत्यसुतरो नरैः ॥७॥
Each man offers the food in turn, and that turn comes only after many years — difficult for men to endure.
तद्विमोक्षाय ये चापि यतन्ते पुरुषाः क्वचित् । सपुत्रदारांस्तान्हत्वा तद्रक्षो भक्षयत्युत ॥८॥
Those men who strive at times to free the people — that demon slays them along with their wives and children and devours them.
वेत्रकीयगृहे राजा नायं नयमिहास्थितः । अनामयं जनस्यास्य येन स्यादद्य शाश्वतम् ॥९॥
The king in the palace of the Vetrakīyas has not adopted that policy by which this people may have lasting peace today.
एतदर्हा वयं नूनं वसामो दुर्बलस्य ये । विषये नित्यमुद्विग्नाः कुराजानमुपाश्रिताः ॥१०॥
Surely we dwell as is fitting for the weak — constantly anxious in the domain of a bad king upon whom we are dependent.
ब्राह्मणाः कस्य वक्तव्याः कस्य वा छन्दचारिणः । गुणैरेते हि वास्यन्ते कामगाः पक्षिणो यथा ॥११॥
For whom should the Brahmins speak, or for whom who act at will? They are maintained by qualities alone, like birds that go where they wish.
राजानं प्रथमं विन्देत्ततो भार्यां ततो धनम् । त्रयस्य सञ्चये चास्य ज्ञातीन्पुत्रांश्च धारयेत् ॥१२॥
One should first seek a king, then a wife, then wealth. With the accumulation of these three, he may support his kinsmen and sons.
विपरीतं मया चेदं त्रयं सर्वमुपार्जितम् । त इमामापदं प्राप्य भृशं तप्स्यामहे वयम् ॥१३॥
I acquired this whole trio in reverse, and they, having reached this calamity, we shall suffer greatly.
सोऽयमस्माननुप्राप्तो वारः कुलविनाशनः । भोजनं पुरुषश्चैकः प्रदेयं वेतनं मया ॥१४॥
This destructive turn has come to us — I must give one man as food, as wage.
न च मे विद्यते वित्तं सङ्क्रेतुं पुरुषं क्वचित् । सुहृज्जनं प्रदातुं च न शक्ष्यामि कथञ्चन । गतिं चापि न पश्यामि तस्मान्मोक्षाय रक्षसः ॥१५॥
I have no wealth to buy a man anywhere, nor can I offer a friend. I see no way at all for escape from the demon.
सोऽहं दुःखार्णवे मग्नो महत्यसुतरे भृशम् । सहैवैतैर्गमिष्यामि बान्धवैरद्य राक्षसम् । ततो नः सहितन्क्षुद्रः सर्वानेवोपभोक्ष्यति ॥१६॥
I am deeply sunk in a great and impassable ocean of sorrow. I shall go with these kinsmen today to the demon. Then that vile one will devour all of us together.
