01.148
Core:Kunti enquires about Brahmana's grief.
kuntī uvāca॥
Kuntī said:
kutomūlam idaṁ duḥkhaṁ jñātum icchāmi tattvataḥ। viditvā apakarṣeyaṁ śakyaṁ ced apakarṣitum ॥1॥
I wish to know truly the root of this sorrow. If it is possible to remove, I will remove it having known it.
brāhmaṇa uvāca॥
The Brahmin said:
upapannaṁ satām etad yad bravīṣi tapodhana। na tu duḥkham idaṁ śakyaṁ mānuṣeṇa vyapohitum ॥2॥
What you say is fitting for the virtuous, O ascetic one. But this sorrow cannot be removed by a human.
samīpe nagarasyāsya bako vasati rākṣasaḥ। īśo janapadasyāsya purasya ca mahābalaḥ ॥3॥
Near this city resides the demon Baka, the powerful lord of this region and town.
puṣṭo mānuṣamāṁsena durbuddhiḥ puruṣādakaḥ। rakṣaty asuraraṇ nityam imaṁ janapadaṁ balī ॥4॥
Nourished by human flesh, evil-minded, and a man-eater, the powerful demon king constantly protects this region.
nagaraṁ caiva deśaṁ ca rakṣobala-samanvitaḥ। tatkṛte paracakrāc ca bhūtebhyaś ca na no bhayam ॥5॥
Endowed with demonic power, he protects both city and country. Therefore, we have no fear from foreign armies or other beings.
vetanaṁ tasya vihitaṁ śālīvāhasya bhojanam। mahiṣau puruṣaś caiko yas tad ādāya gacchati ॥6॥
His remuneration is fixed as food — two buffaloes and one man — carried by the rice-bearer who goes with them.
ekaikaś caiva puruṣas tat prayacchati bhojanam। sa vāro bahubhir varṣair bhavaty asutaro naraiḥ ॥7॥
Each man offers the food in turn, and that turn comes only after many years — difficult for men to endure.
tadvimokṣāya ye cāpi yatante puruṣāḥ kvacit। saputradhārāṁs tān hatvā tad rakṣo bhakṣayaty uta ॥8॥
Those men who strive at times to free the people — that demon slays them along with their wives and children and devours them.
vetrakīyagṛhe rājā nāyaṁ nayam ihāsthitaḥ। anāmayaṁ janasyāsya yena syād adya śāśvatam ॥9॥
The king in the palace of the Vetrakīyas has not adopted that policy by which this people may have lasting peace today.
etad arhaā vayaṁ nūnaṁ vasāmo durbalasya ye। viṣaye nityam udvignāḥ kurājānam upāśritāḥ ॥10॥
Surely we dwell as is fitting for the weak — constantly anxious in the domain of a bad king upon whom we are dependent.
brāhmaṇāḥ kasya vaktavyāḥ kasya vā chanda-cāriṇaḥ। guṇair ete hi vāsyante kāmagāḥ pakṣiṇo yathā ॥11॥
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.
rājānaṁ prathamaṁ vindet tato bhāryāṁ tato dhanam। trayasya sañcaye cāsya jñātīn putrāṁś ca dhārayet ॥12॥
One should first seek a king, then a wife, then wealth. With the accumulation of these three, he may support his kinsmen and sons.
viparītaṁ mayā cedaṁ trayaṁ sarvam upārjitam। ta imām āpadaṁ prāpya bhṛśaṁ tapsyāmahe vayam ॥13॥
I acquired this whole trio in reverse, and they, having reached this calamity, we shall suffer greatly.
so'yam asmān anuprāpto vāraḥ kula-vināśanaḥ। bhojanaṁ puruṣaś caikaḥ pradeyaṁ vetanaṁ mayā ॥14॥
This destructive turn has come to us — I must give one man as food, as wage.
na ca me vidyate vittaṁ saṅkretuṁ puruṣaṁ kvacit। suhṛj-janaṁ pradātuṁ ca na śakṣyāmi kathañcana। gatiṁ cāpi na paśyāmi tasmān mokṣāya rakṣasaḥ ॥15॥
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.
so'haṁ duḥkhārṇave magno mahaty asutare bhṛśam। sahaivaitair gamiṣyāmi bāndhavair adya rākṣasam। tato naḥ sahitan kṣudraḥ sarvān evopabhokṣyati ॥16॥
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.
