01.164
Library: Brings up Vashishtha to highlight superiority of Brahmanas, and asks Arjuna to appoint a Brahmana.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
[वैशम्पायन (vaiśampāyana) - Vaiśampāyana; (name of the sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(Vaiśampāyana said;)
Vaiśampāyana said.
स गन्धर्ववचः श्रुत्वा तत्तदा भरतर्षभ। अर्जुनः परया प्रीत्या पूर्णचन्द्र इवाबभौ ॥१-१६४-१॥
sa gandharvavacaḥ śrutvā tat tadā bharatarṣabha। arjunaḥ parayā prītyā pūrṇacandra ivābabhau ॥1-164-1॥
[स (sa) - he; गन्धर्ववचः (gandharvavacaḥ) - the words of the Gandharva; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard; तत् (tat) - that; तदा (tadā) - then; भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O bull among the Bharatas; अर्जुनः (arjunaḥ) - Arjuna; परया (parayā) - with supreme; प्रीत्या (prītyā) - affection; पूर्णचन्द्र (pūrṇacandra) - full moon; इव (iva) - like; अबभौ (ababhau) - shone; ॥१-१६४-१॥ (॥1-164-1॥) -;]
(He, having heard the words of the Gandharva, then, O bull among the Bharatas, Arjuna, with supreme affection, shone like the full moon.)
O Bharata, when Arjuna heard the words of the Gandharva, he was filled with great joy and shone like the full moon.
उवाच च महेष्वासो गन्धर्वं कुरुसत्तमः। जातकौतूहलोऽतीव वसिष्ठस्य तपोबलात् ॥१-१६४-२॥
uvāca ca maheṣvāso gandharvaṃ kurusattamaḥ। jātakautūhalo'tīva vasiṣṭhasya tapobalāt ॥1-164-2॥
[उवाच (uvāca) - said; च (ca) - and; महेष्वासः (maheṣvāsaḥ) - great archer; गन्धर्वम् (gandharvam) - to the Gandharva; कुरुसत्तमः (kurusattamaḥ) - best of the Kurus; जातकौतूहलः (jātakautūhalaḥ) - born-curious; अतीव (atīva) - exceedingly; वसिष्ठस्य (vasiṣṭhasya) - of Vasiṣṭha; तपोबलात् (tapobalāt) - from the power of penance;]
(And the great archer, the best of the Kurus, exceedingly curious by birth, said to the Gandharva, from the power of Vasiṣṭha's penance.)
The great archer, foremost among the Kurus, driven by intense curiosity arising from the power of Vasiṣṭha's penance, spoke to the Gandharva.
वसिष्ठ इति यस्यैतदृषेर्नाम त्वयेरितम्। एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं यथावत्तद्वदस्व मे ॥१-१६४-३॥
vasiṣṭha iti yasyaitad ṛṣer nāma tvayā iritam। etad icchāmi ahaṃ śrotum yathāvat tad vadasva me॥1-164-3॥
[वसिष्ठ (vasiṣṭha) - Vasiṣṭha; (name of a sage); इति (iti) - thus; यस्य (yasya) - of whom; एतत् (etat) - this; ऋषेः (ṛṣeḥ) - of the sage; नाम (nāma) - name; त्वया (tvayā) - by you; इरितम् (iritam) - has been stated; एतत् (etat) - this; इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I desire; अहम् (aham) - I; श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear; यथावत् (yathāvat) - as it is; तत् (tat) - that; वदस्व (vadasva) - please tell; मे (me) - to me;]
(Vasiṣṭha thus of whom this of the sage name by you has been stated; this I desire I to hear as it is that please tell to me.)
I wish to hear from you, exactly as it is, about the sage whose name "Vasiṣṭha" you have mentioned; please tell me that.
य एष गन्धर्वपते पूर्वेषां नः पुरोहितः। आसीदेतन्ममाचक्ष्व क एष भगवानृषिः ॥१-१६४-४॥
ya eṣa gandharvapate pūrveṣāṃ naḥ purohitaḥ। āsīdetanmamācakṣva ka eṣa bhagavānṛṣiḥ ॥1-164-4॥
[य (ya) - who; एष (eṣa) - this; गन्धर्वपते (gandharvapate) - O lord of Gandharvas; पूर्वेषां (pūrveṣām) - of the former ones; नः (naḥ) - our; पुरोहितः (purohitaḥ) - priest; आसीत् (āsīt) - was; एतत् (etat) - this; मम (mama) - to me; आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell; कः (kaḥ) - who; एष (eṣa) - this; भगवान् (bhagavān) - venerable; ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ) - sage;]
(Who is this, O lord of Gandharvas, who was the priest of our forefathers? Tell me this, who is this venerable sage?)
O lord of Gandharvas, who is this who was the priest of our ancestors? Please tell me, who is this venerable sage?
गन्धर्व उवाच॥
gandharva uvāca॥
[गन्धर्व (gandharva) - gandharva; celestial musician; उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(gandharva said;)
The gandharva said.
तपसा निर्जितौ शश्वदजेयावमरैरपि। कामक्रोधावुभौ यस्य चरणौ संववाहतुः ॥१-१६४-५॥
tapasā nirjitau śaśvad ajeyāv amarair api। kāmakrodhāv ubhau yasya caraṇau saṁvahatuḥ ॥1-164-5॥
[तपसा (tapasā) - by austerity; निर्जितौ (nirjitau) - conquered; शश्वत् (śaśvat) - always; अजेयौ (ajeyau) - invincible; अमरैः (amaraiḥ) - by the immortals; अपि (api) - even; कामक्रोधौ (kāmakrodhau) - desire and anger; उभौ (ubhau) - both; यस्य (yasya) - whose; चरणौ (caraṇau) - feet; संववाहतुः (saṁvahatuḥ) - have massaged;]
(By austerity, always conquered, even by the immortals, the invincible desire and anger, both, whose feet have been massaged.)
Even the immortals have always found desire and anger invincible, but by austerity, both have been conquered and have served at the feet of that person.
यस्तु नोच्छेदनं चक्रे कुशिकानामुदारधीः। विश्वामित्रापराधेन धारयन्मन्युमुत्तमम् ॥१-१६४-६॥
yastu nocchedanaṃ cakre kuśikānāmudāradhīḥ। viśvāmitrāparādheṇa dhārayanmanyumuttamam ॥1-164-6॥
[यः (yaḥ) - who; तु (tu) - but; न (na) - not; उच्छेदनं (ucchedanam) - destruction; चक्रे (cakre) - did; कुशिकानाम् (kuśikānām) - of the Kuśikas; उदारधीः (udāradhīḥ) - noble-minded; विश्वामित्रापराधेन (viśvāmitrāparādheṇa) - by the offence of Viśvāmitra; धारयन् (dhārayan) - bearing; मन्युम् (manyum) - anger; उत्तमम् (uttamam) - supreme;]
(But he who, noble-minded, did not bring about the destruction of the Kuśikas, bearing supreme anger due to the offence of Viśvāmitra.)
But he, noble-minded, did not destroy the Kuśikas, even while bearing supreme anger because of Viśvāmitra's offence.
पुत्रव्यसनसन्तप्तः शक्तिमानपि यः प्रभुः। विश्वामित्रविनाशाय न मेने कर्म दारुणम् ॥१-१६४-७॥
putravyasanasantaptaḥ śaktimān api yaḥ prabhuḥ। viśvāmitravināśāya na mene karma dāruṇam ॥1-164-7॥
[पुत्र (putra) - son; व्यसन (vyasana) - misfortune; सन्तप्तः (santaptaḥ) - tormented; शक्तिमान् (śaktimān) - powerful; अपि (api) - even; यः (yaḥ) - who; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - lord; विश्वामित्र (viśvāmitra) - Viśvāmitra; विनाशाय (vināśāya) - for the destruction; न (na) - not; मेने (mene) - considered; कर्म (karma) - act; दारुणम् (dāruṇam) - cruel;]
(The lord, though powerful, tormented by the misfortune of his son, did not consider the cruel act for the destruction of Viśvāmitra.)
Though powerful, the lord, tormented by the misfortune concerning his son, did not deem the cruel act for the destruction of Viśvāmitra.
मृतांश्च पुनराहर्तुं यः स पुत्रान्यमक्षयात्। कृतान्तं नातिचक्राम वेलामिव महोदधिः ॥१-१६४-८॥
mṛtāṁś ca punar āhartuṁ yaḥ sa putrān yam akṣayāt| kṛtāntaṁ nāticakrāma velām iva mahodadhiḥ ॥1-164-8॥
[मृतान् (mṛtān) - the dead ones; च (ca) - and; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; आहर्तुम् (āhartum) - to bring back; यः (yaḥ) - who; सः (saḥ) - he; पुत्रान् (putrān) - sons; यम् (yam) - Yama (god of death); अक्षयात् (akṣayāt) - from the imperishable; कृतान्तम् (kṛtāntam) - Kṛtānta (another name for Yama, god of death); न (na) - not; अतिचक्राम (aticakrāma) - crossed over; वेलाम् (velām) - the boundary; इव (iva) - like; महोदधिः (mahodadhiḥ) - the great ocean;]
(He who did not cross the boundary of Kṛtānta (Yama, god of death), like the great ocean (does not cross) its shore, (even though) he wished to bring back his dead sons from Yama (the imperishable).)
He, who wished to bring back his dead sons from Yama, did not cross the boundary set by Kṛtānta (Yama, god of death), just as the great ocean does not cross its shore.
यं प्राप्य विजितात्मानं महात्मानं नराधिपाः। इक्ष्वाकवो महीपाला लेभिरे पृथिवीमिमाम् ॥१-१६४-९॥
yaṃ prāpya vijitātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ narādhipāḥ। ikṣvākavo mahīpālā lebhire pṛthivīmimām ॥1-164-9॥
[यं (yaṃ) - whom; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having attained; विजितात्मानं (vijitātmānam) - one whose self is conquered; महात्मानं (mahātmānam) - great-souled; नराधिपाः (narādhipāḥ) - kings; इक्ष्वाकवः (ikṣvākavaḥ) - descendants of Ikṣvāku; महीपाला (mahīpālā) - rulers of the earth; लेभिरे (lebhire) - obtained; पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm) - the earth; इमाम् (imām) - this;]
(Whom having attained, the kings, the descendants of Ikṣvāku, the rulers of the earth, having conquered themselves, great-souled, obtained this earth.)
Having attained him, the kings—descendants of Ikṣvāku, rulers of the earth—who had conquered themselves and were great-souled, obtained this earth.
पुरोहितवरं प्राप्य वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम्। ईजिरे क्रतुभिश्चापि नृपास्ते कुरुनन्दन ॥१-१६४-१०॥
purohitavaraṃ prāpya vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam। ījire kratubhiś cāpi nṛpās te kurunandana॥1-164-10॥
[पुरोहितवरम् (purohitavaram) - the best among priests; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained; वसिष्ठम् (vasiṣṭham) - Vasiṣṭha; ऋषिसत्तमम् (ṛṣisattamam) - the foremost among sages; ईजिरे (ījire) - they performed sacrifices; क्रतुभिः (kratubhiḥ) - with sacrifices; च (ca) - and; अपि (api) - also; नृपाः (nṛpāḥ) - the kings; ते (te) - they; कुरुनन्दन (kurunandana) - O delight of the Kurus (Arjuna);]
(Having obtained the best among priests, Vasiṣṭha, the foremost among sages, the kings, O delight of the Kurus, also performed sacrifices with sacrifices.)
O Arjuna, having secured Vasiṣṭha, the best among priests and foremost among sages, those kings also performed sacrifices.
स हि तान्याजयामास सर्वान्नृपतिसत्तमान्। ब्रह्मर्षिः पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ बृहस्पतिरिवामरान् ॥१-१६४-११॥
sa hi tānyājayāmāsa sarvān nṛpatisattamān। brahmarṣiḥ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha bṛhaspatirivāmarān ॥1-164-11॥
[स (sa) - he; हि (hi) - indeed; तान् (tān) - them; अजयामास (ajayāmāsa) - conquered; सर्वान् (sarvān) - all; नृपति-सत्तमान् (nṛpati-sattamān) - the foremost of kings; ब्रह्मर्षिः (brahmarṣiḥ) - the Brahmarṣi; पाण्डव-श्रेष्ठ (pāṇḍava-śreṣṭha) - O best of the Pāṇḍavas; बृहस्पतिः (bṛhaspatiḥ) - Bṛhaspati; इव (iva) - like; अमरान् (amarān) - the immortals (gods);]
(He indeed conquered all those foremost of kings, O best of the Pāṇḍavas, the Brahmarṣi, like Bṛhaspati (conquering) the immortals.)
O best of the Pāṇḍavas, the Brahmarṣi conquered all those foremost of kings, just as Bṛhaspati conquers the immortals.
तस्माद्धर्मप्रधानात्मा वेदधर्मविदीप्सितः। ब्राह्मणो गुणवान्कश्चित्पुरोधाः प्रविमृश्यताम् ॥१-१६४-१२॥
tasmāddharmapradhānātmā vedadharmavidīpsitaḥ। brāhmaṇo guṇavānkaścitpurodhāḥ pravimṛśyatām ॥1-164-12॥
[तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; धर्मप्रधानात्मा (dharmapradhānātmā) - whose essence is chiefly dharma; वेदधर्मविदीप्सितः (vedadharmavidīpsitaḥ) - desiring knowledge of Vedic dharma; ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brāhmaṇa; गुणवान् (guṇavān) - possessed of virtues; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone; पुरोधाः (purodhāḥ) - priest; प्रविमृश्यताम् (pravimṛśyatām) - should be carefully considered;]
(Therefore, one whose essence is chiefly dharma, who desires knowledge of Vedic dharma, a Brāhmaṇa possessed of virtues, someone as a priest, should be carefully considered.)
Therefore, a Brāhmaṇa whose nature is primarily dharma, who seeks knowledge of Vedic dharma, and who is virtuous, should be carefully chosen as the priest.
क्षत्रियेण हि जातेन पृथिवीं जेतुमिच्छता। पूर्वं पुरोहितः कार्यः पार्थ राज्याभिवृद्धये ॥१-१६४-१३॥
kṣatriyeṇa hi jātena pṛthivīṃ jetumicchatā। pūrvaṃ purohitaḥ kāryaḥ pārtha rājyābhivṛddhaye ॥1-164-13॥
[क्षत्रियेण (kṣatriyeṇa) - by a kṣatriya; हि (hi) - indeed; जातेन (jātena) - by one who is born; पृथिवीं (pṛthivīṃ) - the earth; जेतुम् (jetum) - to conquer; इच्छता (icchatā) - desiring; पूर्वं (pūrvam) - first; पुरोहितः (purohitaḥ) - a priest; कार्यः (kāryaḥ) - should be appointed; पार्थ (pārtha) - O Pārtha; राज्य (rājya) - kingdom; अभिवृद्धये (abhivṛddhaye) - for the prosperity;]
(By a kṣatriya indeed, by one who is born, the earth to conquer desiring, first a priest should be appointed, O Pārtha, for the prosperity of the kingdom.)
O Pārtha, a kṣatriya who desires to conquer the earth must first appoint a priest for the prosperity of the kingdom.
महीं जिगीषता राज्ञा ब्रह्म कार्यं पुरःसरम्। तस्मात्पुरोहितः कश्चिद्गुणवानस्तु वो द्विजः ॥१-१६४-१४॥
mahīṃ jigīṣatā rājñā brahma kāryaṃ puraḥsaram। tasmātpurohitaḥ kaścidguṇavānastu vo dvijaḥ ॥1-164-14॥
[महीं (mahīm) - earth; जिगीषता (jigīṣatā) - by one desiring to conquer; राज्ञा (rājñā) - by the king; ब्रह्म (brahma) - sacred; कार्यं (kāryam) - act; पुरःसरम् (puraḥsaram) - preceding; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; पुरोहितः (purohitaḥ) - priest; कश्चित् (kaścit) - some; गुणवान् (guṇavān) - virtuous; अस्तु (astu) - should be; वः (vaḥ) - for you; द्विजः (dvijaḥ) - twice-born;]
(The earth, by the king desiring to conquer, with a sacred act preceding; therefore, let there be for you some virtuous priest who is twice-born.)
Therefore, for a king wishing to conquer the earth, a virtuous and twice-born priest should precede all sacred acts for you.
