03.177
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
yudhiṣṭhiras tam āsādya sarpabhogābhiveṣṭitam। dayitaṃ bhrātaraṃ vīram idaṃ vacanam abravīt ॥03-177-1॥
Yudhishthira, approaching his beloved heroic brother enwrapped by a serpent's coil, spoke these words. (03-177-1)
kuntīmātaḥ kathamimām-āpadaṁ tvam-avāptavān। kaścāyaṁ parvatābhoga-pratimaḥ pannagottamaḥ ॥03-177-2॥
O mother Kunti, how did you encounter this calamity? Who is this best of serpents, who is like the expanse of a mountain? (03-177-2)
sa dharmarājam ālakṣya bhrātā bhrātaram agrajam। kathayām āsa tat sarvaṃ grahaṇādi viceṣṭitam॥03-177-3॥
He, having perceived Yudhiṣṭhira, told his elder brother all about the seizure and everything that had happened. (03-177-3)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
devo vā yadi vā daitya urago vā bhavānyadi। satyaṃ sarpa vaco brūhi pṛcchati tvāṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ॥03-177-4॥
Whether you are a god, or a demon, or serpent—whoever you are—Yudhiṣṭhira asks you, O serpent, speak the truth. (03-177-4)
kim āhṛtya viditvā vā prītiḥ te syād bhujaṅgama। kim āhāraṃ prayacchāmi kathaṃ muñcet bhavān imam ॥03-177-5॥
O serpent, what should I bring or learn so that you are satisfied? What food shall I offer so that you will release this one? (03-177-5)
sarpa uvāca॥
The serpent said.
nahuṣo nāma rājāhamāsaṃ pūrvastavānagha। prathitaḥ pañcamaḥ somādāyoḥ putro narādhipa ॥03-177-6॥
O sinless one, formerly I was the king named Nahuṣa, renowned as the fifth son in the lineage of Soma and king of men. (03-177-6)
kratubhistapasā caiva svādhyāyena damena ca. trailokyaiśvaryamavyagraṃ prāpto vikramaṇena ca ॥03-177-7॥
He attained unperturbed sovereignty over the three worlds by sacrifices, austerity, study of the Veda, self-restraint, and valor. (03-177-7)
tad-aiśvaryaṃ samāsādya darpo mām-agamat-tadā। sahasraṃ hi dvijātīnāmuvāha śibikāṃ mama॥03-177-8॥
Having attained that prosperity, pride came to me then. Indeed, a thousand twice-borns carried my palanquin. (03-177-8)
aiśvaryamadamatto'ham avamanya tato dvijān. imām agastyena daśām ānītaḥ pṛthivīpate ॥03-177-9॥
O lord of the earth, because I was intoxicated by the pride of sovereignty and then disregarded the twice-born, I have been brought to this condition by Agastya. (03-177-9)
na tu mām ajahāt prajñā yāvat adya eti pāṇḍava। tasya eva anugrahāt rājan agastyasya mahātmanaḥ ॥03-177-10॥
But, O Pāṇḍava, wisdom has not abandoned me even to this day, solely due to the grace of that great-souled Agastya, O king. (03-177-10)
ṣaṣṭhe kāle mamāhāraḥ prāpto'yananujas tava। nāhamenaṃ vimokṣyāmi na cānyamabhikāmaye ॥03-177-11॥
At the sixth time, my food has arrived—this is your younger brother. I will not let him go, nor do I desire anyone else. (03-177-11)
praśnān-uc-caritāṁs-tu tvaṁ vyāhariṣyasi cen mama। atha paścād-vimokṣyāmi bhrātaraṁ te vṛkodaram॥03-177-12॥
If you answer my spoken questions, then afterward I will release your brother, Vṛkodara. (03-177-12)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
brūhi sarpa yathākāmaṃ prativakṣyāmi te vacaḥ। api cecchaknuyāṃ prītim āhartuṃ te bhujaṅgama ॥03-177-13॥
Speak, O serpent, as you desire; I will answer your words. If only I might be able to win your affection, O serpent. (03-177-13)
vedyaṃ yad brāhmaṇena iha tad bhavān vettī kevalam। sarpa-rāja tataḥ śrutvā prativakṣyāmi te vacaḥ॥03-177-14॥
O king of serpents, whatever is to be known here by the Brāhmaṇa, you alone know that; therefore, after hearing it, I shall answer your statement. (03-177-14)
sarpa uvāca॥
The serpent said.
brāhmaṇaḥ ko bhaved rājan vedyaṃ kiṃ ca yudhiṣṭhira। bravīhy atimatiṃ tvāṃ hi vākyair anumimīmahe ॥03-177-15॥
O king Yudhiṣṭhira, who can be called a Brāhmaṇa, and what is to be known? Please speak; for by your words we indeed perceive you as one of great wisdom. (03-177-15)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
satyaṃ dānaṃ kṣamā śīlam ānṛśaṃsyaṃ damaḥ ghṛṇā। dṛśyante yatra nāgendra sa brāhmaṇa iti smṛtaḥ ॥03-177-16॥
Where truth, generosity, forbearance, character, non-cruelty, self-restraint, and compassion are found, O king of serpents, he is recognized as a brāhmaṇa. (03-177-16)
vedyaṃ sarpa paraṃ brahma nirduḥkhamasukhaṃ ca yat। yatra gatvā na śocanti bhavataḥ kiṃ vivakṣitam॥03-177-17॥
What is your intended meaning regarding the supreme Brahman, the ultimate reality to be known, the serpent, that is free from suffering and without pleasure, where, having attained, one does not grieve? (03-177-17)
sarpa uvāca॥
The serpent said.
cāturvarṇyaṃ pramāṇaṃ ca satyaṃ ca brahma caiva ha। śūdreṣv api ca satyaṃ ca dānam akrodha eva ca ॥ ānṛśaṃsyam ahiṃsā ca ghṛṇā caiva yudhiṣṭhira ॥03-177-18॥
The fourfold division of society, authority, truth, and Brahman truly exist; even among the Śūdras, there are truthfulness, generosity, freedom from anger; and also compassion, nonviolence, and pity, O Yudhiṣṭhira. (03-177-18)
vedyaṃ yaccāttha nirduḥkhamasukhaṃ ca narādhipa। tābhyāṃ hīnaṃ padaṃ cānyanna tadastīti lakṣaye ॥03-177-19॥
O king, that which is to be known and which you described as free from pain and without pleasure—apart from a state devoid of both, I understand that no other such state exists. (03-177-19)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
śūdre caitadbhavellakṣyaṃ dvije tacca na vidyate. na vai śūdro bhavecchūdro brāhmaṇo na ca brāhmaṇaḥ ॥03-177-20॥
This sign may also appear in a Śūdra, but not in a twice-born; indeed, a Śūdra does not always remain a Śūdra, nor does a Brāhmaṇa always remain a Brāhmaṇa. (03-177-20)
yatra etat lakṣyate sarpa-vṛttaṃ sa brāhmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ। yatra etan na bhavet sarpa taṃ śūdram iti nirdiśet॥03-177-21॥
Where this serpent-like behavior is perceived, he is regarded as a brahman, but where this is not found, O serpent, him you should designate as a śūdra. (03-177-21)
yat punar bhavatā proktam na vedyam vidyate iti ha। tābhyām hīnam atītya atra padam nāsti iti cet api॥03-177-22॥
If, however, you assert again, 'that which is to be known does not exist', indeed; and if it is said that, having gone beyond both (knower and known), here no state exists—if even so. (03-177-22)
evam etan mataṃ sarpa tābhyāṃ hīnaṃ na vidyate। yathā śītoṣṇayor madhye bhaven noṣṇaṃ na śītatā ॥03-177-23॥
O serpent, thus this view is not found without both elements, just as in the middle of cold and heat, there is neither heat nor coldness. (03-177-23)
evaṁ vai sukha-duḥkhābhyāṁ hīnam asti padaṁ kvacit। eṣā mama matiḥ sarpa yathā vā manyate bhavān॥03-177-24॥
Thus, indeed, nowhere is there a state devoid of pleasure and pain. This is my opinion, O serpent, or as you may think. (03-177-24)
sarpa uvāca ॥
The serpent said.
yadi te vṛttato rājan brāhmaṇaḥ prasamīkṣitaḥ। vyarthā jātiḥ tad āyuṣman kṛtiḥ yāvat na dṛśyate॥03-177-25॥
If, O king, a brāhmaṇa is judged by your conduct, then, O long-lived one, his birth is useless until right action is evident. (03-177-25)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
jātir atra mahāsarpa manuṣyatve mahāmate। saṅkarāt sarvavarṇānāṃ duṣparīkṣya iti me matiḥ॥03-177-26॥
O great serpent, my opinion is that here, in human existence, due to the mixing of all varṇas, caste is hard to determine. (03-177-26)
sarve sarvāsvapatyāni janayanti yadā narāḥ। vāṅmaithunamatho janma maraṇaṃ ca samaṃ nṛṇām ॥03-177-27॥
When all men beget offspring in all women through verbal intercourse, then birth and death are equal for men. (03-177-27)
idam ārṣaṃ pramāṇaṃ ca ye yajāmaha ity api. tasmāc chīlaṃ pradhāneṣṭaṃ vidur ye tattvadarśinaḥ ॥03-177-28॥
Those who are knowers of reality know that this, the authority of the ṛṣis and even saying 'those whom we worship,' therefore, conduct is considered chiefly desirable. (03-177-28)
prāṅ-nābhi-vardhanāt puṁso jātakarma vidhīyate। tatra asya mātā sāvitri pitā tu ācārya ucyate॥03-177-29॥
Prior to the growth of the umbilical cord, a male's birth ritual is performed; there, his mother is called Sāvitrī, and his father, however, is called the teacher. (03-177-29)
vṛttyā śūdrasamo hy eṣa yāvad vede na jāyate. asminn evaṃ matidvaidhe manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt ॥03-177-30॥
He is, by conduct, like a Śūdra indeed, as long as he is not born (initiated) in the Veda. On this matter, in such a duality of opinion, Manu, the son of Svāyambhu, spoke. (03-177-30)
kṛtakṛtyāḥ punarvarṇā yadi vṛttaṃ na vidyate। saṅkarastatra nāgendra balavānprasamīkṣitaḥ ॥03-177-31॥
O best of serpents, when those who have accomplished their purpose, again of varied description, if the condition is not found, mixing is considered strong there. (03-177-31)
yatre dānīṃ mahāsarpa saṃskṛtaṃ vṛttamiṣyate। taṃ brāhmaṇamahaṃ pūrvamuktavānbhujagottama ॥03-177-32॥
O best of serpents, where now Sanskrit is spoken, that Brahmin I had previously identified, O great serpent. (03-177-32)
sarpa uvāca॥
The serpent said.
śrutaṃ viditavedyasya tava vākyaṃ yudhiṣṭhira। bhakṣayeyam ahaṃ kasmād bhrātaraṃ te vṛkodaram ॥03-177-33॥
I have heard your statement, Yudhiṣṭhira, you to whom what is to be known is known. Why should I eat your brother, Vṛkodara (Bhīma)? (03-177-33)
