03.183
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
bhūya eva tu māhātmyaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ nibodha me। vainyo nāmeha rājarṣir aśvamedhāya dīkṣitaḥ ॥ tamatir gantum ārebhe vittārtham iti naḥ śrutam ॥03-183-1॥
But now again, listen from me to the greatness of the Brāhmaṇas. Here, a royal sage named Vainya was consecrated for the horse-sacrifice. Atri began to go to him for the sake of wealth—thus we have heard. (03-183-1)
bhūyo’tha nānurudhyatsa dharmavyaktinidarśanāt. sañcintya sa mahātejā vanamevānavarocayata. dharmapatnīṃ samāhūya putrāṃścedamuvāca ha ॥03-183-2॥
Then again, not wishing (to act) because of the clarity of righteousness, and having thought deeply, the powerful one chose the forest alone. Calling his lawful wife and sons, he spoke this. (03-183-2)
prāpsyāmaḥ phalam atyantaṁ bahulaṁ nirupadravam। araṇyagamanaṁ kṣipraṁ rocatāṁ vo guṇādhikam ॥03-183-3॥
We shall obtain extremely abundant, trouble-free results. May quick departure to the forest, which is superior in qualities, be agreeable to you. (03-183-3)
taṁ bhāryā pratyuvācedaṁ dharmamevānurudhyatī. vainyaṁ gatvā mahātmānamarthayasva dhanaṁ bahu ॥ sa te dāsyati rājarṣiryajamāno' rthine dhanam ॥03-183-4॥
His wife answered, "Following only righteousness, go to the great-souled Vainya and request much wealth. That royal sage and sacrificer will give you wealth as a supplicant." (03-183-4)
tat ādāya viprarṣe pratigṛhya dhanaṃ bahu। bhṛtyān sutān saṃvibhajya tato vraja yathepsitam ॥ eṣa vai paramo dharmo dharmavidbhir udāhṛtaḥ ॥03-183-5॥
O best among Brāhmaṇas, after taking that and receiving much wealth, divide it among your servants and sons, then go wherever you wish. This, indeed, is declared to be the highest duty by those who know dharma. (03-183-5)
atriruvāca॥
Atri said.
kathito me mahābhāge gautamena mahātmanā। vainyo dharmārthasaṃyuktaḥ satyavratasamanvitaḥ॥03-183-6॥
O most fortunate one, Vainya, joined with righteousness and wealth, and endowed with true vows, was described to me by the great-souled Gautama. (03-183-6)
kiṁ tv asti tatra dveṣṭāro nivasanti hi me dvijāḥ। yathā me gautamaḥ prāha tato na vyavasāmy aham ॥03-183-7॥
What is there? Enemies indeed dwell, O brāhmaṇas of mine. As my Gautama said, therefore I do not decide. (03-183-7)
tatra sma vācaṃ kalyāṇīṃ dharmakāmārthasaṃhitām। mayoktām anyathā brūyus tatas te vai nirarthakām॥03-183-8॥
There, if they were to state otherwise the auspicious speech joined with righteousness, desire, and wealth as spoken by me, then they would certainly be devoid of purpose. (03-183-8)
gamiṣyāmi mahāprājñe rocate me vacas tava। gāś ca me dāsyate vainyaḥ prabhūtaṃ ca arthasañcayam ॥03-183-9॥
O greatly wise one, I will go; your words please me. Vainya will give me cows and abundant wealth. (03-183-9)
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
evam uktvā jagāmāśu vainyayajñaṃ mahātapāḥ. gatvā ca yajñāyatanam atris tuṣṭāva taṃ nṛpam ॥03-183-10॥
Having thus spoken, the great ascetic quickly proceeded to the sacrifice of Vainya; and having reached the sacrificial altar, Atri praised the king. (03-183-10)
rājan-vainya tvam īśaś ca bhuvi tvaṃ prathamo nṛpaḥ। stuvanti tvāṃ munigaṇās tvad-anyo nāsti dharmavit॥03-183-11॥
O king Vainya, you are the lord and the foremost king on earth; assemblies of sages praise you. There is no other knower of dharma besides you. (03-183-11)
tam abravīd ṛṣiḥ tatra vacaḥ kruddho mahātapāḥ। ma evam atre punar brūyā na te prajñā samāhitā॥ atra naḥ prathamaṃ sthātā mahendro vai prajāpatiḥ॥03-183-12॥
The greatly austere sage, being angry, spoke these words to him there: "Do not speak thus again, O Atri; your mind is not properly settled. Here, among us, the first to be established is Mahendra, indeed the lord of creatures (Prajapati)." (03-183-12)
athātrir api rājendra gautamaṃ pratyabhāṣata। ayam eva vidhātā ca yathaivendraḥ prajāpatiḥ॥ tvam eva muhyase mohān na prajñānaṃ tavāsti ha॥03-183-13॥
Then Atri also, O king, addressed Gautama, saying: "This is indeed the Creator, just as Indra and Prajapati. It is you alone who are deluded by ignorance; you truly have no wisdom." (03-183-13)
gautama uvāca॥
Gautama said.
jānāmi nāhaṃ muhyāmi tvaṃ vivakṣur vimuhyase. stoṣyase ’bhyudaya-prepsus tasya darśana-saṃśrayāt ॥03-183-14॥
I know and I am not bewildered, but you, wishing to speak, are confused; you will praise him, desiring success, because of resorting to his presence. (03-183-14)
na vettha paramaṃ dharmaṃ na cāvaiṣi prayojanam। bālastvamasi mūḍhaśca vṛddhaḥ kenāpi hetunā ॥03-183-15॥
You neither know the supreme dharma nor do you attain its purpose. You are a child and a deluded old man for some cause. (03-183-15)
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
vivadantau tathā tau tu munīnāṃ darśane sthitau। ye tasya yajñe saṃvṛttās te'pṛcchanta kathaṃ tvimau॥03-183-16॥
Those two, quarreling in this manner, stood before the sages; and those assembled at his sacrifice asked, 'But how are these two thus? (03-183-16)
praveśaḥ kena datto'yanayor vainya-saṁsadi। uccaiḥ samabhibhāṣantau kena kāryeṇa viṣṭhitau॥03-183-17॥
By whom was entrance given to these two in the assembly of Vainya? For what purpose are they standing here, loudly speaking together? (03-183-17)
tataḥ paramadharmātmā kāśyapaḥ sarvadharmavit. vivādināvanuprāptau tāvubhau pratyavedayat ॥03-183-18॥
Then the supremely righteous Kashyapa, who knew all dharma, informed both the disputants upon their arrival. (03-183-18)
athābravītsadasyāṃstu gautamo munisattamān। āvayorvyāhṛtaṃ praśnaṃ śṛṇuta dvijapuṅgavāḥ॥ vainyo vidhātetyāhātriratra naḥ saṃśayo mahān॥03-183-19॥
Then Gautama addressed the assembly of eminent sages, saying: O best of twice-born, hear the question which has arisen between us two. Atri declared, "Vainya is to create"—and this is now the subject of our great doubt. (03-183-19)
śrutvaiva tu mahātmāno munayo'bhyadravandrutam। sanatkumāraṃ dharmajñaṃ saṃśayacchedanāya vai॥03-183-20॥
But having indeed heard, the great-souled sages swiftly approached Sanatkumāra, the knower of dharma, in order to have their doubts dispelled. (03-183-20)
sa ca teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā yathātattvaṃ mahātapāḥ। pratyuvācātha tānevaṃ dharmārthasahitaṃ vacaḥ ॥03-183-21॥
And he, the great ascetic, having heard their words and knowing the truth, then replied to them with speech full of righteousness and sense. (03-183-21)
sanatkumāra uvāca॥
Sanatkumara said.
brahma kṣatreṇa sahitaṃ kṣatraṃ ca brahmaṇā saha। rājā vai prathamo dharmaḥ prajānāṃ patireva ca ॥ sa eva śakraḥ śukraśca sa dhātā sa bṛhaspatiḥ ॥03-183-22॥
The priestly class united with the warrior class, and the warrior class together with the priestly class. The king is indeed the chief law and truly the lord of the people. He himself is Indra, Śukra, Dhātā, and Bṛhaspati. (03-183-22)
prajāpativirāṭsamrāṭkṣatriyo bhūpatir nṛpaḥ। ya ebhiḥ stūyate śabdaiḥ kas taṃ nārcitum arhati॥03-183-23॥
The lord of progeny, the mighty one, the sovereign, the protector of the earth, the king—who is praised by these words—who would not be worthy to worship him? (03-183-23)
purāyo niryudhājic ca abhiyā mudito bhavaḥ। svarṇetā sahajid babhrur iti rājābhidhīyate ॥03-183-24॥
Formerly, the king called as Babhrur, the undefeated who went forth from the source, glad in spirit, marked by a golden line, born victorious, and tawny-hued. (03-183-24)
satyam-anyur-yudhājīvaḥ satyadharma-pravartakaḥ। adharmād ṛṣayo bhītā balaṃ kṣatre samādadhan ॥03-183-25॥
Truth and anger (righteous wrath) are the life of battle, and the establisher of true dharma. Fearing unrighteousness, the seers placed their strength in the warrior order. (03-183-25)
ādityo divi deveṣu tamō nudati tejasā। tathaiva nṛpatir bhūmāv adharmaṃ nudate bhṛśam ॥03-183-26॥
As the sun in the sky among the gods dispels darkness with his brilliance, in the same way, the king on earth powerfully drives away unrighteousness. (03-183-26)
ato rājñaḥ pradhānatvaṃ śāstra-prāmāṇya-darśanāt। uttaraḥ sidhyate pakṣo yena rājeti bhāṣitam ॥03-183-27॥
Therefore, the primacy of the king is established from the demonstration of the authority of scripture; the answer is that the position in which 'the king' is declared is thus established. (03-183-27)
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Mārkaṇḍeya said.
tataḥ sa rājā saṁhṛṣṭaḥ siddhe pakṣe mahā-manāḥ। tam atrim abravīt prītaḥ pūrvaṁ yena abhi-saṁstutaḥ ॥03-183-28॥
Then that king, full of joy and with a noble mind after success was achieved, said—pleased—to Atri, who had earlier praised him. (03-183-28)
yasmātsarvamanuṣyeṣu jyāyāṃsaṃ māmihābravīḥ। sarvadevaiśca viprarṣe saṃmitaṃ śreṣṭhameva ca ॥ tasmātte'haṃ pradāsyāmi vividhaṃ vasu bhūri ca ॥03-183-29॥
Because you have called me here the greatest among all men, and, O sage among Brāhmaṇas, equal to and indeed the best of all the gods, therefore I will give you much and various wealth. (03-183-29)
dāsīsahasraṃ śyāmānāṃ suvastrāṇāmalaṅkṛtam | daśa koṭyo hiraṇyasya rukmabhārāṃs tathā daśa || etaddadāni te vipra sarvajñas tvaṃ hi me mataḥ ||03-183-30||
I give you, O brāhmaṇa, a thousand slave women, dark-complexioned, well-clad and adorned; and ten crores of gold and also ten heaps of gold. You are regarded by me as omniscient. (03-183-30)
tad atrir nyāyataḥ sarvaṃ pratigṛhya mahāmanāḥ। pratyājagāma tejasvī gṛhān eva mahātapāḥ ॥03-183-31॥
Then Atri, the great-minded and radiant sage, having accepted everything justly, returned straight to his house. (03-183-31)
pradāya ca dhanaṁ prītaḥ putrebhyaḥ prayatātmavān। tapaḥ samabhisandhāya vanam eva anvapadyata ॥03-183-32॥
Having joyfully given his wealth to his sons, the self-controlled man, determined upon performing austerities, went to the forest. (03-183-32)
