12.024
Library: Vyasa narrates the story of Sudyumna and concludes saying for a kṣatriya, the duty is to punish, not to shave the head.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said:
bhagavan-karmaṇā kena sudyumno vasudhādhipaḥ। saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ prāptaḥ śrotum icchāmi taṃ nṛpam ॥12-24-1॥
O revered one, by whose actions did Sudyumna, the lord of the earth, attain supreme perfection? I wish to hear about that king.
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said:
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। śaṅkhaś ca likhitaś cāstāṃ bhrātarau saṃyatavratau ॥12-24-2॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: Śaṅkha and Likhita were two brothers who observed strict vows.
tayorāvasathāvāstāṃ ramaṇīyau pṛthakpṛthak। nityapuṣpaphalairvṛkṣairupetau bāhudāmanu ॥12-24-3॥
The two had charming residences, each separate, always surrounded by trees bearing flowers and fruits, situated along the Bahuda river.
tataḥ kadācillikhitaḥ śaṅkhasyāśramamāgamat। yadṛcchayāpi śaṅkho'tha niṣkrānto'bhavadāśramāt ॥12-24-4॥
Then, once, Likhita came to Śaṅkha's hermitage. By coincidence, Śaṅkha happened to have left the hermitage at that time.
so'bhigamyāśramaṃ bhrātuḥ śaṅkhasya likhitastadā। phalāni śātayāmāsa samyakpariṇatānyuta ॥12-24-5॥
Then Likhita, having come to the hermitage of his brother Śaṅkha, broke off the properly ripened fruits.
tāny upādāya visrabdho bhakṣayāmāsa sa dvijaḥ। tasmiṁś ca bhakṣayaty eva śaṅkho 'py āśramam āgamat ॥12-24-6॥
The Brahmin took those things and ate them confidently. While he was still eating, Śaṅkha also arrived at the hermitage.
bhakṣayantaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā śaṅkho bhrātaram abravīt। kutaḥ phalāny avāptāni hetunā kena khādasi ॥12-24-7॥
But when Śaṅkha saw his brother eating, he said: "Where did you get these fruits? For what reason and by whom are you eating them?"
so'bravīdbhrātaraṃ jyeṣṭhamupaspṛśyābhivādya ca| ita eva gṛhītāni mayeti prahasanniva ॥12-24-8॥
He respectfully touched and saluted his elder brother and said, smiling, 'I have indeed taken these from here.'
tam abravīt tadā śaṅkhaḥ tīvra-kopa-samanvitaḥ। steyaṃ tvayā kṛtam idaṃ phalāni ādadatā svayam ॥ gaccha rājānam āsādya svakarma prathayasva vai ॥12-24-9॥
Śaṅkha, filled with intense anger, said to him: "You have committed this theft by taking these fruits yourself. Go to the king and openly declare your action."
adattādānamevedaṃ kṛtaṃ pārthivasattama। stenaṃ māṃ tvaṃ viditvā ca svadharmam-anupālaya ॥ śīghraṃ dhāraya caurasya mama daṇḍaṃ narādhipa ॥12-24-10॥
O best of kings, this is truly the act of taking what is not given. Recognize me as a thief and uphold your duty; quickly inflict my punishment, O ruler of men.
ity-uktaḥ tasya vacanāt sudyumnaṃ vasudhādhipam | abhyagacchan mahābāho likhitaḥ saṃśitavrataḥ ||12-24-11||
O mighty-armed one, thus, at his words, Likhita, steadfast in his vows, approached Sudyumna, the ruler of the earth.
sudyumnas tv antapālebhyaḥ śrutvā likhitam āgatam। abhyagacchat sahāmātyaḥ padbhyām eva nareśvaraḥ ॥12-24-12॥
But when Sudyumna heard from the frontier-guards that a written message had arrived, the king, along with his minister, went there on foot.
tam abravīt samāgatya sa rājā brahmavittamam। kim āgamanam ācakṣva bhagavan kṛtam eva tat ॥12-24-13॥
Having approached him, the king, foremost knower of Brahman, said: "O venerable one, tell what is the reason for your arrival; that indeed has been done."
evam-uktaḥ sa viprarṣiḥ sudyumnaṃ idam abravīt। pratiśrauṣi kariṣye iti śrutvā tat kartum arhasi ॥12-24-14॥
Thus spoken to, the sage among Brāhmaṇas said this to Sudyumna: "You have promised, 'I shall do.' Therefore, having heard this, you should do that."
anisṛṣṭāni guruṇā phalāni puruṣarṣabha। bhakṣitāni mayā rājan tatra māṃ śādhi mā-ciram ॥12-24-15॥
O king, I have eaten fruits not permitted by my teacher, O best of men; therefore, punish me there without delay.
sudyumna uvāca॥
Sudyumna said:
pramāṇaṃ cenmato rājā bhavato daṇḍadhāraṇe। anujñāyāmapi tathā hetuḥ syādbrāhmaṇarṣabha ॥12-24-16॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, if you, O king, consider evidence in the wielding of punishment, then even in granting permission, there may be a reason.
sa bhavān abhyanujñātaḥ śucikarmā mahāvrataḥ। brūhi kāmān ato'nyāṃs tvaṃ kariṣyāmi hi te vacaḥ॥12-24-17॥
O noble one, you who are pure in deeds and steadfast in great vows, having been permitted, speak of any other desires you have; I shall indeed fulfill your word.
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said:
chandyamāno'pi brahmarṣiḥ pārthivena mahātmanā। nānyaṃ vai varayāmāsa tasmāddaṇḍādṛte varam ॥12-24-18॥
Even when entreated by the noble king, the Brahmarṣi chose no boon other than Daṇḍa.
tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālo likhitasya mahātmanaḥ। karau pracchedayāmāsa dhṛtadaṇḍo jagāma saḥ ॥12-24-19॥
Then the king, upholding justice, ordered the hands of the noble Likhita to be cut off and departed.
sa gatvā bhrātaraṃ śaṅkham ārtarūpo 'bravīd idam। dhṛtadaṇḍasya durbuddher bhagavan kṣantum arhasi ॥12-24-20॥
He went to his brother Śaṅkha, appearing distressed, and said: 'O venerable one, you should forgive Dhṛtadaṇḍa, who is evil-minded.' 12-24-20.
śaṅkha uvāca॥
Śaṅkha said:
na kupye tava dharmajña na ca dūṣayase mama। dharmastu te vyatikrāntastataste niṣkṛtiḥ kṛtā ॥12-24-21॥
I am not angry with you, O knower of dharma, nor have you wronged me. But your dharma has been transgressed; therefore, your atonement has been performed.
sa gatvā bāhudāṃ śīghraṃ tarpayasva yathāvidhi। devān pitṝn ṛṣīṃś caiva mā cādharmē manaḥ kṛthāḥ ॥12-24-22॥
Go quickly to the Bāhudā river and, as prescribed, offer oblations to the gods, ancestors, and sages; and do not let your mind dwell on unrighteousness.
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said:
tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā śaṅkhasya likhitas tadā। avagāhyāpagāṃ puṇyām udakārthaṃ pracakrame ॥12-24-23॥
After hearing those words from him, Likhita then entered the holy river to fetch water.
prādurāstāṃ tatas tasya karau jalajasaṃnibhau। tataḥ sa vismito bhrātur darśayāmāsa tau karau ॥12-24-24॥
Then his hands, resembling lotuses, appeared; then, astonished, he showed those two hands to his brother.
tatas tam abravīc chaṅkhas tapasedaṃ kṛtaṃ mayā। mā ca te'tra viśaṅkā bhūd daivam eva vidhīyate ॥12-24-25॥
Then Śaṅkha said to him: "This was done by me for the sake of austerity. Do not have any doubt about this; only fate is at work here."
likhita uvāca॥
Likhita said:
kiṁ nu nāhaṁ tvayā pūtaḥ pūrvameva mahādyute। yasya te tapaso vīryam īdṛśaṁ dvijasattama ॥12-24-26॥
O best of twice-born, O greatly radiant one, was I not already purified by you before, whose austerity possesses such power?
śaṅkha uvāca॥
Śaṅkha said:
evam etan mayā kāryaṃ nāhaṃ daṇḍadharas tava| sa ca pūto narapatis tvaṃ cāpi pitṛbhiḥ saha ॥12-24-27॥
Therefore, this is not my duty; I am not your punisher. The king is purified, and you too, along with your ancestors.
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said:
sa rājā pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha śreṣṭho vai tena karmaṇā। prāptavān paramāṃ siddhiṃ dakṣaḥ prācetaso yathā ॥12-24-28॥
He, the king, foremost among the Pāṇḍavas, by that very action attained the highest perfection, just as Dakṣa, the son of Pracetas, did.
eṣa dharmaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ prajānāṃ paripālanam। utpathe'smin mahārāja mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ ॥12-24-29॥
The duty of kṣatriyas is to protect their subjects. O great king, do not let your mind be overcome by grief in this adversity.
bhrāturasya hitaṃ vākyaṃ śṛṇu dharmajñasattama। daṇḍa eva hi rājendra kṣatradharmo na muṇḍanam ॥12-24-30॥
O best knower of dharma, listen to the beneficial words of his brother. O king, for a kṣatriya, the duty is to punish, not to shave the head.
