12.030
Library: Yudhisthira asks about Kāñcanaṣṭhīvī, the son of Sṛñjaya. Krishna narrates the story of Narada receiving a curse to appear as a monkey, and then directs the question to Narada.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
sa kathaṃ kāñcanaṣṭhīvī sṛñjayasya suto'bhavat। parvatena kimarthaṃ ca dattaḥ kena mamāra ca ॥12-30-1॥
How did he become Kāñcanaṣṭhīvī, the son of Sṛñjaya? For what reason and by whom was he given by Parvata, and by whom did he die?
yadā varṣasahasrāyus tadā bhavati mānavaḥ। katham aprāptakaumāraḥ sṛñjayasya suto mṛtaḥ ॥12-30-2॥
If a man lives for a thousand years, how could Sṛñjaya's son die before reaching youth?
utāho nāmamātraṃ vai suvarṇaṣṭhīvino'bhavat। tathyaṃ vā kāñcanaṣṭhīvītyetadicchāmi veditum ॥12-30-3॥
Or was it only the name Suvarṇaṣṭhīvin? Or is it truly Kāñcanaṣṭhīvī? I wish to know this.
vāsudeva uvāca॥
Vāsudeva said.
atra te kathayiṣyāmi yathā vṛttaṃ janeśvara। nāradaḥ parvataścaiva prāgṛṣī lokapūjitau ॥12-30-4॥
O lord of people, here I shall tell you what happened: Nārada and Parvata, the former sages, were both honored by the world.
mātulo bhāgineyaś ca devalokād ihāgatau। vihartukāmau samprītyā mānuṣyeṣu purā prabhū ॥12-30-5॥
Long ago, the maternal uncle and his nephew, the lords, came here from the world of the gods, wishing to enjoy themselves affectionately among humans.
haviḥpavittrabhojyena deva bhojyena caiva ha। nārado mātulaścaiva bhāgineyaśca parvataḥ ॥12-30-6॥
O god, the pure oblation is to be enjoyed as food; Nārada, the maternal uncle, the sister's son, and Parvata (are to partake of it).
tāvubhau tapasopetāv avanītalacāriṇau। bhuñjānau mānuṣān bhogān yathāvat paryadhāvatām ॥12-30-7॥
Those two, both ascetics, wandered the earth, enjoying human pleasures as appropriate.
prītimantau mudā yuktau samayaṃ tatra cakratuḥ। yo bhaved dhṛdi saṅkalpaḥ śubho vā yadi vāśubhaḥ॥ anyonyasya sa ākhyeyo mṛṣā śāpo'nyathā bhavet॥12-30-8॥
Both, full of affection and joy, made an agreement there. Whatever resolve, auspicious or inauspicious, might be in the heart of each other, that should be declared; otherwise, the curse would be false.
tau tatheti pratijñāya maharṣī lokapūjitau। sṛñjayaṃ śvaityam abhyetya rājānam idam ūcatuḥ ॥12-30-9॥
The two great sages, honored by the world, after making their promise, approached King Sṛñjaya and Śvaitya and spoke these words to the king.
āvāṃ bhavati vatsyāvaḥ kañcitkālaṃ hitāya te। yathāvatpṛthivīpāla āvayoḥ praguṇībhava ॥ tatheti kṛtvā tau rājā satkṛtyopacacāra ha ॥12-30-10॥
We two will stay here for some time for your welfare, O lady. O king, please be favorable to us as is proper. Having agreed, the king honored and attended to those two.
tataḥ kadācittau rājā mahātmānau tathāgatau। abravīt paramaprītaḥ sute 'yaṃ varavarṇinī ॥12-30-11॥
Then, at some point, the king, who was great-souled and had thus arrived, being extremely pleased, said to his daughter, this one of excellent complexion.
ekaiva mama kanyaiṣā yuvāṃ paricariṣyati। darśanīyānavadyāṅgī śīlavṛttasamanvitā ॥ sukumārī kumārī ca padmakiñjalkasaṃnibhā ॥12-30-12॥
This is my only daughter; she alone will serve you both. She is beautiful to behold, with flawless limbs, endowed with noble character and conduct. She is very delicate, a maiden, and resembles the filament of a lotus.
paramaṃ saumya ity uktas tābhyāṃ rājā śaśāsa tām। kanye viprāv upacara devavat pitṛvat ca ha ॥12-30-13॥
When the king was addressed as 'supreme gentle one' by those two, he ruled her. O maiden, O brāhmaṇas, serve her as you would a god and as a father indeed.
sā tu kanyā tathety uktvā pitaraṃ dharmacāriṇī। yathānideśaṃ rājñas tau satkṛtyopacacāra ha ॥12-30-14॥
But that maiden, practicing righteousness, said 'so be it' to her father, and, having honored those two as per the king's instruction, indeed served them.
tasyās tathopacāreṇa rūpeṇāpratimena ca। nāradaṃ hṛcchayas tūrṇaṃ sahasaivānvapadyata ॥12-30-15॥
By her service and her incomparable form, a sudden and intense desire arose in Nārada's heart.
vavṛdhe ca tatasttasya hṛdi kāmo mahātmanaḥ। yathā śuklasya pakṣasya pravṛttāvuḍurāṭśanaiḥ ॥12-30-16॥
Then, in the heart of the great-souled one, desire gradually increased, just as the moon waxes slowly at the start of the bright fortnight.
na ca taṃ bhāgineyāya parvatāya mahātmane। śaśaṃsa manmathaṃ tīvraṃ vrīḍamānaḥ sa dharmavit ॥12-30-17॥
But being ashamed, he, the knower of dharma, did not tell the intense love to Bhāgineya Parvata, the great-souled one.
tapasā ceṅgitena atha parvato 'tha bubodha tat | kāmārtaṃ nāradaṃ kruddhaḥ śaśāpa enaṃ tato bhṛśam ||12-30-18||
By his austerity and gesture, the mountain then understood the situation. Seeing Nārada afflicted by desire, the angry mountain severely cursed him.
kṛtvā samayam avyagraḥ bhavān vai sahitaḥ mayā। yaḥ bhavet hṛdi saṅkalpaḥ śubhaḥ vā yadi vā aśubhaḥ॥12-30-19॥
Having made an agreement, you, remaining unagitated and together with me, should accept whatever resolve arises in the heart, whether it is auspicious or inauspicious.
anyonyasya sa ākhyeya iti tad vai mṛṣā kṛtam। bhavatā vacanaṃ brahmaṃs tasmād etad vadāmy aham ॥12-30-20॥
He is to be described as belonging to each other; that was indeed falsely done by you. Therefore, O Brāhmaṇa, I say this.
na hi kāmaṃ pravartantaṃ bhavān ācaṣṭa me purā। sukumāryāṃ kumāryāṃ te tasmād eṣa śapāmy aham ॥12-30-21॥
You never told me before about any desire arising. Therefore, regarding your delicate maiden, I now swear this.
brahmavādī gururyasmāttapasvī brāhmaṇaśca san। akāṛṣīḥ samayabhraṃśamāvābhyāṃ yaḥ kṛto mithaḥ ॥12-30-22॥
Because you, being a brāhmaṇa, an ascetic, and a teacher who speaks of Brahman, have mutually committed a violation of our agreement.
śapsye tasmātsusaṅkruddho bhavantaṃ taṃ nibodha me। sukumārī ca te bhāryā bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ॥12-30-23॥
Therefore, being very enraged, I shall curse him—know this from me. Your wife will be a delicate woman; there is no doubt about it.
vānaraṃ caiva kanyā tvāṃ vivāhātprabhṛti prabho| sandrakṣyanti narāścānye svarūpeṇa vinākṛtam ||12-30-24||
O lord, from the time of your marriage, men and others will see the monkey and the maiden (you) without your true form.
sa tadvākyaṃ tu vijñāya nāradaḥ parvatāttadā। aśapat tam api krodhād bhāgineyaṃ sa mātulaḥ ॥12-30-25॥
Nārada, having understood those words, then, being angry, cursed his nephew Parvata, he being the maternal uncle.
tapasā brahmacaryeṇa satyena ca damena ca। yukto'pi dharmanityaśca na svargavāsamāpsyasi ॥12-30-26॥
Even if you are engaged in austerity, celibacy, truth, and self-restraint, and are always devoted to dharma, you will not attain residence in heaven.
tau tu śaptvā bhṛśaṃ kruddhau parasparam amarṣaṇau। pratijagmatur anyonyaṃ kruddhāv iva gajottamau॥12-30-27॥
But those two, having fiercely cursed each other, both intolerant and enraged, approached one another like two mighty elephants in anger.
parvataḥ pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnāṃ vicacāra mahāmuniḥ। pūjyamāno yathānyāyaṃ tejasā svena bhārata ॥12-30-28॥
O Bhārata, the great sage, being honored everywhere, wandered the entire earth like a mountain, according to propriety, by his own splendor.
atha tāmalabhatkanyāṃ nāradaḥ sṛñjayātmajām। dharmeṇa dharmapravaraḥ sukumārīmaninditām ॥12-30-29॥
Then Nārada, the most virtuous, righteously obtained the delicate and blameless maiden, the daughter of Sṛñjaya.
sā tu kanyā yathā-śāpaṃ nāradaṃ taṃ dadarśa ha। pāṇigrahaṇa-mantrāṇāṃ prayogād eva vānarām ॥12-30-30॥
But that maiden, as per the curse, saw Nārada as a monkey, indeed, due to the application of the marriage mantras.
sukumārī ca devarṣiṃ vānarapratimānanam। naivāvamanyata tadā prītimatyeva cābhavat ॥12-30-31॥
The delicate maiden did not despise the divine sage with the monkey-like appearance at that time; rather, she became full of affection.
upatasthe ca bhartāraṃ na cānyaṃ manasāpyagāt। devaṃ muniṃ vā yakṣaṃ vā patitve pativatsalā ॥12-30-32॥
She served her husband faithfully and, even in thought, did not consider any other—be it god, sage, or yakṣa—as her husband, being devoted to her husband.
tataḥ kadācid bhagavān parvato'nusasāra ha। vanaṃ virahitaṃ kiñcit tatrāpaśyat sa nāradam ॥12-30-33॥
Then, at a certain time, the venerable Parvata indeed followed. In the forest, which was somewhat deserted, he saw Nārada there.
tato'bhivādya provāca nāradaṃ parvatastadā। bhavānprasādaṃ kurutāṃ svargādeśāya me prabho ॥12-30-34॥
Then, after offering his salutations, Parvata said to Nārada: "O lord, please bestow your favor upon me so that I may receive the command of heaven."
tamuvāca tato dṛṣṭvā parvataṃ nāradastadā। kṛtāñjalimupāsīnaṃ dīnaṃ dīnataraḥ svayam ॥12-30-35॥
Seeing Parvata sitting with joined palms, looking dejected, Nārada, who himself was even more dejected, spoke to him.
tvayāhaṃ prathamaṃ śapto vānarastvaṃ bhaviṣyasi। ityuktena mayā paścācchaptastvamapi matsarāt ॥ adyaprabhr̥ti vai vāsaṃ svarge nāvāpsyasīti ha ॥12-30-36॥
You first cursed me, saying, 'You will become a monkey.' In response, out of envy, I also cursed you: 'From today onwards, you will not obtain residence in heaven.'
tava na etad dhi sadṛśaṃ putrasthāne hi me bhavān। nivartayetāṃ tau śāpam anyo'nyena tadā munī ॥12-30-37॥
This is not befitting of you; you are like a son to me. Let those two withdraw the curse from each other then, O sage.
śrīsamṛddhaṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā nāradaṃ devarūpiṇam। sukumārī pradudrāva parapatyabhiśaṅkayā ॥12-30-38॥
When the delicate girl saw the prosperous Nārada, who appeared divine, she fled, fearing he was another's husband.
tāṃ parvatas tato dṛṣṭvā pradravantīm aninditām। abravīt tava bharta eṣa nātra kāryā vicāraṇā ॥12-30-39॥
The mountain, seeing the blameless woman running away, said: "This is your husband; there is no need for deliberation here."
ṛṣiḥ paramadharmātmā nārado bhagavānprabhuḥ। tavaivābhedyahṛdayo mā te bhūdatra saṃśayaḥ ॥12-30-40॥
The sage Nārada, whose nature is of supreme righteousness, the revered lord, said: "Your heart is truly impenetrable; let there be no doubt about this for you."
sānunītā bahuvidhaṃ parvatena mahātmanā। śāpadoṣaṃ ca taṃ bhartuḥ śrutvā svāṃ prakṛtiṃ gatā ॥ parvato'tha yayau svargaṃ nārado'tha yayau gṛhān ॥12-30-41॥
She, led along the peak in many ways by the great-souled mountain, and having heard of her husband's curse, returned to her own nature. The mountain then went to heaven, and Nārada then went to his abode.
pratyakṣakarmā sarvasya nārado'yaṃ mahānṛṣiḥ। eṣa vakṣyati vai pṛṣṭo yathā vṛttaṃ narottama ॥12-30-42॥
O best of men, this great sage Nārada, whose actions are evident to all, will indeed tell (you) what happened when asked.
