12.031
Library: Sage Narada narrates the story of King Sṛñjaya and his son, providing the context for the teachings given by Krishna.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tato rājā pāṇḍusuto nāradaṃ pratyabhāṣata। bhagavañchrotumicchāmi suvarṇaṣṭhīvisambhavam ॥12-31-1॥
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu, addressed Nārada: "O revered one, I wish to hear about the origin of the golden anthill."
evam-uktaḥ sa ca munir dharmarājena nāradaḥ। ācacakṣe yathā vṛttaṃ suvarṇaṣṭhīvinaṃ prati ॥12-31-2॥
Thus addressed by Dharmarāja, the sage Nārada explained what had happened regarding the golden spittoon.
evam etan mahārāja yathā ayaṃ keśavaḥ abravīt। kāryasya asya tu yat śeṣam tat te vakṣyāmi pṛcchataḥ ॥12-31-3॥
O great king, it is just as Keśava has spoken. But as you are asking, I shall tell you what remains to be done in this task.
ahaṃ ca parvataścaiva svasrīyo me mahāmuniḥ। vastukāmāvabhigatau sṛñjayaṃ jayatāṃ varam ॥12-31-4॥
I and Parvata, my maternal cousin and the great sage, both desiring something, approached Sṛñjaya, the best among the victorious.
tatra sampūjitau tena vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā। sarvakāmaiḥ suvihitau nivasāvo'sya veśmani ॥12-31-5॥
There, having been duly honored by him according to prescribed rites and with all desires fulfilled, let us reside in his house.
vyatikrāntāsu varṣāsu samaye gamanasya ca। parvato māmuvācedaṃ kāle vacanamarthavat॥12-31-6॥
When the years had passed and it was time to depart, the mountain spoke these meaningful words to me.
āvāmasya narendrasya gṛhe paramapūjitau। uṣitau samaye brahmaṃścintyatāmatra sāmpratam ॥12-31-7॥
We two have been greatly honored and have stayed in this king's house; O Brahman, let us now consider what should be done here at this time.
tato'ham abruvaṃ rājan parvataṃ śubhadarśanam। sarvam etat tvayi vibho bhāgineya upapadyate ॥12-31-8॥
Then I said, O king, "This auspicious-looking mountain and everything here is fitting for you, O mighty one, O son of a sister."
vareṇa chand-yatāṃ rājā labhatāṃ yadyad icchati। āvayos tapasā siddhiṃ prāpnvotu yadi manyase॥12-31-9॥
Let the king be gratified by a boon and obtain whatever he wishes. If you think fit, let him attain success by our austerity.
tata āhūya rājānaṃ sṛñjayaṃ śubhadarśanam। parvato'numataṃ vākyamuvāca munipuṅgavaḥ ॥12-31-10॥
Then Parvata, the eminent sage, called King Sṛñjaya, who was of auspicious appearance, and spoke to Anumata.
prītau svo nṛpa satkāraistava hyārjavasambhṛtaiḥ। āvābhyāmabhyanujñāto varaṃ nṛvara cintaya ॥12-31-11॥
O best of kings, in affection, with honors of your own, indeed accompanied by sincerity, you have been permitted by both of us; consider a boon.
devānām avihiṁsāyāṁ yad bhaven mānuṣa-kṣamam। tad gṛhāṇa mahārāja pūjārho nau mato bhavān॥12-31-12॥
O great king, whatever among the non-injurious offerings to the gods is suitable for a human, please accept that; you are considered by us as worthy of worship.
sṛñjaya uvāca॥
Sṛñjaya said:
prītau bhavantau yadi me kṛtam etāvatā mama। eṣa eva paro lābho nirvṛtto me mahāphalaḥ ॥12-31-13॥
If you both are affectionate to me, then by this alone my purpose is fulfilled; this indeed is the greatest gain and the highest fruit for me.
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said:
tam evaṃvādinam bhūyaḥ parvataḥ pratyabhāṣata। vṛṇīṣva rājan saṅkalpo yas te hṛdi ciraṃ sthitaḥ ॥12-31-14॥
The mountain again spoke to him who had spoken thus: "O king, choose the wish that has long remained in your heart."
sṛñjaya uvāca॥
Sṛñjaya said:
abhīpsāmi sutaṃ vīraṃ vīryavantaṃ dṛḍhavratam। āyuṣmantaṃ mahābhāgaṃ devarājasamadyutim ॥12-31-15॥
I wish for a son who is heroic, strong, resolute in his vows, long-lived, greatly fortunate, and radiant like Indra, the king of the gods.
parvata uvāca॥
The mountain said:
bhaviṣyatyeṣa te kāmo na tvāyuṣmānbhaviṣyati। devarājābhibhūtyarthaṃ saṅkalpo hyeṣa te hṛdi ॥12-31-16॥
Your desire will be fulfilled, but you will not live long. Indeed, this resolve to conquer Indra is in your heart.
suvarṇaṣṭhīvanāccaiva svarṇaṣṭhīvī bhaviṣyati। rakṣyaśca devarājāts sa devarājasamadyutiḥ ॥12-31-17॥
From the spitting of gold, golden spittle will be produced. He, protected by the king of gods, will possess a brilliance equal to that of the king of gods.
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said:
tacchrutvā sṛñjayo vākyaṃ parvatasya mahātmanaḥ। prasādayāmāsa tadā naitad evaṃ bhaved iti ॥12-31-18॥
Having heard this, Sṛñjaya, hearing the words of the great-souled Parvata, then sought to appease him, saying, "It should not be so."
āyuṣmān me bhavet putro bhavatas tapasā mune। na ca taṃ parvataḥ kiñcid uvāca indra-vyapekṣayā ॥12-31-19॥
O sage, may I have a long-lived son by your austerity; but the mountain, out of respect for Indra, did not say anything to him.
tam ahaṃ nṛpatiṃ dīnam abruvaṃ punar eva tu। smartavyo'ham mahārāja darśayiṣyāmi te smṛtaḥ ॥12-31-20॥
I spoke again to the distressed king, saying, "O great king, I must be remembered; I will show myself to you when remembered."
ahaṃ te dayitaṃ putraṃ pretarājavaśaṃ gatam। punardāsyāmi tadrūpaṃ mā śucaḥ pṛthivīpate ॥12-31-21॥
O king of the earth, do not grieve. I will restore your beloved son, who has gone under the control of the king of the dead, to his former form again.
evam-uktvā tu nṛpatiṃ prayātau svo yathepsitam। sṛñjayaś ca yathākāmaṃ praviveśa svamandiram ॥12-31-22॥
After thus addressing the king, they departed as they wished to their respective places. Sṛñjaya also entered his own palace as he desired.
sṛñjayasya atha rājarṣeḥ kasmiṃścit kālaparyaye। jajñe putro mahāvīryaḥ tejasā prajvalann iva ॥12-31-23॥
Then, at a certain time in the course of events, a son of great strength, shining with brilliance as if ablaze, was born to Sṛñjaya, the royal sage.
vavṛdhe sa yathākālaṃ sarasīva mahotpalam। babhūva kāñcanaṣṭhīvī yathārthaṃ nāma tasya tat ॥12-31-24॥
He grew in due course like a great lotus in a lake. He became known as the 'golden lizard'; that was truly his name.
tadadbhutatamaṃ loke paprathe kurusattama। bubudhe tacca devendro varadānaṃ mahātmanoḥ ॥12-31-25॥
O best of Kurus, that most wonderful event became famous in the world. Indra, the lord of the gods, also understood the boon granted to the great souls.
tatastvabhibhavādbhīto bṛhaspatimate sthitaḥ। kumārasyāntaraprekṣī babhūva balavṛtrahā ॥12-31-26॥
Then, being afraid of being overpowered, Indra, following Bṛhaspati's counsel, stood watching the prince intently, becoming inwardly observant.
codayāmāsa vajraṃ sa divyāstraṃ mūrtisaṃsthitam। vyāghro bhūtvā jahīmaṃ tvaṃ rājaputramiti prabho ॥12-31-27॥
He incited the Vajra, the divine weapon established in form. Then, having assumed the form of a tiger, you should slay this prince, O lord.
vivṛddhaḥ kila vīryeṇa māmeṣo’bhibhaviṣyati। sṛñjayasya suto vajra yathainaṃ parvato dadau ॥12-31-28॥
He has grown strong indeed and will overpower me. Vajra, the son of Sṛñjaya, was given to him just as the mountain bestowed him.
evam-uktas tu śakreṇa vajraḥ parapurañjayaḥ। kumārasyāntaraprekṣī nityam evānvapadyata ॥12-31-29॥
Thus, when Śakra spoke, Vajra, the conqueror of enemy cities, who always observed the prince within, indeed followed.
sṛñjayo'pi sutaṃ prāpya devarājasamadyutim। hṛṣṭaḥ sāntaḥpuro rājā vananityo'bhavattadā ॥12-31-30॥
Sṛñjaya, too, after obtaining a son as radiant as the king of the gods, joyfully, along with his household, became devoted to life in the forest at that time.
tato bhāgīrathītīre kadācidvananirjhare। dhātrīdvitīyo bālaḥ sa krīḍārthaṃ paryadhāvata ॥12-31-31॥
Once, on the bank of the Bhagirathi, by a forest stream, the boy, accompanied by his nurse, ran about in play.
pañcavarṣakadeśīyo bālo nāgendravikramaḥ। sahasotpatitaṃ vyāghramāsasāda mahābalaḥ ॥12-31-32॥
The five-year-old boy, endowed with the courage of the king of serpents and great strength, suddenly confronted the leaping tiger.
tena caiva viniṣpiṣṭo vepamāno nṛpātmajaḥ। vyasuḥ papāta medinyāṃ tato dhātrī vicukruśe ॥12-31-33॥
Crushed by him and trembling, the prince fell lifeless to the ground; then the nurse wailed.
hatvā tu rājaputraṃ sa tatraivāntaradhīyata। śārdūlo devarājasya māyayāntarhitastadā ॥12-31-34॥
After killing the prince, he disappeared on the spot. The tiger, through the illusion of the king of the gods, vanished at that moment.
dhātryāstu ninadaṃ śrutvā rudatyāḥ paramārtavat। abhyadhāvata taṃ deśaṃ svayameva mahīpatiḥ ॥12-31-35॥
But when the king himself heard the nurse's loud cry, as she wept in utter distress, he immediately ran to that place.
sa dadarśa gatāsuṃ taṃ śayānaṃ pītaśoṇitam। kumāraṃ vigatānandaṃ niśākaramiva cyutam ॥12-31-36॥
He saw the prince lying lifeless, his blood drained, joy gone, like the fallen moon.
sa tam utsaṅgam āropya paripīḍita-vakṣasam। putraṃ rudhira-saṃsiktaṃ paryadevayad āturaḥ ॥12-31-37॥
He placed his son, who was sprinkled with blood, on his lap, his chest greatly afflicted, and, distressed, he lamented.
tatastā mātaraḥ tasya rudantyaḥ śoka-karśitāḥ। abhyadhāvanta taṃ deśaṃ yatra rājā sa sṛñjayaḥ ॥12-31-38॥
Then those mothers of his, weeping and worn by grief, rushed to the place where King Sṛñjaya was.
tataḥ sa rājā sasmāra mām antar-gata-mānasaḥ। tac ca ahaṃ cintitaṃ jñātvā gatavān tasya darśanam ॥12-31-39॥
Then the king, reflecting inwardly, remembered me. Knowing his thought, I went to meet him.
sa mayaitāni vākyāni śrāvitaḥ śokalālasaḥ। yāni te yaduvīreṇa kathitāni mahīpate ॥12-31-40॥
He, overwhelmed with grief, was made to hear these words by me—words that were spoken to you by the hero of the Yadus, O king.
sañjīvitaś cāpi mayā vāsavānumate tadā। bhavitavyaṃ tathā tac ca na tac chakyam ato'nyathā॥12-31-41॥
He was revived by me at that time with Indra's consent; what must happen must happen thus, and it cannot be otherwise.
ata ūrdhvaṃ kumāraḥ sa svarṇaṣṭhīvī mahāyaśāḥ। cittaṃ prasādayāmāsa piturmātuśca vīryavān ॥12-31-42॥
After that, the powerful prince, the golden spittoon-bearer of great fame, pleased the minds of his father and mother.
kārayāmāsa rājyaṃ sa pitari svargate vibhuḥ। varṣāṇām ekaśata-vatsa-sahasraṃ bhīma-vikramaḥ ॥12-31-43॥
When his father passed away, he, the mighty one of terrible prowess, ruled the kingdom for one hundred thousand years.
tata iṣṭvā mahāyajñair bahubhir bhūridakṣiṇaiḥ। tarpayāmāsa devāṃś ca pitṝṃś caiva mahādyutiḥ ॥12-31-44॥
Then the greatly resplendent one, having performed great sacrifices with many abundant gifts, satisfied both the gods and the ancestors.
utpādya ca bahūn putrān kulasantānakāriṇaḥ। kālena mahatā rājan kāladharmam upeyivān ॥12-31-45॥
O king, after producing many sons who continued the family line, in due course of great time, he met his destined end (death).
sa tvaṃ rājendra sañjātaṃ śokam etan nivartaya। yathā tvāṃ keśavaḥ prāha vyāsaś ca sumahātapāḥ ॥12-31-46॥
O king, dispel this sorrow that has arisen, as Keśava and the greatly austere Vyāsa have instructed you.
pitṛpaitāmahaṃ rājyam āsthāya duramudvaha | iṣṭvā puṇyair mahāyajñair iṣṭāṃl lokān avāpsyasi ॥12-31-47॥
O bearer of heavy burdens, after assuming the ancestral kingdom and performing great meritorious sacrifices, you will attain the desired worlds.
