12.113
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
किं पार्थिवेन कर्तव्यं किं च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत्। तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन सर्वं धर्मभृतां वर ॥१२-११३-१॥
What should a king do, and by doing what may he become happy? Please tell me all this truly, O best among the upholders of dharma.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
हन्त तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु कार्यैकनिश्चयम्। यथा राज्ञेह कर्तव्यं यच्च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत् ॥१२-११३-२॥
Indeed, I will tell you—listen—of the one decisive duty: what should be done here for the king, and what, when done, will bring happiness.
न त्वेवं वर्तितव्यं स्म यथेदमनुशुश्रुमः। उष्ट्रस्य सुमहद्वृत्तं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर ॥१२-११३-३॥
You should not act in this way as we have heard. Listen, O Yudhishthira, to the remarkable conduct of the camel.
जातिस्मरो महानुष्ट्रः प्राजापत्ययुगोद्भवः। तपः सुमहदातिष्ठदरण्ये संशितव्रतः ॥१२-११३-४॥
He, who remembered his previous births, was a great ascetic born in the age of Prajāpati. He undertook intense austerities in the forest, steadfast in his vows.
तपसस्तस्य चान्ते वै प्रीतिमानभवत्प्रभुः। वरेण छन्दयामास ततश्चैनं पितामहः ॥१२-११३-५॥
At the end of his austerity, the lord became full of joy. Then the grandsire, with a boon, caused him to choose.
उष्ट्र उवाच॥
The camel said.
भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादान्मे दीर्घा ग्रीवा भवेदियम्। योजनानां शतं साग्रं या गच्छेच्चरितुं विभो ॥१२-११३-६॥
O Lord, by your grace, may this neck of mine become long, so that it can travel and move a hundred yojanas and more, O mighty one.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
एवमस्त्विति चोक्तः स वरदेन महात्मना। प्रतिलभ्य वरं श्रेष्ठं ययावुष्ट्रः स्वकं वनम् ॥१२-११३-७॥
Thus, when the great-souled boon-giver said, "So be it," the camel, having received the excellent boon, returned to his own forest.
स चकार तदालस्यं वरदानात्स दुर्मतिः। न चैच्छच्चरितुं गन्तुं दुरात्मा कालमोहितः ॥१२-११३-८॥
He, having received the boon, became lazy; that wicked-minded one, deluded by time, did not wish to act or go anywhere.
स कदाचित्प्रसार्यैवं तां ग्रीवां शतयोजनाम्। चचाराश्रान्तहृदयो वातश्चागात्ततो महान् ॥१२-११३-९॥
Once, he stretched out his neck, which was a hundred yojanas long; with tireless heart, the great wind also arose from there.
स गुहायां शिरोग्रीवं निधाय पशुरात्मनः। आस्ताथ वर्षमभ्यागात्सुमहत्प्लावयज्जगत् ॥१२-११३-१०॥
He placed his head and neck like an animal in the cave and remained there. Then a very great rain came, flooding the world.
अथ शीतपरीताङ्गो जम्बुकः क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। सदारस्तां गुहामाशु प्रविवेश जलार्दितः ॥१२-११३-११॥
Then, the jackal, shivering from cold and tormented by hunger, entered that cave quickly with his wife, his body drenched with water.
स दृष्ट्वा मांसजीवी तु सुभृशं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। अभक्षयत्ततो ग्रीवामुष्ट्रस्य भरतर्षभ ॥१२-११३-१२॥
O best of the Bharatas, the meat-eater, having seen this and being exceedingly afflicted with hunger, then ate the neck of the camel.
यदा त्वबुध्यतात्मानं भक्ष्यमाणं स वै पशुः। तदा सङ्कोचने यत्नमकरोद्भृशदुःखितः ॥१२-११३-१३॥
When he realized that he himself was being eaten, the animal, greatly distressed, then made every effort to contract himself.
यावदूर्ध्वमधश्चैव ग्रीवां सङ्क्षिपते पशुः। तावत्तेन सदारेण जम्बुकेन स भक्षितः ॥१२-११३-१४॥
As long as the animal kept contracting its neck up and down, during that time, he and his wife were devoured by the jackal.
स हत्वा भक्षयित्वा च जम्बुकोष्ट्रं ततस्तदा। विगते वातवर्षे च निश्चक्राम गुहामुखात् ॥१२-११३-१५॥
After killing and eating (the prey) in the jackal's den, when the wind and rain had ceased, he came out from the mouth of the cave.
एवं दुर्बुद्धिना प्राप्तमुष्ट्रेण निधनं तदा। आलस्यस्य क्रमात्पश्य महद्दोषमुपागतम् ॥१२-११३-१६॥
Thus, due to the bad intellect of the one who acquired the camel, destruction occurred then. See how, due to laziness, a great fault gradually arose.
त्वमप्येतं विधिं त्यक्त्वा योगेन नियतेन्द्रियः। वर्तस्व बुद्धिमूलं हि विजयं मनुरब्रवीत् ॥१२-११३-१७॥
You too, abandoning this procedure, with your senses controlled by discipline, act with intellect as your foundation; for Manu declared that victory comes thus.
बुद्धिश्रेष्ठानि कर्माणि बाहुमध्यानि भारत। तानि जङ्घाजघन्यानि भारप्रत्यवराणि च ॥१२-११३-१८॥
O Bhārata, the actions that are best are those of the intellect; those of the arms are in the middle. The actions of the legs are the lowest and are considered inferior in bearing burdens.
राज्यं तिष्ठति दक्षस्य सङ्गृहीतेन्द्रियस्य च। गुप्तमन्त्रश्रुतवतः सुसहायस्य चानघ ॥१२-११३-१९॥
O sinless one, the kingdom endures with the competent, the self-controlled, the discreet in counsel, and one who has good allies.
परीक्ष्यकारिणोऽर्थाश्च तिष्ठन्तीह युधिष्ठिर। सहाययुक्तेन मही कृत्स्ना शक्या प्रशासितुम् ॥१२-११३-२०॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, only those undertakings which are carefully examined endure; with the aid of capable helpers, the entire earth can be governed.
इदं हि सद्भिः कथितं विधिज्ञैः; पुरा महेन्द्रप्रतिमप्रभाव। मयापि चोक्तं तव शास्त्रदृष्ट्या; त्वमत्र युक्तः प्रचरस्व राजन् ॥१२-११३-२१॥
This has indeed been declared by the virtuous and those versed in the rules long ago, O king of power equal to Mahendra. I too have told you this according to the śāstra; now you are fit, act accordingly, O king.
