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युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
शीलं प्रधानं पुरुषे कथितं ते पितामह। कथमाशा समुत्पन्ना या च सा तद्वदस्व मे ॥१२-१२५-१॥
O grandsire, character is said to be the chief quality in a person. How does hope arise, and what is it? Please explain that to me.
संशयो मे महानेष समुत्पन्नः पितामह। छेत्ता च तस्य नान्योऽस्ति त्वत्तः परपुरञ्जय ॥१२-१२५-२॥
O grandsire, a great doubt has arisen in me. There is no one other than you, O conqueror of enemy cities, who can remove it.
पितामहाशा महती ममासीद्धि सुयोधने। प्राप्ते युद्धे तु यद्युक्तं तत्कर्तायमिति प्रभो ॥१२-१२५-३॥
O lord, my great desire for the grandsire was indeed in Suyodhana; but when the battle arrived, whatever was proper, that ought to be done.
सर्वस्याशा सुमहती पुरुषस्योपजायते। तस्यां विहन्यमानायां दुःखो मृत्युरसंशयम् ॥१२-१२५-४॥
The hope of every person is very great. When that is destroyed, sorrow and death, without doubt, follow.
सोऽहं हताशो दुर्बुद्धिः कृतस्तेन दुरात्मना। धार्तराष्ट्रेण राजेन्द्र पश्य मन्दात्मतां मम ॥१२-१२५-५॥
O king, see how I, made despairing and of poor understanding by that wicked son of Dhritarashtra, have become so dull in spirit.
आशां महत्तरां मन्ये पर्वतादपि सद्रुमात्। आकाशादपि वा राजन्नप्रमेयैव वा पुनः ॥१२-१२५-६॥
O king, I consider hope to be greater than a mountain, greater than a tree, greater even than the sky, or perhaps it is truly immeasurable.
एषा चैव कुरुश्रेष्ठ दुर्विचिन्त्या सुदुर्लभा। दुर्लभत्वाच्च पश्यामि किमन्यद्दुर्लभं ततः ॥१२-१२५-७॥
O best of the Kurus, this is indeed very difficult to comprehend and extremely rare. Because of its rarity, I do not see anything else rarer than this.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि युधिष्ठिर निबोध तत्। इतिहासं सुमित्रस्य निर्वृत्तमृषभस्य च ॥१२-१२५-८॥
Here, Yudhiṣṭhira, listen as I narrate to you the story of Sumitra and the accomplished Ṛṣabha.
सुमित्रो नाम राजर्षिर्हैहयो मृगयां गतः। ससार स मृगं विद्ध्वा बाणेन नतपर्वणा ॥१२-१२५-९॥
Sumitra, a royal sage of the Haihaya lineage, went hunting. He chased the deer after striking it with a bent-jointed arrow.
स मृगो बाणमादाय ययावमितविक्रमः। स च राजा बली तूर्णं ससार मृगमन्तिकात् ॥१२-१२५-१०॥
The deer of immeasurable valor, having taken the arrow, went away. And the strong king quickly pursued the deer from close by.
ततो निम्नं स्थलं चैव स मृगोऽद्रवदाशुगः। मुहूर्तमेव राजेन्द्र समेन स पथागमत् ॥१२-१२५-११॥
Then, O king, the swift deer ran down to the lower ground and, for a moment, followed the same path.
ततः स राजा तारुण्यादौरसेन बलेन च। ससार बाणासनभृत्सखड्गो हंसवत्तदा ॥१२-१२५-१२॥
Then that king, youthful, strong by birth, ran forth with his bow, arrows, and sword, moving like a swan.
तीर्त्वा नदान्नदीश्चैव पल्वलानि वनानि च। अतिक्रम्याभ्यतिक्रम्य ससारैव वने चरन् ॥१२-१२५-१३॥
He crossed rivers, streams, marshes, and forests, repeatedly passing through them, and continued wandering in the forest.
स तु कामान्मृगो राजन्नासाद्यासाद्य तं नृपम्। पुनरभ्येति जवनो जवेन महता ततः ॥१२-१२५-१४॥
But, O king, the deer, though desiring (to be caught), not having been reached, after approaching the king, again swiftly departs from there with great speed.
स तस्य बाणैर्बहुभिः समभ्यस्तो वनेचरः। प्रक्रीडन्निव राजेन्द्र पुनरभ्येति चान्तिकम् ॥१२-१२५-१५॥
O king, that forest-dweller, though thoroughly struck by many of his arrows, as if sporting, again comes near.
पुनश्च जवमास्थाय जवनो मृगयूथपः। अतीत्यातीत्य राजेन्द्र पुनरभ्येति चान्तिकम् ॥१२-१२५-१६॥
O king, again the swift leader of the herd of deer, having assumed speed and having crossed (the distance) repeatedly, comes near once more.
तस्य मर्मच्छिदं घोरं सुमित्रोऽमित्रकर्शनः। समादाय शरश्रेष्ठं कार्मुकान्निरवासृजत् ॥१२-१२५-१७॥
Sumitra, the destroyer of enemies, took up the best arrow and shot from his bow a terrible shaft that pierced his foe’s vital parts.
ततो गव्यूतिमात्रेण मृगयूथपयूथपः। तस्य बाणपथं त्यक्त्वा तस्थिवान्प्रहसन्निव ॥१२-१२५-१८॥
Then, having moved a gavyūti's distance away, the chief among the chiefs of the deer herd, leaving the range of the arrow, stood as if smiling.
तस्मिन्निपतिते बाणे भूमौ प्रज्वलिते ततः। प्रविवेश महारण्यं मृगो राजाप्यथाद्रवत् ॥१२-१२५-१९॥
When that blazing arrow fell to the ground, then the deer entered the great forest; the king also then ran after.
प्रविश्य तु महारण्यं तापसानामथाश्रमम्। आससाद ततो राजा श्रान्तश्चोपाविशत्पुनः ॥१२-१२५-२०॥
After entering the great forest, the king reached the hermitage of the ascetics; then, being tired, he sat down again.
तं कार्मुकधरं दृष्ट्वा श्रमार्तं क्षुधितं तदा। समेत्य ऋषयस्तस्मिन्पूजां चक्रुर्यथाविधि ॥१२-१२५-२१॥
Then, having seen him, the bow-bearing one, afflicted by fatigue and hungry, the sages approached and performed honor to him according to the prescribed manner.
ऋषयो राजशार्दूलमपृच्छन्स्वं प्रयोजनम्। केन भद्रमुखार्थेन सम्प्राप्तोऽसि तपोवनम् ॥१२-१२५-२२॥
The sages asked, "O tiger among kings, what is your purpose? With what auspicious intention have you come to the hermitage?"
पदातिर्बद्धनिस्त्रिंशो धन्वी बाणी नरेश्वर। एतदिच्छाम विज्ञातुं कुतः प्राप्तोऽसि मानद ॥ कस्मिन्कुले हि जातस्त्वं किंनामासि ब्रवीहि नः ॥१२-१२५-२३॥
O lord of men, you are a foot-soldier equipped with sword, bow, and arrows. We wish to know this: from where have you come, O giver of honor? In which family were you born? What is your name? Please tell us.
ततः स राजा सर्वेभ्यो द्विजेभ्यः पुरुषर्षभ। आचख्यौ तद्यथान्यायं परिचर्यां च भारत ॥१२-१२५-२४॥
Then that king, O best of men, informed all the Brahmanas of the proper procedures and the service, O Bhārata.
हैहयानां कुले जातः सुमित्रो मित्रनन्दनः। चरामि मृगयूथानि निघ्नन्बाणैः सहस्रशः ॥ बलेन महता गुप्तः सामात्यः सावरोधनः ॥१२-१२५-२५॥
Sumitra, son of Mitra, born in the family of the Haihayas, roamed among herds of deer, slaying thousands with arrows, protected by great strength, accompanied by ministers and women.
मृगस्तु विद्धो बाणेन मया सरति शल्यवान्। तं द्रवन्तमनु प्राप्तो वनमेतद्यदृच्छया ॥ भवत्सकाशे नष्टश्रीर्हताशः श्रमकर्शितः ॥१२-१२५-२६॥
But the deer, which I pierced with an arrow, ran away with the dart still in it. Chasing after it, I happened to reach this forest. Now, in your presence, I am a man who has lost his fortune, is hopeless, and is worn out by fatigue.
किं नु दुःखमतोऽन्यद्वै यदहं श्रमकर्शितः। भवतामाश्रमं प्राप्तो हताशो नष्टलक्षणः ॥१२-१२५-२७॥
What greater suffering can there be than this? I, worn out by toil, have reached your hermitage, yet I am in despair, my signs of fortune lost.
न राजलक्षणत्यागो न पुरस्य तपोधनाः। दुःखं करोति तत्तीव्रं यथाशा विहता मम ॥१२-१२५-२८॥
It is not the abandonment of royal qualities, nor the ascetics of the city, that causes suffering; the suffering is intense because my hope has been destroyed.
हिमवान्वा महाशैलः समुद्रो वा महोदधिः। महत्त्वान्नान्वपद्येतां रोदस्योरन्तरं यथा ॥ आशायास्तपसि श्रेष्ठास्तथा नान्तमहं गतः ॥१२-१२५-२९॥
Just as even the Himalaya or the great ocean, due to their greatness, cannot fill the space between heaven and earth, so too, though hope and austerity are supreme, I have not found their end.
भवतां विदितं सर्वं सर्वज्ञा हि तपोधनाः। भवन्तः सुमहाभागास्तस्मात्प्रक्ष्यामि संशयम् ॥१२-१२५-३०॥
Everything is known to you; you ascetics are indeed all-knowing and most highly fortunate. Therefore, I will ask you a question.
आशावान्पुरुषो यः स्यादन्तरिक्षमथापि वा। किं नु ज्यायस्तरं लोके महत्त्वात्प्रतिभाति वः ॥ एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन श्रोतुं किमिह दुर्लभम् ॥१२-१२५-३१॥
Who, in your view, is greater in this world—a hopeful man, or even the sky itself? I wish to know truly: what is difficult to obtain here?
यदि गुह्यं तपोनित्या न वो ब्रूतेह माचिरम्। न हि गुह्यमतः श्रोतुमिच्छामि द्विजपुङ्गवाः ॥१२-१२५-३२॥
If the secret is not revealed to you here, O ascetic, do not wait for long. Truly, O foremost of the twice-born, I do not wish to hear the secret.
भवत्तपोविघातो वा येन स्याद्विरमे ततः। यदि वास्ति कथायोगो योऽयं प्रश्नो मयेरितः ॥१२-१२५-३३॥
If there is any obstacle to your penance by which it might be interrupted, or if there is an opportunity for conversation, this question has been asked by me.
एतत्कारणसामग्र्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः। भवन्तो हि तपोनित्या ब्रूयुरेतत्समाहिताः ॥१२-१२५-३४॥
I wish to hear the complete cause of this in reality. You, who are ever devoted to austerity, may indeed speak this with concentration.
