12.146
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
abuddhipūrvaṃ yaḥ pāpaṃ kuryād bharatasattama। mucyate sa kathaṃ tasmād enasas tad vadasva me ॥12-146-1॥
O best of the Bharatas, please tell me how one who commits a sin without prior understanding is released from that sin.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atra te varṇayiṣye'hamitihāsaṃ purātanam। indrotaḥ śaunako vipro yadāha janamejayam ॥12-146-2॥
Here, I will narrate to you the ancient history that the sage Śaunaka, descendant of Indrota, told to Janamejaya.
āsīdrājā mahāvīryaḥ pārikṣijjanamejayaḥ। abuddhipūrvaṃ brahmahatyā tamāgacchanmahīpatim ॥12-146-3॥
There was a mighty king named Janamejaya, descendant of Parikṣit. Unknowingly, the sin of killing a Brahmin befell him.
taṃ brāhmaṇāḥ sarva eva tatyajuḥ sapurohitāḥ। jagāma sa vanaṃ rājā dahyamāno divāniśam ॥12-146-4॥
All the brāhmaṇas, along with the family priest, abandoned him. The king, burning with grief, went to the forest day and night.
sa prajābhiḥ parityaktaś cakāra kuśalaṃ mahat। ativelaṃ tapastepe dahyamānaḥ sa manyunā ॥12-146-5॥
Abandoned by his subjects, he performed a great auspicious act. Burning with anger, he practiced severe austerities to an excessive degree.
tatretihāsaṃ vakṣyāmi dharmasyāsyopabṛṃhaṇam। dahyamānaḥ pāpakṛtyā jagāma janamejayaḥ ॥12-146-6॥
There, I will narrate the history that augments this dharma. Tormented by his sinful deed, Janamejaya departed.
variṣyamāṇa indrotaṃ śaunakaṃ saṃśitavratam। samāsādyopajagrāha pādayoḥ paripīḍayan ॥12-146-7॥
As the rain was about to fall, Indrota, the Śaunaka of firm vows, approached and seized his feet, pressing them closely.
tato bhīto mahāprājño jagarhe subhṛśaṃ tadā। kartā pāpasya mahato bhrūṇahā kimiha āgataḥ ॥12-146-8॥
Then, being afraid, the very wise one severely censured, saying at that time: "Why has the killer of the embryo, the doer of great sin, come here?"
kiṃ tavāsmāsu kartavyaṃ mā mā sprākṣīḥ kathañcana। gaccha gaccha na te sthānaṃ prīṇātyasmāniha dhruvam ॥12-146-9॥
What business do you have with us? Do not touch us in any way. Go away, go away; there is certainly no place here that pleases us.
rudhirasyeva te gandhaḥ śavasyeva ca darśanam। aśivaḥ śivasaṅkāśo mṛto jīvannivāṭasi ॥12-146-10॥
Your scent is like blood, your appearance like a corpse; you are inauspicious though you seem auspicious, dead though you appear alive, and you dwell thus.
antarmṛtyuraśuddhātmā pāpamevā́nucintayan। prabudhyase prasvapiṣi vartase carase sukhī ॥12-146-11॥
With inner death and an impure self, always thinking only of sin, you awaken, sleep, exist, and move about, thinking yourself happy.
moghaṃ te jīvitaṃ rājanparikliṣṭaṃ ca jīvasi. pāpāyeva ca sṛṣṭo'si karmaṇe ha yavīyase ॥12-146-12॥
O king, your life is in vain and you live in affliction. Indeed, you are created for evil deeds and for even worse actions.
bahu kalyāṇam icchanta īhante pitaraḥ sutān। tapasā devatejyābhir vandanena titikṣayā ॥12-146-13॥
Fathers, wishing for the great welfare of their sons, strive through penance, worship of the gods, reverence, and endurance.
pitṛvaṃśam imaṃ paśya tvat-kṛte narakaṃ gatam। nirarthāḥ sarva eva eṣām āśā-bandhāḥ tvad-āśrayāḥ ॥12-146-14॥
Behold this ancestral line—because of you, it has gone to hell. All their bonds of hope, which depend on you, are now rendered useless.
yān pūjayanto vindanti svargam āyur yaśaḥ sukham। teṣu te satataṃ dveṣo brāhmaṇeṣu nirarthakaḥ ॥12-146-15॥
Hatred towards Brāhmaṇas, whom people worship and thereby attain heaven, long life, fame, and happiness, is always useless.
imaṃ lokaṃ vimucya tvam avāṅmūrdhā patiṣyasi। aśāśvatīḥ śāśvatīś ca samāḥ pāpena karmaṇā ॥12-146-16॥
Having abandoned this world, you will fall head downward. Because of sinful actions, you will experience both fleeting and endless years of suffering.
adyamāno jantugṛdhraiḥ śitikaṇṭhairayomukhaiḥ। tato'pi punarāvṛttaḥ pāpayoniṃ gamiṣyasi॥12-146-17॥
While being devoured by creature-vultures with white throats and iron beaks, even after returning from there, you will again enter a sinful birth.
yad idaṃ manyase rājan nāyam asti paraḥ kutaḥ। pratismārayitāras tvāṃ yamadūtā yamakṣaye ॥12-146-18॥
O king, if you think this is not so, then where is another? The messengers of Yama will remind you at the abode of Yama.
