12.151
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
evam-uktvā tu rājendra śalmaliṃ brahmavittamaḥ। nāradaḥ pavane sarvaṃ śalmalervākyam abravīt ॥12-151-1॥
Having thus spoken to Śalmali, O king, the foremost knower of Brahman, Nārada narrated all of Śalmali's words to the wind.
himavatpṛṣṭhajaḥ kaścićchalmalīḥ parivāravān। bṛhanmūlo bṛhacchākhaḥ sa tvāṃ vāyo'vamanyate ॥12-151-2॥
A certain silk-cotton tree, born on the slopes of the Himalaya, surrounded by its kin, with great roots and branches, now dares to disregard you, O Vāyu.
bahūnyākṣepayuktāni tvāmāha vacanāni saḥ। na yuktāni mayā vāyo tāni vaktuṃ tvayi prabho ॥12-151-3॥
He spoke many reproachful words to you; O Vāyu, it was not proper for me to say those things to you, O lord.
jānāmi tvām ahaṃ vāyo sarvapraṇabhṛtāṃ varam। variṣṭhaṃ ca gariṣṭhaṃ ca krodhe vaivasvataṃ yathā ॥12-151-4॥
I know you, O Vāyu, as the foremost among all beings who sustain life; you are the most excellent and the mightiest, and in anger, you are like Vaivasvata (Yama), the god of death.
evaṃ tu vacanaṃ śrutvā nāradasya samīraṇaḥ। śalmaliṃ tamupāgamya kruddho vacanamabravīt ॥12-151-5॥
Having thus heard Nārada's words, the Wind-god, angry, approached the Śalmali tree and spoke.
śalmale nārade yat tattva-yoktaṃ mad-vigarhaṇam। ahaṃ vāyuḥ prabhāvaṃ te darśayāmy ātmano balam ॥12-151-6॥
O Śalmali and Nārada, regarding the reproach of me that was declared as truth, I, Vāyu, will now show you the power of my own strength.
nāhaṃ tvā nābhijānāmi viditaścāsi me druma। pitāmahaḥ prajāsarge tvayi viśrāntavān prabhuḥ ॥12-151-7॥
I do not recognize you, but you are known to me, O tree. At the creation of beings, my grandfather, the lord, rested in you.
tasya viśramaṇādeva prasādo yaḥ kṛtastava| rakṣyase tena durbuddhe nātmavīryāddrumādhama ||12-151-8||
The favor done for you by his resting alone protects you, O wicked-minded one, not your own strength, O lowest of trees.
yanmā tvam avajānīṣe yathānyaṃ prākṛtaṃ tathā। darśayāmyeṣa ātmānaṃ yathā mām avabhotsyase ॥12-151-9॥
Because you have disregarded me as an ordinary person, I will now reveal my true self to you so that you may understand who I truly am.
evam-uktas-tataḥ prāha śalmaliḥ prahasann-iva। pavana tvaṃ vane kruddho darśayātmānam-ātmanā ॥12-151-10॥
Thus addressed, the silk-cotton tree, as if smiling, said: "O Wind, if you are angry in the forest, show your true self by your own power."
mayi vai tyajyatāṃ krodhaḥ kiṃ me kruddhaḥ kariṣyasi। na te bibhemi pavana yadyapi tvaṃ svayamprabhuḥ ॥12-151-11॥
Let anger towards me be abandoned indeed; what can you do to me by being angry? I do not fear you, O Wind, even though you are your own master.
ityevamuktaḥ pavanaḥ śva ityevābravīdvacaḥ। darśayiṣyāmi te tejas tato rātrirupāgamat ॥12-151-12॥
Thus addressed, the Wind (god) said: "Tomorrow, I will show you the splendor." Then night fell.
atha niścitya manasā śalmalir-vātakāritam। paśyamānas-tad-ātmānam-asamaṃ mātariśvanaḥ ॥12-151-13॥
Then, having determined in his mind the silk-cotton tree shaken by the wind, the wind-god, seeing that self as unequal, (acted thus).
nārade yanmayā proktaṃ pavanaṃ prati tanmṛṣā। asamartho hyahaṃ vāyorbalena balavānhi saḥ ॥12-151-14॥
O Nārada, what I told Vāyu was untrue; I am truly powerless compared to Vāyu's strength, for he is indeed powerful.
māruto balavān nityaṃ yathainaṃ nārado'bravīt। ahaṃ hi durbalo'nyebhyo vṛkṣebhyo nātra saṃśayaḥ ॥12-151-15॥
The wind is always powerful, as Nārada said. As for me, I am certainly weaker than others, weaker than the trees; there is no doubt about it.
kiṁ tu buddhyā samo nāsti mama kaścid vanaspatiḥ। tad ahaṁ buddhim āsthāya bhayaṁ mokṣye samīraṇāt॥12-151-16॥
But there is no tree equal to my intellect. Therefore, I will rely on my intellect and free myself from the fear of the wind.
yadi tāṃ buddhim āsthāya careyuḥ parṇino vane। ariṣṭāḥ syuḥ sadā kruddhāt pavanān nātra saṃśayaḥ ॥12-151-17॥
If the leaf-eaters in the forest act with that wisdom, they will always be safe from the angry wind; there is no doubt about this.
te'tra bālā na jānanti yathā nainānsamīraṇaḥ। samīrayeta saṅkruddho yathā jānāmyahaṃ tathā ॥12-151-18॥
These here are children and do not know, just as the wind does not know them; if the wind, being very angry, were to blow as I know, so it would be.
tato niścitya manasā śalmaliḥ kṣubhitas tadā। śākhāḥ skandhān praśākhāś ca svayam eva vyaśātayat ॥12-151-19॥
Then, having resolved in its mind, the agitated silk-cotton tree itself shook off its branches, trunks, and sub-branches.
sa parityajya śākhāś ca patrāṇi kusumāni ca। prabhāte vāyum āyāntaṃ praty aikṣata vanaspatiḥ ॥12-151-20॥
In the morning, the tree, having shed its branches, leaves, and flowers, looked at the approaching wind.
tataḥ kruddhaḥ śvasanvāyuḥ pātayanvai mahādrumāna। ājagāmātha taṃ deśaṃ sthito yatra sa śalmaliḥ ॥12-151-21॥
Then, the furious wind, blowing violently and toppling great trees, arrived at the place where the Śalmali tree stood.
taṃ hīnaparṇaṃ patitāgraśākhaṃ; viśīrṇapuṣpaṃ prasamīkṣya vāyuḥ। uvāca vākyaṃ smayamāna enaṃ; mudā yutaṃ śalmaliṃ rugṇaśākham ॥12-151-22॥
The wind, seeing the silk-cotton tree deprived of leaves, with fallen top branches and scattered flowers, joyfully and smilingly spoke these words to him, the tree with broken branches.
aham apy evam eva tvām kurvāṇaḥ śalmale ruṣā। ātmanā yat kṛtaṃ kṛtsnaṃ śākhānām apakarṣaṇam ॥12-151-23॥
I too, in the same way, will act towards you, O silk-cotton tree, in anger, by myself, just as the complete removal of the branches was done.
hīnapuṣpāgraśākhastvaṃ śīrṇāṅkurapalāśavān। ātmadurmantriteneha madvīryavaśago'bhavaḥ ॥12-151-24॥
You, whose branches are deprived of flowers and whose sprouts and leaves are withered, have here, by your own misguided counsel, come under my power.
etat-śrutvā vaco vāyoḥ śalmaliḥ vrīḍitaḥ tadā। atapyata vacaḥ smṛtvā nāradaḥ yat tadā abravīt ॥12-151-25॥
When Śalmali heard these words of Vāyu, he became ashamed. Then, recalling the words that Nārada had spoken at that time, he was tormented.
evaṃ yo rājaśārdūla durbalaḥ sanbalīyasā। vairam āsajjate bālaḥ tapyate śalmalir yathā ॥12-151-26॥
O tiger among kings, in this way, when the weak forms enmity with the stronger, he is tormented, just as a child is scorched like the silk-cotton tree.
tasmād vairaṃ na kurvīta durbalo balavattaraiḥ। śoced dhi vairaṃ kurvāṇo yathā vai śalmalis tathā ॥12-151-27॥
Therefore, the weak should not make enmity with those who are stronger. For one who makes enmity will surely grieve, just as the silk-cotton tree does.
na hi vairaṃ mahātmāno vivṛṇvantyapakāriṣu। śanaiḥ śanairmahārāja darśayanti sma te balam ॥12-151-28॥
Great-souled ones do not display enmity towards wrongdoers. Gradually, O great king, they reveal their strength.
vairaṃ na kurvīta naro durbuddhirbuddhijīvinā। buddhirbuddhimato yāti tūleṣviva hutāśanaḥ ॥12-151-29॥
A man of evil intellect should not make enmity with one who lives by intellect. The intellect of the wise moves among obstacles like fire through cotton.
na hi buddhyā samaṃ kiñcid vidyate puruṣe nṛpa। tathā balena rājendra na samo'stīti cintayet ॥12-151-30॥
O king, truly, nothing in a person is equal to intellect; likewise, O king of kings, one should consider that there is no equal to strength.
tasmātkṣameta bālāya jaḍāya badhirāya ca। balādhikāya rājendra taddṛṣṭaṃ tvayi śatruhan ॥12-151-31॥
Therefore, O king, you should forgive the child, the dull-witted, the deaf, and the stronger; O destroyer of enemies, you have seen this.
akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca sapta caiva mahādyute। balena na samā rājannarjunasya mahātmanaḥ ॥12-151-32॥
O king, even ten, one, and seven divisions of an army, O greatly radiant one, are not equal in strength to the great-souled Arjuna.
hatāstāścaiva bhagnāśca pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā। caratā balamāsthāya pākaśāsaninā mṛdhe ॥12-151-33॥
Those were slain and broken by the glorious Pāṇḍava, who, moving in battle, relying on his strength, acted as the subduer of Pāka (Indra).
uktās te rājadharmāś ca āpaddharmāś ca bhārata। vistareṇa mahārāja kiṃ bhūyaḥ prabravīmi te ॥12-151-34॥
O Bhārata, I have already explained to you the duties of a king and those in times of adversity. O great king, what more should I tell you in detail?
