12.216
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
yayā buddhyā mahīpālo bhraṣṭaśrīr vicaren mahīm। kāladaṇḍaviniṣpiṣṭas tan me brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-216-1॥
O grandsire, tell me by what wisdom a king, deprived of his fortune and crushed by the rod of Time, should conduct himself on earth.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। vāsavasya ca saṃvādaṃ baler vairocanasya ca ॥12-216-2॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: the conversation between Vāsava (Indra) and Bali, son of Virochana.
pitāmaham upāgatya praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ। sarvān eva asurān jitvā baliṃ papraccha vāsavaḥ॥12-216-3॥
Vāsava (Indra), after approaching his grandfather, bowing with joined palms, and conquering all the asuras, asked for tribute.
yasya sma dadato vittaṃ na kadācana hīyate। taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahmannācakṣva me balim ॥12-216-4॥
O Brahman, tell me of that offering whose giver's wealth is never diminished; I do not obtain such an offering.
sa eva hy astamayate sa sma vidyotate diśaḥ। sa varṣati sma varṣāṇi yathākālam atandritaḥ ॥ taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahman nācakṣva me balim ॥12-216-5॥
He alone sets, he alone shines in all directions. He alone sends the rains at the proper time, tirelessly. That offering I do not obtain, O Brahman; tell me about the offering.
sa vāyur varuṇaś caiva sa raviḥ sa ca candramāḥ। so'gnis tapati bhūtāni pṛthivī ca bhavaty uta॥ taṃ baliṃ nādhigacchāmi brahman nācakṣva me balim॥12-216-6॥
He is the wind, Varuṇa, the sun, and the moon; he is fire, he burns all beings, and he also becomes the earth. I do not obtain that offering, O Brahman; tell me about the offering.
brahmovāca॥
Brahmā said.
naitatte sādhu maghavanyadetadanupṛcchasi। pṛṣṭastu nānṛtaṃ brūyāttasmādvakṣyāmi te balim ॥12-216-7॥
O Maghavan, this is not proper for you to ask. But when asked, one should not speak falsehood; therefore, I shall tell you about the offering.
uṣṭreṣu yadi vā goṣu khareṣvaśveṣu vā punaḥ। variṣṭho bhavitā jantuḥ śūnyāgāre śacīpate ॥12-216-8॥
O Indra, lord of Śacī, whether among camels, cows, donkeys, or horses, or again in an empty house, the most excellent creature will arise.
śakra uvāca॥
Indra said.
yadi sma balinā brahmañ śūnyāgāre sameyivān। hanyāmenaṃ na vā hanyāṃ tad brahman anuśādhi mām ॥12-216-9॥
O Brahman, if I were to meet the strong one in an empty house, should I kill him or not? Please instruct me on this, O Brahman.
brahmovāca॥
Brahmā said.
mā sma śakra baliṃ hiṃsīrna balirvadhamarhati। nyāyāṃstu śakra praṣṭavyastvayā vāsava kāmyayā ॥12-216-10॥
O Śakra, do not harm Bali; Bali does not deserve to be killed. Instead, O Śakra, you should question him by just means, O Vāsava, if you desire.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
evamukto bhagavatā mahendraḥ pṛthivīṃ tadā। cacārairāvataskandhamadhiruhya śriyā vṛtaḥ ॥12-216-11॥
Thus, when addressed by the venerable one, Mahendra mounted the shoulder of Airāvata and moved over the earth, surrounded by splendor.
tato dadarśa sa baliṃ kharaveṣeṇa saṃvṛtam। yathākhyātaṃ bhagavatā śūnyāgārakṛtālayam ॥12-216-12॥
Then he saw Bali, disguised as an ass, just as the Lord had declared, dwelling in a deserted house.
śakra uvāca॥
Indra said.
kharayonimanuprāptastuṣabhakṣo'si dānava। iyaṃ te yoniradhama śocasyāho na śocasi ॥12-216-13॥
O demon, you have been born from a donkey and eat only chaff. This is your most degraded birth. Alas, you lament, but you do not truly grieve.
adṛṣṭaṃ bata paśyāmi dviṣatāṃ vaśamāgatam। śriyā vihīnaṃ mitraiśca bhraṣṭavīryaparākramam ॥12-216-14॥
Indeed, I see the unseen fate: fallen under the control of enemies, deprived of fortune, abandoned by friends, and bereft of strength and valor.
yattadyānasahasreṇa jñātibhiḥ parivāritaḥ। lokān pratāpayan sarvān yāsyasmān avitarkayan ॥12-216-15॥
That vehicle, surrounded by a thousand kinsmen, shining upon all worlds, will go without considering us.
tvanmukhāś caiva daiteyā vyatiṣṭhaṁs tava śāsane। akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī tavaiśvarye babhūva ha ॥ idaṁ ca te'dya vyasanaṁ śocasy āho na śocasi ॥12-216-16॥
Even the Daityas, under your leadership, stood obedient to your rule. The earth, naturally fertile, flourished under your sovereignty. Yet today, you grieve this misfortune—oh, do you not grieve?
yadātiṣṭhaḥ samudrasya pūrvakūle vilelihan। jñātibhyo vibhajanvittaṃ tadāsītte manaḥ katham ॥12-216-17॥
When you stood on the eastern shore of the ocean, distributing wealth among your relatives, what was your state of mind then?
yat te sahasrasamitā nanṛtur devayoṣitaḥ। bahūni varṣapūgāni vihāre dīpyataḥ śriyā ॥12-216-18॥
For many groups of years, thousands of divine women danced for you in enjoyment, shining with splendor.
sarvāḥ puṣkaramālīnyaḥ sarvāḥ kāñcanasaprabhāḥ। katham adya tadā caiva manas te dānaveśvara ॥12-216-19॥
All are adorned with lotus garlands and all shine with golden radiance. O lord of the Dānavas, how is your mind today and at that time?
chatraṃ tavāsītsumahatsauvarṇaṃ maṇibhūṣitam। nanṛturyatra gandharvāḥ ṣaṭsahasrāṇi saptadhā ॥12-216-20॥
Your umbrella was exceedingly large, made of gold, and decorated with gems. There, six thousand Gandharvas danced in seven groups.
yūpastavāsītsumahānyajataḥ sarvakāñcanaḥ। yatrādadah sahasrāṇāmayutāni gavāṃ daśa ॥12-216-21॥
Your sacrificial post was very great and made entirely of gold, O sacrificer. There, you gave away ten times ten thousand cows.
yadā tu pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ yajamāno'nuparyayāḥ। śamyākṣepena vidhinā tadāsītkiṃ nu te hṛdi ॥12-216-22॥
But when the sacrificer circumambulated the entire earth with the wooden peg according to the prescribed rule, what, indeed, was in your heart at that time?
na te paśyāmi bhṛṅgāraṃ na chatraṃ vyajanaṃ na ca। brahmadattāṃ ca te mālāṃ na paśyāmy asurādhipa ॥12-216-23॥
O lord of asuras, I do not see your cosmetic box, nor your parasol or fan; nor do I see the garland given by Brahmā that was yours.
balir uvāca॥
Bali said.
na tvaṃ paśyasi bhṛṅgāraṃ na chatraṃ vyajanaṃ na ca। brahmadattāṃ ca me mālāṃ na tvaṃ drakṣyasi vāsava ॥12-216-24॥
You will not see the cosmetic box, nor the parasol or the fan; and you will not see my garland given by Brahmadatta, O Indra.
guhāyāṃ nihitāni tvaṃ mama ratnāni pṛcchasi। yadā me bhavitā kālastadā tvaṃ tāni drakṣyasi ॥12-216-25॥
You ask me about the jewels I have hidden in the cave. When the time comes for me, then you will see them.
na tv etad anurūpaṃ te yaśaso vā kulasya vā। samṛddhārtho'samṛddhārthaṃ yan māṃ katthitum icchasi ॥12-216-26॥
But this conduct does not befit you, your fame, or your family, that you, being prosperous, wish to boast about me, who is not prosperous.
na hi duḥkheṣu śocanti na prahṛṣyanti ca ṛddhiṣu। kṛtaprajñā jñānatṛptāḥ kṣāntāḥ santo manīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-216-27॥
Truly, those whose wisdom is firm, who are content with knowledge, patient, virtuous, and wise, neither grieve in sorrow nor exult in prosperity.
tvaṃ tu prākṛtayā buddhyā puraṃdara vikatthase। yadāhamiva bhāvī tvaṃ tadā naivaṃ vadiṣyasi ॥12-216-28॥
But you, O Purandara, boast with an ordinary intellect. When you become like me, then you will not speak in this way.
