13.009
sṛgālavānarasaṃvādaḥ
The dialogue between the jackal and the monkey.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
brāhmaṇānāṃ tu ye loke pratiśrutya pitāmaha। na prayacchanti mohāt te ke bhavanti mahāmate ॥13-9-1॥
O grandsire, who are those in the world, among the Brāhmaṇas, who, having promised, do not give out of delusion, O great-minded one? (13-9-1)
etan me tattvato brūhi dharmaṃ dharmabhṛtāṃ vara। pratiśrutya durātmāno na prayacchanti ye narāḥ ॥13-9-2॥
O best among the upholders of dharma, tell me this truly: What is the duty? Those men who are evil-minded do not give after promising. (13-9-2)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
yo na dadyātpratiśrutya svalpaṃ vā yadi vā bahu। āśāstasya hatāḥ sarvāḥ klībasyeva prajāphalam ॥13-9-3॥
If a person does not give what he has promised, whether little or much, all his hopes are destroyed, just like the offspring of a powerless man. (13-9-3)
yāṃ rātriṃ jāyate pāpo yāṃ ca rātriṃ vinaśyati। etasminnantare yadyatsukṛtaṃ tasya bhārata ॥ yac ca tasya hutaṃ kiñcit sarvaṃ tasyopahanyate ॥13-9-4॥
The night in which sin is born and the night in which it is destroyed—in this interval, O Bhārata, whatever good deed or offering he has made, all of it is nullified. (13-9-4)
atraitadvacanaṃ prāhur dharmaśāstravido janāḥ। niśamya bharataśreṣṭha buddhyā paramayuktayā ॥13-9-5॥
Here, O best of the Bharatas, the people who know the dharmaśāstra, having heard this statement, spoke with intellect and supreme reasoning. (13-9-5)
api codāharantīmaṁ dharmaśāstravido janāḥ। aśvānāṁ śyāmakarṇānāṁ sahasreṇa sa mucyate ॥13-9-6॥
Moreover, the people who know the dharmaśāstra also cite this: by a thousand black-eared horses, he is released. (13-9-6)
atraivodāharantīmam-itihāsaṃ purātanam। sṛgālasya ca saṃvādaṃ vānarasya ca bhārata ॥13-9-7॥
Right here, O Bhārata, they recount this ancient story: the conversation between the jackal and the monkey. (13-9-7)
tau sakhāyau purā hyāstāṃ mānuṣatve parantapa। anyāṃ yoniṃ samāpannau sārgālīṃ vānarīṃ tathā ॥13-9-8॥
Those two friends were formerly humans, O scorcher of foes; they were later born in other wombs, one as a female jackal and the other as a female monkey. (13-9-8)
tataḥ parāsūnkhādantaṃ sṛgālaṃ vānarobravīt। śmaśānamadhye samprekṣya pūrvajātimanusmaran ॥13-9-9॥
Then, in the midst of the cremation ground, the monkey, recalling his previous existence, saw the jackal eating another's flesh and spoke to him. (13-9-9)
kiṁ tvayā pāpakaṁ karma kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ sudāruṇam। yastvaṁ śmaśāne mṛtakānpūtikānatsi kutsitān ॥13-9-10॥
What very terrible sinful action did you do previously, that you, who eat the putrid, despicable dead in the cremation ground? (13-9-10)
evam-uktaḥ pratyuvāca sṛgālo vānaraṃ tadā। brāhmaṇasya pratiśrutya na mayā tad-upākṛtam ॥13-9-11॥
Thus addressed, the jackal then replied to the monkey: 'Having promised the brāhmaṇa, I did not do that favor.' (13-9-11)
tatkṛte pāpikāṃ yonim āpanno'smi plavaṅgama। tasmād evaṃ-vidhaṃ bhakṣyaṃ bhakṣayāmi bubhukṣitaḥ ॥13-9-12॥
O monkey, because of that, I have attained a sinful birth; therefore, being hungry, I eat such food. (13-9-12)
ity etad bruvato rājan brāhmaṇasya mayā śrutam। kathāṃ kathayataḥ puṇyāṃ dharmajñasya purātanīm ॥13-9-13॥
O king, thus I heard this meritorious ancient story of the knower of dharma as narrated by the brāhmaṇa. (13-9-13)
śrutaṃ cāpi mayā bhūyaḥ kṛṣṇasyāpi viśāṃ pate. kathāṃ kathayataḥ pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ prati pāṇḍava ॥13-9-14॥
O Pāṇḍava, I have also heard again the story that Kṛṣṇa spoke earlier to the Brāhmaṇa, O lord of men. (13-9-14)
evameva ca māṃ nityaṃ brāhmaṇāḥ saṃdiśanti vai। pratiśrutya bhaveddeyaṃ nāśā kāryā hi brāhmaṇaiḥ ॥13-9-15॥
In this way, Brāhmaṇas always instruct me: "Having promised, one should give; Brāhmaṇas should not create expectation." (13-9-15)
brāhmaṇo hyāśayā pūrvaṃ kṛtayā pṛthivīpate। susamiddho yathā dīptaḥ pāvakastadvidhaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥13-9-16॥
O lord of the earth, a Brāhmaṇa who is well-kindled by intention and previous action is regarded as being like blazing fire. (13-9-16)
yaṃ nirīkṣeta saṅkruddha āśayā pūrvajātayā। pradahéta hi taṃ rājan kakṣam akṣayya-bhuk yathā ॥13-9-17॥
O king, when a very angry person looks at someone with an intention carried from a previous birth, he might indeed burn him up, just as fire consumes inexhaustible fuel. (13-9-17)
sa eva hi yadā tuṣṭo vacasā pratinandati। bhavatyagadasaṅkāśo viṣaye tasya bhārata ॥13-9-18॥
O Bhārata, when he is pleased and greets with words, he becomes like a remedy in that person's matter. (13-9-18)
putrānpautrānpaśūṃścaiva bāndhavānsacivāṃstathā। puraṃ janapadaṃ caiva śāntiriṣṭeva puṣyati ॥13-9-19॥
Peace, like a desired sacrifice, indeed nourishes sons, grandsons, cattle, relatives, ministers, as well as the city and the country. (13-9-19)
etaddhi paramaṃ tejo brāhmaṇasyeha dṛśyate। sahasrakiraṇasyeva saviturdharaṇītale ॥13-9-20॥
This, indeed, is the supreme splendor of the brāhmaṇa seen here, like that of the thousand-rayed Savitṛ (the Sun) on the surface of the earth. (13-9-20)
tasmāddātavyameveha pratiśrutya yudhiṣṭhira। yadīcchecchobhanāṃ jātiṃ prāptuṃ bharatasattama ॥13-9-21॥
Therefore, O Yudhishthira, having promised, one should certainly give here, if one wishes to attain an excellent birth, O best of the Bharatas. (13-9-21)
brāhmaṇasya hi dattena dhruvaṃ svargo hyanuttamaḥ। śakyaṃ prāptuṃ viśeṣeṇa dānaṃ hi mahatī kriyā ॥13-9-22॥
Indeed, by giving to a Brāhmaṇa, heaven—certain and unsurpassed—can be attained; especially, giving is indeed a great act. (13-9-22)
ito dattena jīvanti devatāḥ pitaras tathā। tasmād dānāni deyāni brāhmaṇebhyo vijānatā ॥13-9-23॥
It is by offerings such as these that the gods and likewise the ancestors are sustained; therefore, one who understands should give gifts to the Brāhmaṇas. (13-9-23)
mahaddhi bharataśreṣṭha brāhmaṇastīrthamucyate। velāyāṃ na tu kasyāñcidgacchedvipro hyapūjitaḥ ॥13-9-24॥
O best of the Bharatas, a Brāhmaṇa is truly regarded as a sacred place; however, at the time of worship, a Brāhmaṇa should not go to anyone unhonored. (13-9-24)
