13.120
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; (proper noun; a name) उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he spoke;);]
(Bhīṣma said;)
Bhīṣma said.
क्षत्रधर्ममनुप्राप्तः स्मरन्नेव स वीर्यवान्। त्यक्त्वा स कीटतां राजंश्चचार विपुलं तपः ॥१३-१२०-१॥
kṣatradharmam anuprāptaḥ smaran eva sa vīryavān। tyaktvā sa kīṭatāṁ rājaṁś cacāra vipulaṁ tapaḥ॥13-120-1॥
[क्षत्रधर्मम् (kṣatradharmam) - kṣatriya-duty; अनुप्राप्तः (anuprāptaḥ) - having attained; स्मरन् (smaran) - remembering; एव (eva) - indeed; स (sa) - he; वीर्यवान् (vīryavān) - possessing strength; त्यक्त्वा (tyaktvā) - having abandoned; स (sa) - he; कीटताम् (kīṭatām) - insect-state; राजन् (rājan) - O king; चचार (cacāra) - practiced; विपुलम् (vipulam) - intense; तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity;]
(Having attained kṣatriya-duty, remembering indeed, he possessing strength, having abandoned insect-state, O king, he practiced intense austerity.)
O king, he, having regained his kṣatriya-duty and remembering it, that strong one, having given up his insect state, performed very intense austerities. (13-120-1)
तस्य धर्मार्थविदुषो दृष्ट्वा तद्विपुलं तपः। आजगाम द्विजश्रेष्ठः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥१३-१२०-२॥
tasya dharmārthaviduṣo dṛṣṭvā tad vipulaṃ tapaḥ। ājagāma dvijaśreṣṭhaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanas tadā ॥13-120-2॥
[तस्य (tasya) - of him; धर्मार्थविदुषः (dharmārthaviduṣaḥ) - knower of dharma and artha; दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen; तत् (tat) - that; विपुलं (vipulaṃ) - great; तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity; आजगाम (ājagāma) - came; द्विजश्रेष्ठः (dvijaśreṣṭhaḥ) - best of twice-born; कृष्णद्वैपायनः (kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ) - Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana; तदा (tadā) - then;]
(Of him, the knower of dharma and artha, having seen that great austerity, the best of twice-born, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, then came.)
Seeing that great asceticism of the one skilled in dharma and artha, the eminent sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana then arrived. (13-120-2)
व्यास उवाच॥
vyāsa uvāca॥
[व्यास (vyāsa) - Vyāsa; (a proper noun); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he spoke; from the root 'vac' to speak, 3rd person singular, aorist);]
(Vyāsa said;)
Vyāsa said.
क्षात्रं चैव व्रतं कीट भूतानां परिपालनम्। क्षात्रं चैव व्रतं ध्यायंस्ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि ॥१३-१२०-३॥
kṣātraṃ caiva vrataṃ kīṭa bhūtānāṃ paripālanam। kṣātraṃ caiva vrataṃ dhyāyaṃs tato vipratvam eṣyasi ॥13-120-3॥
[क्षात्रं (kṣātram) - warrior's; (adj. relating to kṣatra – valor or the warrior class); च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; व्रतं (vratam) - discipline; vow; कीट (kīṭa) - O insect; भूतानां (bhūtānām) - of beings; परिपालनम् (paripālanam) - protection; क्षात्रं (kṣātram) - warrior’s; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; व्रतं (vratam) - discipline; vow; ध्यायंस् (dhyāyaṃs) - meditating; ततः (tataḥ) - then; विप्रत्वम् (vipratvam) - brahminhood; एष्यसि (eṣyasi) - you will attain;]
(Warrior’s and indeed vow, O insect, of beings protection; warrior’s and indeed vow meditating, then brahminhood you will attain.)
O insect, the vow of the warrior is indeed the protection of beings; meditating on this warrior’s vow, then you will attain the state of a brahmin. (13-120-3)
पाहि सर्वाः प्रजाः सम्यक्षुभाशुभविदात्मवान्। शुभैः संविभजन्कामैरशुभानां च पावनैः ॥१३-१२०-४॥
pāhi sarvāḥ prajāḥ samyak śubhāśubhavidātmavān। śubhaiḥ saṃvibhajankāmairaśubhānāṃ ca pāvanaiḥ ॥13-120-4॥
[पाहि (pāhi) - protect; सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all; प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - creatures; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; शुभ-अशुभ-विद् (śubha-aśubha-vid) - knower of good and evil; आत्मवान् (ātmavān) - self-possessed; शुभैः (śubhaiḥ) - with good; संविभजन् (saṃvibhajan) - distributing; कामैः (kāmaiḥ) - desires; अशुभानाम् (aśubhānām) - of the evil; च (ca) - and; पावनैः (pāvanaiḥ) - with purifying (means);]
(Protect all creatures properly, being self-possessed and a knower of good and evil, distributing desirable (things) with good (means), and also (with) purifying (means) for the undesirable.)
Protect all beings in the proper way, with self-mastery and discernment of good and evil, bestowing desires through good means, and purifying what is evil with purifying means. (13-120-4)
आत्मवान्भव सुप्रीतः स्वधर्मचरणे रतः। क्षात्रीं तनुं समुत्सृज्य ततो विप्रत्वमेष्यसि ॥१३-१२०-५॥
ātmavān bhava suprītaḥ svadharma-caraṇe rataḥ । kṣātrīṃ tanuṃ samutsṛjya tato vipratvam eṣyasi ॥13-120-5॥
[आत्मवान् (ātmavān) - possessed of self; self-controlled; भव (bhava) - be; become; सुप्रीतः (suprītaḥ) - well-pleased; very contented; स्वधर्मचरणे (svadharma-caraṇe) - in the practice of one’s own duty; रतः (rataḥ) - engaged; devoted; क्षात्रीं (kṣātrīm) - kṣatriya; royal; तनुं (tanuṃ) - body; समुत्सृज्य (samutsṛjya) - wholly abandoning; having relinquished; ततः (tataḥ) - then; thereupon; विप्रत्वम् (vipratvam) - brahminhood; state of being a brāhmaṇa; एष्यसि (eṣyasi) - you will obtain; you will enter;]
(Self-controlled be, well-pleased, in the practice of one’s own duty engaged; kṣatriya body having wholly abandoned, then brahminhood you will obtain.)
Be self-controlled, become well-pleased and devoted to your own duty; abandoning your kṣatriya body, you will then attain brahminhood. (13-120-5)
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma; (proper noun, name of a character) उवाच (uvāca) - said; (third person singular, perfect tense, from the root 'vac', to speak);]
(Bhishma said;)
Bhishma said.
सोऽथारण्यमभिप्रेत्य पुनरेव युधिष्ठिर। महर्षेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रजा धर्मेण पाल्य च ॥१३-१२०-६॥
so'athāraṇyam abhipretya punareva yudhiṣṭhira। maharṣer vacanaṃ śrutvā prajā dharmeṇa pālya ca ॥13-120-6॥
[सः (saḥ) - he; अथ (atha) - then; आरण्यम् (āraṇyam) - to the forest; अभि-प्रेत्य (abhi-pretya) - approaching toward; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; एव (eva) - indeed; युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira; महर्षेः (maharṣeḥ) - of the great sage; वचनम् (vacanam) - word; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard; प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - subjects; धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - with righteousness; पाल्य (pālya) - having protected; च (ca) - and;]
(He then, having approached the forest again indeed, O Yudhiṣṭhira, having heard the word of the great sage, having protected the subjects with righteousness, and)
Then, having again approached the forest, O Yudhiṣṭhira, and after hearing the words of the great sage and protecting his subjects righteously, (he did so). (13-120-6)
अचिरेणैव कालेन कीटः पार्थिवसत्तम। प्रजापालनधर्मेण प्रेत्य विप्रत्वमागतः ॥१३-१२०-७॥
acireṇaiva kālena kīṭaḥ pārthivasattama। prajāpālanadharmeṇa pretya vipratvamāgataḥ ॥13-120-7॥
[अचिरेणैव (acireṇaiva) - very soon; quickly; कालेन (kālena) - by time; कीटः (kīṭaḥ) - worm; insect; पार्थिवसत्तम (pārthivasattama) - O best among kings; प्रजापालनधर्मेण (prajāpālanadharmeṇa) - by the virtue of protecting subjects; प्रेत्य (pretya) - having died; after death; विप्रत्वमागतः (vipratvam āgataḥ) - has attained brahminhood;]
(Very soon, by time, the worm, O best among kings, by the virtue of protecting subjects, having died, has attained brahminhood.)
O best of kings, very soon, by the merit of protecting his subjects, the worm, having died, attained the state of a brahmin. (13-120-7)
ततस्तं ब्राह्मणं दृष्ट्वा पुनरेव महायशाः। आजगाम महाप्राज्ञः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥१३-१२०-८॥
tatas taṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar eva mahā-yaśāḥ. ājagāma mahā-prājñaḥ kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanaḥ tadā ॥13-120-8॥
[ततः (tatas) - then; तम् (tam) - that; ब्राह्मणम् (brāhmaṇam) - brāhmaṇa; दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - having seen; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; एव (eva) - indeed; महायशाः (mahā-yaśāḥ) - of great fame; आजगाम (ājagāma) - arrived; महाप्राज्ञः (mahā-prājñaḥ) - greatly wise; कृष्णद्वैपायनः (kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanaḥ) - Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana; तदा (tadā) - then;]
(Then, having seen that brāhmaṇa, again indeed of great fame, the greatly wise Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana arrived then.)
Then Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, the greatly wise and famous sage, having seen that brāhmaṇa, came there again at that time. (13-120-8)
व्यास उवाच॥
vyāsa uvāca॥
[व्यास (vyāsa) - Vyāsa; (proper noun, the sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he spoke);]
(Vyāsa said;)
Vyāsa said;
भो भो विप्रर्षभ श्रीमन्मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथञ्चन। शुभकृच्छुभयोनीषु पापकृत्पापयोनिषु ॥ उपपद्यति धर्मज्ञ यथाधर्मं यथागमम् ॥१३-१२०-९॥
bho bho vipraṛṣabha śrīman mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathañcana। śubhakṛcchubhayoniṣu pāpakṛtpāpayoniṣu॥ upapadyati dharmajña yathā-dharmaṃ yathā-āgamam॥13-120-9॥
[भो भो (bho bho) - O! O!; O! O!; विप्रर्षभ (vipraṛṣabha) - best of Brāhmaṇas; श्रीमन् (śrīman) - O illustrious one; मा (mā) - do not; व्यथिष्ठाः (vyathiṣṭhāḥ) - be distressed; कथञ्चन (kathañcana) - at all; शुभकृच्छुभयोनीषु (śubhakṛcchubhayoniṣu) - among auspicious and difficult births; पापकृत् (pāpakṛt) - one who does evil deeds; पापयोनिषु (pāpayoniṣu) - among evil wombs; उपपद्यति (upapadyati) - is born; धर्मज्ञ (dharmajña) - O knower of dharma; यथाधर्मम् (yathādharmam) - according to dharma; यथागमम् (yathāgamam) - according to the scriptures;]
(O! O! best of Brāhmaṇas, O illustrious one, do not be distressed at all. Among auspicious and difficult births, one who does evil deeds is born among evil wombs. O knower of dharma, (this happens) according to dharma, according to the scriptures.)
O best of Brāhmaṇas, illustrious one, do not be distressed in any way. Among auspicious and difficult births, those who commit evil are born into evil wombs. O knower of dharma, this occurs according to dharma and as prescribed by the scriptures. (13-120-9)
तस्मान्मृत्युभयात्कीट मा व्यथिष्ठाः कथञ्चन। धर्मलोपाद्भयं ते स्यात्तस्माद्धर्मं चरोत्तमम् ॥१३-१२०-१०॥
tasmān mṛtyubhayāt kīṭa mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ kathañcana। dharmalopād bhayaṃ te syāt tasmād dharmaṃ cara uttamam॥13-120-10॥
[तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; मृत्युभयात् (mṛtyubhayāt) - from fear of death; कीट (kīṭa) - O insect; मा (mā) - do not; व्यथिष्ठाः (vyathiṣṭhāḥ) - be disturbed; कथञ्चन (kathañcana) - in any way; धर्मलोपात् (dharmalopāt) - from loss of dharma; भयम् (bhayam) - fear; ते (te) - for you; स्यात् (syāt) - should arise; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; धर्मम् (dharmaṃ) - dharma; चर (cara) - practice; उत्तमम् (uttamam) - excellent;]
(Therefore, from fear of death, O insect, do not be disturbed in any way. From loss of dharma, fear for you should arise; therefore, practice excellent dharma.)
Therefore, O insect, do not at all be distressed by fear of death. You should fear only the loss of dharma; therefore, practice the highest dharma. (13-120-10)
कीट उवाच॥
kīṭa uvāca॥
[कीट (kīṭa) - insect; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]
(insect said)
The insect said.
सुखात्सुखतरं प्राप्तो भगवंस्त्वत्कृते ह्यहम्। धर्ममूलां श्रियं प्राप्य पाप्मा नष्ट इहाद्य मे ॥१३-१२०-११॥
sukhātsukhataraṃ prāpto bhagavaṃstvattkṛte hyaham। dharmamūlāṃ śriyaṃ prāpya pāpmā naṣṭa ihādya me॥13-120-11॥
[सुखात् (sukhāt) - from happiness; सुखतरं (sukhataram) - greater happiness; प्राप्तः (prāptaḥ) - attained; भगवन् (bhagavan) - O venerable one; त्वत्कृते (tvatkṛte) - for your sake; हि (hi) - indeed; अहम् (aham) - I; धर्ममूलाम् (dharmamūlām) - rooted in righteousness; श्रियम् (śriyam) - prosperity; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained; पाप्मा (pāpmā) - sin; नष्टः (naṣṭaḥ) - is destroyed; इह (iha) - here; अद्य (adya) - today; मे (me) - for me;]
(From happiness, greater happiness I have attained, O venerable one, for your sake indeed I; having obtained prosperity rooted in righteousness, sin is destroyed here today for me. (13-120-11))
O venerable one, I have attained a happiness greater than happiness itself, indeed for your sake; having obtained prosperity rooted in righteousness, my sin has been destroyed here today. (13-120-11)
भीष्म उवाच॥
bhīṣma uvāca॥
[भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma; (proper noun); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (he spoke);]
(Bhīṣma said; (he spoke);)
Bhīṣma said.
भगवद्वचनात्कीटो ब्राह्मण्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम्। अकरोत्पृथिवीं राजन्यज्ञयूपशताङ्किताम् ॥ ततः सालोक्यमगमद्ब्रह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः ॥१३-१२०-१२॥
bhagavad-vacanāt kīṭaḥ brāhmaṇyam prāpya durlabham। akarot pṛthivīm rājanya-yajña-yūpa-śata-āṅkitām॥ tataḥ sālokyam agamad brahmaṇaḥ brahma-vit-tamaḥ॥13-120-12॥
[भगवद्वचनात् (bhagavad-vacanāt) - from the word of the Lord; कीटः (kīṭaḥ) - the insect; ब्राह्मण्यम् (brāhmaṇyam) - Brahminhood; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having attained; दुर्लभम् (durlabham) - difficult to obtain; अकरोत् (akarot) - he made; पृथिवीं (pṛthivīm) - the earth; राजन्य (rājanya) - of the kṣatriyas; यज्ञयूपशत (yajña-yūpa-śata) - by a hundred sacrificial posts; आङ्किताम् (āṅkitām) - marked; ततः (tataḥ) - then; सालोक्यम् (sālokyam) - sameness of world (residence in the same world); अगमत् (agamat) - he attained; ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ) - of Brahman; ब्रह्मवित्तमः (brahma-vit-tamaḥ) - the foremost knower of Brahman;]
(From the word of the Lord the insect, having attained difficult-to-obtain Brahminhood, made the earth marked by a hundred sacrificial posts of the kṣatriyas. Then, the foremost knower of Brahman attained sameness of world with Brahman.)
By the word of the Lord, the insect attained the rare status of a Brahmin and made the earth distinguished by a hundred sacrificial posts of the kṣatriyas. Then, as the foremost knower of Brahman, he achieved residence in the same world as Brahman. (13-120-12)
अवाप च परं कीटः पार्थ ब्रह्म सनातनम्। स्वकर्मफलनिर्वृत्तं व्यासस्य वचनात्तदा ॥१३-१२०-१३॥
avāpa ca paraṃ kīṭaḥ pārtha brahma sanātanam। svakarma-phala-nirvṛttaṃ vyāsasya vacanāt tadā॥13-120-13॥
[अवाप (avāpa) - obtained; च (ca) - and; परं (paraṃ) - supreme; कीटः (kīṭaḥ) - the insect; पार्थ (pārtha) - O Pārtha (Arjuna); ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; सनातनम् (sanātanam) - eternal; स्वकर्मफलनिर्वृत्तं (svakarma-phala-nirvṛttaṃ) - arisen from the result of its own action; व्यासस्य (vyāsasya) - of Vyāsa; वचनात् (vacanāt) - by the words; तदा (tadā) - then;]
(Obtained and supreme the insect, O Pārtha, Brahman eternal, arisen from the result of its own action, by Vyāsa’s words then.)
O Pārtha, by the words of Vyāsa, the insect then obtained the supreme, eternal Brahman as the result of its own actions. (13-120-13)
तेऽपि यस्मात्स्वभावेन हताः क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः। सम्प्राप्तास्ते गतिं पुण्यां तस्मान्मा शोच पुत्रक ॥१३-१२०-१४॥
te'pi yasmātsvabhāvena hatāḥ kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ। samprāptās te gatiṃ puṇyāṃ tasmān mā śoca putraka ॥13-120-14॥
[ते (te) - they; अपि (api) - also; यस्मात् (yasmāt) - because; स्वभावेन (svabhāvena) - by (their own) nature; हताः (hatāḥ) - slain; क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः (kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ) - the foremost of kṣatriyas; सम्प्राप्ताः (samprāptāḥ) - have attained; ते (te) - they; गतिं (gatiṃ) - path; पुण्यां (puṇyāṃ) - meritorious; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; मा (mā) - do not; शोच (śoca) - grieve; पुत्रक (putraka) - O son;]
(They also, because by (their own) nature slain, the foremost of kṣatriyas, have attained they path meritorious; therefore do not grieve, O son.)
Those foremost among kṣatriyas, having been slain by their very nature, have attained a meritorious path; therefore, do not grieve, O son. (13-120-14)
