Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 1.45
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1.45.1
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु जरत्कारुर्महातपाः ।
चचार पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां यत्रसायंगृहो मुनिः ॥ १.४५.१ ॥
At that very time Jaratkāru, the one of great austerity, was wandering over the whole earth, a sage whose home was wherever evening found him.
1.45.2
चरन्दीक्षां महातेजा दुश्चरामकृतात्मभिः ।
तीर्थेष्वाप्लवनं कुर्वन्पुण्येषु विचचार ह ॥ १.४५.२ ॥
Keeping a vow hard for the undisciplined to bear, the one of great splendour wandered bathing at holy fords.
1.45.3
वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुष्यन्नहरहर्मुनिः ।
सं ददर्श पितॄन्गर्ते लम्बमानानधोमुखान् ॥ १.४५.३ ॥
Living only on air and fasting, growing thinner day by day, the sage saw his ancestors hanging head-down in a pit.
1.45.4
एकतन्त्ववशिष्टं वै वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रितान् ।
तं तन्तुं च शनैराखुमाददानं बिलेशयम् ॥ १.४५.४ ॥
They clung to a stalk of vīraṇa grass that was left with only a single thread; and that thread a rat dwelling in a burrow was slowly gnawing through.
1.45.5
निराहारान्कृशान्दीनान्गर्ते स्वत्राणमिच्छतः ।
उपसृत्य स तान्दीनान्दीनरूपोऽभ्यभाषत ॥ १.४५.५ ॥
Approaching those wretched, emaciated, fasting ancestors in the pit, who sought their own deliverance, he too, in a wretched form, spoke to them.
1.45.6
के भवन्तोऽवलम्बन्ते वीरमस्तम्बमाश्रिताः ।
दुर्बलं खादितैर्मूलैराखुना बिलवासिना ॥ १.४५.६ ॥
Who are you, hanging from the stalk of vīra grass, weakened by its roots gnawed by the rat that dwells in the burrow?
1.45.7
वीरणस्तम्बके मूलं यदप्येकमिह स्थितम् ।
तद्भप्ययं शनैराखुरादत्ते दशनैः शितैः ॥ १.४५.७ ॥
Even the single root that remains here in the vīraṇa grass-clump, that too the rat gnaws away slowly with its sharp teeth.
1.45.8
छेत्स्यतेऽल्पावशिष्टत्वादेतदप्यचिरादिव ।
ततस्तु पतितारोऽत्र गर्ते व्यक्तमधोमुखाः ॥ १.४५.८ ॥
Since little of it is left, even this will soon be cut through; then you, falling into the pit here, will surely fall head-downward.
1.45.9
अत्र मे दुःखमुत्पन्नं दृष्ट्वा युष्मानधोमुखान् ।
कृच्छ्रामापदमापन्नान्प्रियं किं करवाणि वः ॥ १.४५.९ ॥
Seeing you here, head-downward, fallen into a grievous calamity, grief has arisen in me; what dear service shall I do for you?
1.45.10
तपसोऽस्य चतुर्थेन तृतीयेनाथ वा पुनः ।
अर्धेन वापि निस्तर्तुमापदं ब्रूत मा चिरम् ॥ १.४५.१० ॥
With a fourth, or a third, or even half of this my austerity, can you cross out of this calamity? Tell me without delay.
1.45.11
अथवापि समग्रेण तरन्तु तपसा मम ।
भवन्तः सर्व एवेह काममेवं विधीयताम् ॥ १.४५.११ ॥
Or else, with the whole of my austerity, let all of you cross over from here; let it be done as you wish.
1.45.12
कुतो भवान्ब्रह्मचारी यो नस्त्रातुमिहेच्छसि ।
न तु विप्राग्र्य तपसा शक्यमेतद्व्यपोहितुम् ॥ १.४५.१२ ॥
From where are you, a celibate student, that you wish to save us here? O best of brahmins, this calamity cannot be averted by austerity alone.
1.45.13
अस्ति नस्तात तपसः फलं प्रवदतां वर ।
संतानप्रक्षयाद्ब्रह्मन्पतामो निरयेऽशुचौ ॥ १.४५.१३ ॥
Child, best of speakers, there is a fruit of austerity for us. Brahmin, from the complete destruction of our progeny we are falling into impure hell.
1.45.14
सन्तानं हि परो धर्मं एवमाह पितामहः ।
लम्बतामिह नस्तात न ज्ञानं प्रतिभाति वै ॥ १.४५.१४ ॥
The grandfather has said that progeny is the highest duty. Child, here we hang suspended; knowledge does not come to us.
1.45.15
येन त्वां नाभिजानीमो लोके विख्यातपौरुषम् ।
वृद्धो भवान्महाभागोयोनः शोच्यान्सुदुःखितान ॥ १.४५.१५ ॥
Since we do not know you as one of renowned valour in the world, you who are aged and greatly fortunate, look upon us who are pitiable and greatly afflicted.
1.45.16
शोचते चैव कारुण्याच्छृणु ये वै वयं द्विज ।
यायावरा नाम वयमृषयः संशितव्रताः ॥ १.४५.१६ ॥
Out of compassion indeed he grieves. Twice-born one, listen: we are sages named Yāyāvaras, of austere vows.
1.45.17
लोकात्पुम्यादिह भ्रष्टाः सन्तानप्रक्षयान्मुने ।
प्रणष्टं नस्तपस्तीव्रं न हि नस्तन्तुरस्ति वै ॥ १.४५.१७ ॥
O sage, from the complete destruction of our progeny we have fallen here from the meritorious world. Our fierce austerity is lost, and indeed our thread of lineage does not exist.
1.45.18
अस्तित्वेकोऽद्य नस्तन्तुः सोऽपि नास्ति यथा तथा ।
मन्दभाग्योऽल्पभाग्यानां तप एकं समास्थितः ॥ १.४५.१८ ॥
Today only one thread of our lineage remains, and even that is as though it were not. For the ill-fated, the unfortunate, austerity is the one refuge to which they have resorted.
1.45.19
जरत्कारुरिति ख्यातो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः ।
नियतात्मा महात्मा च सुव्रतः सुमहातपाः ॥ १.४५.१९ ॥
Known by the name Jaratkāru, he was a master of the Vedas and their limbs, self-controlled, great-souled, firm in vows, and of very great asceticism.
1.45.20
तेन स्म तपसो लोभात्कृच्छ्रमापादिता वयम् ।
न तस्य भार्या पुत्रो वा बान्धवो वाऽस्ति कश्चन ॥ १.४५.२० ॥
Out of greed for his asceticism, we were brought to this distress. He has no wife, no son, and no kinsman at all.
1.45.21
तस्माल्लम्बामहे गर्ते नष्टसंज्ञा ह्यनाथवत् ।
स वक्तव्यस्त्वया दृष्टो ह्यस्माकं नाथवत्तया ॥ १.४५.२१ ॥
Therefore we hang in this pit, senseless, like those without a protector. If you see him, you must tell him that he should be our protector.
1.45.22
पितरस्तेऽवलम्बन्ते गर्ते दीना अधोमुखाः ।
साधु दारान्कुरुष्वेति प्रजायस्वेति चाभि भोः ॥ १.४५.२२ ॥
Your ancestors hang wretched and head-downward in the pit. Tell him: 'Take wives properly and beget offspring,' O good sir.
1.45.23
कुलतन्तुर्हि नः शिष्टः स एकैकस्तपोधन ।
यं तु पश्यसि नो ब्रह्मन्वीरणस्तम्बमाश्रयम् ॥ १.४५.२३ ॥
The thread of our lineage survives in him alone, O wealth of asceticism. He is the one, O brahmin, whom you see clinging to the clump of vīraṇa grass.
1.45.24
एषोऽस्माकं कुलस्तम्ब आस्ते स्वकुलवर्धनः ।
यानि पश्यसि वै ब्रह्मन्मूलानीहास्य वीरुधः ॥ १.४५.२४ ॥
This one is the pillar of our lineage, the one who increases his own family. O brahmin, the roots and creepers of his that you see here—
1.45.25
एते नस्तन्तवस्तात कालेन परिभक्षिताः ।
यत्त्वेतत्पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्मूलमस्यार्धभक्षितम् ॥ १.४५.२५ ॥
Dear child, these threads of ours have been wholly devoured by time; and the root you see, O brahmin, is half-eaten.
1.45.26
यत्र लम्बामहे गर्ते सोऽप्येकस्तप आस्थितः ।
यमाखुं पश्यसि ब्रह्मन्काल एष महाबलः ॥ १.४५.२६ ॥
In the pit where we hang, one man also has taken up penance. O brahmin, the mouse of Yama you see is this Time, which is very mighty.
1.45.27
स तं तपोरतं मन्दं शनैः क्षपयते तुदन् ।
जरत्कारुं तपोलुब्धं मन्दात्मानमचेतसम् ॥ १.४५.२७ ॥
He wears away, slowly, gnawing at him who is intent on penance — Jaratkāru, greedy for penance, dull-souled and unaware.
1.45.28
न हि नस्तत्तपस्तस्य तारयिष्यति सत्तम ।
छिन्नमूलान्परिभ्रष्टान्कालोपहतचेतसः ॥ १.४५.२८ ॥
O best of the good, that penance of his will not deliver us, we who are root-severed, fallen away, our minds struck by time.
1.45.29
अधः प्रविष्टान्पश्यास्मान्यथा दुष्कृतिनस्तथा ।
अस्मासु पतितेष्वत्र सह सर्वैः सबान्धवैः ॥ १.४५.२९ ॥
See us fallen below, as evildoers fall. When we fall here, together with all our kinsmen,
1.45.30
छिन्नः कालेन सोऽप्यत्र गन्ता वै नरकं ततः ।
तपो वाऽप्यथ चा यज्ञो यच्चान्यत्पावनं महत् ॥ १.४५.३० ॥
Severed by time, he too will surely go down to hell from here. Penance, or sacrifice, or any other great purifying act —
1.45.31
तत्सर्वं न समं तात संतत्येति सतां मतम् ।
स तात दृष्ट्वा ब्रूयास्तं जरत्कारुं तपोधन ॥ १.४५.३१ ॥
Dear son, all that is not equal to offspring; this is the view of the good. O wealth of austerity, having seen it, you should tell Jaratkāru.
1.45.32
यथा दृष्टमिदं चात्र त्वयाऽऽख्येयमशेषतः ।
यथा दारान्प्रकुर्यात्स पुत्रानुत्पादयेद्यथा ॥ १.४५.३२ ॥
As you have seen here, you must tell it all in full, and how he should take wives and beget sons.
1.45.33
वा ब्रह्मंस्त्वया वाच्यः सोऽस्माकं नाथवत्तया ।
बान्धवानां हितस्येह यथा चात्मकुलं तथा ॥ १.४५.३३ ॥
Or, O Brahmin, you must say to him that he should be to us as one with a protector; for the welfare of kinsmen here, and likewise for his own lineage.
1.45.34
कस्त्वं बन्धुमिवास्माकमनुशोचसि सत्तम ।
श्रोतुमिच्छाम सर्वेषां को भवानिह तिष्ठति ॥ १.४५.३४ ॥
Who are you, best of the good, who grieves for us as if you were our kinsman? We all wish to hear who you are, standing here.