Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 3.182
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3.182.1
युधिष्ठिरस्तमासाद्य सर्पभोगेन वेष्टितम् ।
दयितं भ्रातरं धीमानिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ३.१८२.१ ॥
Yudhiṣṭhira, wise, approached his beloved brother who was wrapped in the coils of a serpent, and spoke these words.
3.182.2
कुन्तीमातः कथमिमामापदं त्वमवाप्तवान् ।
कश्चायं पर्वताभोगप्रतिमः पन्नगोत्तमः ॥ ३.१८२.२ ॥
O son of Kuntī, how did you fall into this calamity? And who is this chief of serpents, as vast as the girth of a mountain?
3.182.3
स धर्मराजमालक्ष्य भ्राता भ्रतरमग्रजम् ।
कथयामास तत्सर्वं ग्रहणादिविचेष्टितम् ॥ ३.१८२.३ ॥
Looking at Dharmarāja, that brother told his elder brother the whole account of his seizure and all that had happened.
3.182.4
अयमार्य महासत्वो भक्षार्थं मां गृहीतवान् ।
नहुषो नाम राजर्षिः प्राणवानिव संस्थितः ॥ ३.१८२.४ ॥
Noble one, this mighty being has seized me for food. This is the royal sage named Nahuṣa, who stands as though endowed with life.
3.182.5
मुच्यतामयमायुष्मन्भ्राता मेऽमितविक्रमः ।
वयमाहारमन्यं ते दास्यामः क्षुन्निवारणम् ॥ ३.१८२.५ ॥
O long-lived one, release my brother, of boundless valour. We shall give you other food that will quell your hunger.
3.182.6
मुच्यतामयमायुष्मन्भ्राता मेऽमितविक्रमः ।
गम्यतां नेह स्थातव्यं श्वो भवानपि मे भवेत् ॥ ३.१८२.६ ॥
O long-lived one, release my brother, of boundless valour. Let him go; he must not remain here. Tomorrow you too may become my food.
3.182.7
व्रतमेतन्महाबाहो विषयं मम यो ब्रजेत् ।
स म भक्षो भवेत्तात त्वं चापि विषये मम ॥ ३.१८२.७ ॥
This is my vow, O mighty-armed one: whoever enters my domain shall be my food. Dear child, you too are within my domain.
3.182.8
चिरेणाद्य मयाऽऽहारः प्राप्तोऽयमनुजस्तव ।
नाहमेनं विमोक्ष्यामि न चान्यमभिकाङ्क्षये ॥ ३.१८२.८ ॥
After a long time today I have obtained this food: your younger brother. I will not release him, nor do I desire any other.
3.182.9
देवो वा यदि वा दैत्य उरगो वा भवान्यदि ।
सत्यं सर्प वचो ब्रूहि पृच्छति त्वां युधिष्ठिरः ॥ ३.१८२.९ ॥
Whether you are a god, or a demon, or a serpent indeed — O serpent, speak the truth: Yudhiṣṭhira asks you.
3.182.10
किमर्थं च त्वया ग्रस्तो भीमसेनो भुजंगम ।
किमाहृत्यविदित्वा वा प्रीतिस्ते स्याद्भुजंगम।
किमाहारं प्रयच्छामि कथं मुञ्चेद्भवानिमम् ॥ ३.१८२.१० ॥
Why did you seize Bhīmasena, O serpent? What food would bring you satisfaction, whether brought or unknowingly? O serpent, what food shall I give you, and how will you release him?
3.182.11
नहुषो नाम राजाऽहमासं पूर्वस्तवानघ ।
प्रथितः पञ्चमः सोमादायोः पुत्रो नराधिप ॥ ३.१८२.११ ॥
O sinless one, I was formerly a king named Nahuṣa, your ancestor. O lord of men, I am the renowned son of Āyu, the fifth from Soma.
3.182.12
क्रतुभिस्तपसा चैवस्वाध्यायेन दमेन च ।
त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यमव्यग्रं प्राप्तोऽहंविकर्मेण च ॥ ३.१८२.१२ ॥
By sacrifices, by austerity, by study of the Veda, and by self-restraint, I attained undisturbed sovereignty over the three worlds; and by transgression (I fell).
3.182.13
तदैश्वर्यं समासाद्य दर्पो मामगमत्तदा ।
सहस्रं हि द्विजातीनामुवाह शिविकां मम ॥ ३.१८२.१३ ॥
Having obtained that lordship, pride then came upon me; a thousand twice-born men carried my palanquin.
3.182.14
ऐश्वर्यमदमत्तोऽहमवमत्य ततो द्विजान् ।
इमामगस्त्येन दशामानीत इतिमे स्मृतिः ॥ ३.१८२.१४ ॥
Maddened by the intoxication of power, I scorned the twice-born; then, I remember, Agastya brought me to this condition.
3.182.15
न तु मामजहात्प्रज्ञा यावदन्वेति पाण्डवः ।
तस्यैवानुग्रहाद्राजन्नगस्त्यस्य महात्मनः ॥ ३.१८२.१५ ॥
Yet my understanding did not forsake me while the Pāṇḍava follows after me, O king, by the very grace of the great-souled Agastya.
3.182.16
षष्ठे काले मयाऽऽहारः प्राप्तोऽयमनुजस्तव ।
नाहमेनं विमोक्ष्यामि न चान्यदपि कामये ॥ ३.१८२.१६ ॥
At the sixth hour this food has come to me — your younger brother. I will not release him, nor do I desire anything else.
3.182.17
प्रश्नानुच्चारितानद्य वायहरिष्यसि चेन्मम ।
तथापश्चाद्विमोक्ष्यामि भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम् ॥ ३.१८२.१७ ॥
If today you answer the questions I put to you, then afterwards I will release your brother Vṛkodara.
3.182.18
ब्रूहि सर्प यथाकामं प्रतिवक्ष्यामि ते वचः ।
अपि चच्छक्नुयां प्रीतिमाहर्तुं ते भुजङ्गम् ॥ ३.१८२.१८ ॥
Speak, serpent, as you wish; I will answer your words, and perhaps I may be able to bring you pleasure, O serpent.
3.182.19
वेद्यंच ब्राह्मणेनेह तद्भवान्वेत्ति केवलम् ।
सर्पराज ततः श्रुत्वा प्रतिवक्ष्यामि ते वचः ॥ ३.१८२.१९ ॥
What a brahmin ought to know, you alone know fully. O king of serpents, having heard your words, I will answer you.
3.182.20
ब्राह्मणः को भवेद्राजन्वेद्यं किंच युधिष्ठिर ।
ब्रवीह्यतिमतिं त्वां हि वाक्यैरनिमिनोमि ते ॥ ३.१८२.२० ॥
O king, who may be a brahmin, and what is there to be known? Tell me, O Yudhiṣṭhira. You are of the keenest understanding; I will make it clear to you with my words.
3.182.21
सत्यं दानं क्षमा शीलमानृशंस्यं तपो घृणा ।
दृश्यन्ते यत्रनागेन्द्रस ब्राह्मण इति स्मृतः ॥ ३.१८२.२१ ॥
Where truthfulness, generosity, forbearance, good conduct, non-cruelty, austerity and compassion are seen, O lord of serpents, that one is held to be a brahmin.
3.182.22
वेद्यं सर्प परं ब्र्हम निर्दुःखमसुखं च यत् ।
यत्रगत्वा न शोचन्ति भवतः किं विवक्षितं ॥ ३.१८२.२२ ॥
O serpent, the supreme Brahman that is to be known is free from suffering and also free from pleasure; having reached it, people do not grieve. What is it that you mean to say?
3.182.23
चातुर्वर्ण्यं प्रमाणं च सत्यं च ब्रह्म चैव हि ।
आनृशंस्यमहिंसा च घृणा चैव युधिष्ठिर ॥ ३.१८२.२३ ॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, the four varṇas, the authority, truth, Brahman (the Veda) indeed, non-cruelty, non-violence and compassion — these are what they are.
3.182.24
वेद्यं यच्चात्र निर्दुःखमसुखं च नराधिप ।
ताभ्यां हीनं पदं चान्यन्न तदस्तीति लक्षये ॥ ३.१८२.२४ ॥
O lord of men, what is to be known here is free from suffering and free from pleasure; I perceive that there is no other state devoid of both of these.
3.182.25
शूद्रे तु यद्भवेल्लक्ष्म द्विजे तच्च न विद्यते ।
न वै शूद्रो भवेच्छूद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणः ॥ ३.१८२.२५ ॥
If a mark belongs to a shudra, it is not found in a twice-born man. A shudra does not always remain a shudra, nor does a brahmin always remain a brahmin.
3.182.26
यत्रैतल्लक्ष्यते सर्प वृत्तं स ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः ।
तत्रैतन्न वेत्सर्प तं शूद्रमिति निर्दिशेत् ॥ ३.१८२.२६ ॥
Where this conduct is seen, O serpent, that man is held to be a brahmin. Where you do not know this, one should designate him a shudra.
3.182.27
यत्पुनर्भवता प्रोक्तं न वेद्यं विद्यतेति च ।
ताभ्यां हीनमतोऽन्यत्र पदं नास्तीति चेदपि ॥ ३.१८२.२७ ॥
Even if you have said that what is not to be known is found, and that there is no other state lacking those two,
3.182.28
एवमेतन्मतं सर्प ताभ्यां हीनं तु विद्यते ।
यथा शीतोष्णयोर्मध्ये भवेन्नोष्णं न शीतता ॥ ३.१८२.२८ ॥
Thus, O serpent, is my view: there is something lacking those two. As between cold and heat there is neither heat nor cold.
3.182.29
एवं वै सुखदुःखाभ्यां हीनमस्ति पदं क्वचित् ।
एषा मम मतिः सर्प यथा वा मन्यते भवान् ॥ ३.१८२.२९ ॥
So too, indeed, there is a state somewhere lacking pleasure and pain. This is my view, O serpent, or as you think it to be.
3.182.30
यदि ते वृत्ततो राजन्ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः ।
वृथा जातिस्तदायुष्मन्कृतिर्यावन्न विद्यते ॥ ३.१८२.३० ॥
If you, O king, have truly examined a brahmin by his conduct, then, O long-lived one, birth is in vain so long as right action is not found.
3.182.31
जातिरत्रमहासर्प मनुष्यत्वे महामते ।
संकरात्सर्ववर्णानां दुष्परीक्ष्येति मे मतिः ॥ ३.१८२.३१ ॥
O great serpent, O great-minded one, in humanity here birth is hard to ascertain because of the mixing of all the social orders—such is my opinion.
3.182.32
सर्वे सर्वास्वपत्यानि जनयन्ति यदा नराः ।
वाङ्मैथुनमथो जन्म मरणं च समं नृणाम् ॥ ३.१८२.३२ ॥
When all men beget offspring from all women, then for men union, birth and death are alike.
3.182.33
इदमार्षं प्रमाणं च ये यजामह इत्यपि ।
तस्माच्छीलं प्रधानेष्टं विदुर्ये तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ३.१८२.३३ ॥
This is the traditional authority, and so is what we sacrifice to. Therefore those who see the truth know conduct to be chief and desirable.
3.182.34
प्राङ्गाभिवर्धनात्पुंसो जातकर्म विधीयते ।
तथोपनयनं प्रोक्तं द्विजातीनां यथाक्रमम्।
तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्वाचार्य उच्यते ॥ ३.१८२.३४ ॥
Before a man's body grows, the birth rite is prescribed; likewise the initiation of the twice-born is declared in due order. There his mother is said to be Sāvitrī, and his father, indeed, is called the teacher.
3.182.35
वृत्त्या शूद्रसमो ह्येष यावद्वेदेन जायते ।
तस्मिन्नेवं मतिद्वैधे मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ३.१८२.३५ ॥
By conduct, this one is indeed equal to a śūdra, for as long as he is not born through the Veda. In that division of opinion, Manu Svāyambhuva has said this.
3.182.36
कृतकृत्याः सर्ववर्णा यदि वृत्तं न पश्यति ।
संकरस्त्वत्र नागेन्द्र बलवान्प्रसमीक्षितः ॥ ३.१८२.३६ ॥
If conduct is not regarded, then all the social orders have fulfilled their duty; but here, O lord of serpents, intermixture is considered to be strong.
3.182.37
यत्रेदानीं महासर्प संस्कृतं वृत्तमिष्यते ।
तं ब्राह्मणमहं पूर्वमुक्तवान्भुजगोत्तम ॥ ३.१८२.३७ ॥
Great serpent, where now refined conduct is what is desired, I earlier spoke of that brahmin, best of serpents.
3.182.38
श्रुतं विदितवेद्यस्य तव वाक्यं युधिष्ठिर ।
भक्षयेयमहं कस्माद्भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम् ॥ ३.१८२.३८ ॥
Yudhiṣṭhira, I have heard the words of you who know what is to be known. Then why should I devour your brother Vṛkodara?