परिक्षितो नरेन्द्रस्य विद्धो यन्नष्टवान्मृगः। दूरं चापहृतस्तेन मृगेण स महीपतिः
The deer struck by King Parikṣit escaped and carried his bow far away; thus the king was led off by the animal.
परिश्रान्तः पिपासार्त आससाद मुनिं वने। गवां प्रचारेष्वासीनं वत्सानां मुखनिःसृतम्
Weary and tormented by thirst, he came upon a sage in the forest, who was seated among grazing cows, with calves sucking at their mothers.
भूयिष्ठमुपयुञ्जानं फेनमापिबतां पयः। तमभिद्रुत्य वेगेन स राजा संशितव्रतम्
The sage was mostly drinking the froth from the milk, and as the king, steadfast in his vows, rushed toward him with speed—
अपृच्छद्धनुरुद्यम्य तं मुनिं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। भोभो ब्रह्मन्नहं राजा परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः
He, raising his bow, questioned the sage, afflicted by hunger and fatigue: 'O Brāhmaṇa, I am King Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu.'
मया विद्धो मृगो नष्टः कच्चित्तं दृष्टवानसि। स मुनिस्तं तु नोवाच किंचिन्मौनव्रते स्थितः
'A deer struck by me has escaped; perhaps you have seen it?' But the sage, observing a vow of silence, did not reply.
तस्य स्कन्धे मृतं सर्पं क्रुद्धो राजा समासजत्। समुत्क्षिप्य धनुष्कोट्या स चैनं समुपैक्षत
Angry, the king placed a dead snake upon the sage's shoulder, lifting it with the tip of his bow, and watched him.
न स किंचिदुवाचैनं शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्। स राजा क्रोधमुत्सृज्य व्यथितस्तं तथागतम्। दृष्ट्वा जगाम नगरमृषिस्त्वासीत्तथैव सः
The sage spoke nothing to him, neither auspicious nor inauspicious; the king, releasing his anger and disturbed by what had happened, departed for the city, while the sage remained as before.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलं क्षमाशीलो महामुनिः। स्वधर्मनिरतं भूपं समाक्षिप्तोऽप्यधर्षयत्
For the great sage, patient by nature, did not retaliate against the tiger among kings, devoted to his own duty, even though insulted.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलस्तथा धर्मपरायणम्। जानाति भरतश्रेष्ठस्तत एनमधर्षयत्
Indeed, the tiger among kings did not recognize him as so devoted to righteousness, O best of the Bharatas; thus he insulted him.
तरुणस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूत्तिग्मतेजा महातपाः। शृङ्गी नाम महाक्रोधो दुष्पसादोमहाव्रतः
His son was young, fierce in energy, great in austerity; named Śṛṅgī, possessed of immense wrath, difficult to approach, and steadfast in great vows.
स देवं परमासीनं सर्वभूतहिते रतम्। ब्रह्माणमुपतस्थे वै काले काले सुंसयतः
He would approach the supreme god, Brahmā, who was seated for the welfare of all beings, at various times, seeking his favor.
सतेन समनुज्ञातो ब्रह्मणा गृहमेयिवान्। सख्योक्तः क्रीडमानेन स तत्र हसता किल
Having been permitted by Brahmā, he returned home, as instructed by his friend who was playing and laughing there.
संरम्भात्कोपनोऽतीव विषकल्पो मुनेः सुतः। उद्दिश्य पितरं तस्य यच्छ्रुत्वा रोषमाहरत्। ऋषिपुत्रेण नर्मार्थे कृशेन द्विजसत्तम
Angered and exceedingly wrathful, the sage's son, with poison in his mind, upon hearing from the best of twice-born, Kṛśa, a jest about his father, became enraged.
तेजस्विनस्तव पिता तथैव च तपस्विनः। शवं स्कन्धेन वहति मा शृङ्गिन्गर्वितो भव
Your father, powerful and ascetic, carries a corpse on his shoulder; do not be proud, Śṛṅgī.
व्याहरत्स्वृषिपुत्रेषु मा स्म किंचिद्वचो वद। अस्मद्विधेषु सिद्धेषु ब्रह्मवित्सु तपस्विषु
Do not utter any words among the sage's sons; among those accomplished, learned in Brahman, and ascetic like us.
क्व ते पुरुषमानित्वं क्व ते वाचस्तथाविधाः। दर्पजाः पितरं द्रष्टा यस्त्वं शवधरं तथा
Where is your manliness, and where are such words born of arrogance, seeing your father carrying a corpse?
पित्रा च तव तत्कर्म नानुरूपमिवात्मनः। कृतं मुनिजनश्रेष्ठ येनाहं भृशदुःखितः
And your father's act is not fitting for himself, O best among sages; by which I am greatly distressed.
एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी शृङ्गी कोपसमन्वितः। मृतधारं गुरुं श्रुत्वा पर्यतप्यत मन्युना
Thus addressed, Śṛṅgī, radiant and filled with anger, upon hearing that his revered father was carrying a dead thing, was consumed by wrath.
स त कृशमक्षिप्रेक्ष्य सूनृतां वाचमुत्सृजन्। अपृच्छत्तं कथं तातः `सर्वभूतहिते रतः
He looked at the thin one, uttering truthful words, and asked him: 'How is it, father, that one devoted to the welfare of all beings—'
अनन्यचेताः सततं विष्णुं दवेमतोषयत्। वन्यान्नभोजी सततं मुनिर्मौनव्रते स्थितः। एवंभूतः स तेजस्वी' स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः
Always single-minded, the sage pleased Viṣṇu through austerity; subsisting on forest food, always observing silence, such was the radiant one, yet today he bears a dead thing.
राज्ञा परिक्षिता तात मृगयां परिधावता। अवसक्तः पितुस्तेऽद्य मृतः स्कन्धे भुजङ्गमः
Father, today your father is dead, with a snake on his shoulder, because of King Parikṣit, who was roaming in the hunt.
किं मे पित्रा कृतं तस्य राज्ञोऽनिष्टं दुरात्मनः। ब्रूहि तत्कृश तत्त्वेन पश्य मे तपसो बलम्
What has my father done to that wicked king that was unfavorable? Tell me, Kṛśa, the truth; behold the power of my austerity.
स राजा मृगयां यातः परिक्षिदभिमन्युजः। ससार मृगमेकाकी विद्ध्वा बाणेन शीघ्रगम्
That king, Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu, went hunting; he pursued a deer alone, having struck it with a swift arrow.
न चापश्यन्मृगं राजा चरंस्तस्मिन्महावने। पितरं ते स दृष्ट्वैव पप्रच्छानभिभाषिणम्
But the king did not see the deer as he wandered in that great forest; seeing your father, he questioned him, though he did not reply.
तं स्थाणुभूतं तिष्ठन्तं क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमातुरः। पुनःपुनर्मृगं नष्टं प्रपच्छ पितरं तव
Standing motionless, afflicted by hunger and thirst, he repeatedly asked your father about the lost deer.
स च मौनव्रतोपेतो नैव तं प्रत्यभाषत। तस्य राजा धनुष्कोट्या सर्पं स्कन्धे समासजत्
But he, observing the vow of silence, did not answer him; so the king placed a snake on his shoulder with the tip of his bow.
शृङ्गिंस्तव पिता सोऽपि तथैवास्ते यतव्रतः। सोऽपि राजा स्वनगरं प्रस्थितो गजसाह्वयम्
Your father, Śṛṅgi, also remains there, steadfast in his vows; and that king, too, set out for his own city, Hastināpura.
श्रुत्वैवमृषिपुत्रस्तु शवं स्कन्धे प्रतिष्ठितम्। कोपसंरक्तनयनः प्रज्वलन्निव मन्युना
Hearing thus, the sage’s son, with the corpse placed upon his shoulder, his eyes reddened with anger, blazed as if consumed by wrath.
आविष्टः स हि कोपेन शशाप नृपतिं तदा। वार्युपस्पृश्य तेजस्वी क्रोधवेगबलात्कृतः
Overcome by rage, he then cursed the king, having purified himself with water, his energy compelled by the force of his anger.
योऽसौ वृद्धस्य तातस्य तथा कृच्छ्रगतस्य ह। स्कन्धे मृतं समास्राक्षीत्पन्नगं राजकिल्विषी
That sinful king, who placed a dead serpent upon the shoulder of my aged and afflicted father—