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—
तं पापमतिसंक्रुद्धस्तक्षकः पन्नगेश्वरः। आशीविषस्तिग्मतेजा मद्वाक्यबलचोदितः
That wicked one, enraged beyond measure, shall be struck by Takṣaka, the lord of serpents, whose venom is fierce, urged on by the power of my words.
सप्तरात्रादितो नेता यमस्य सदनं प्रति। द्विजानामवमन्तारं कुरूणामयशस्करम्
After seven nights, he will be taken to the abode of Yama—the king who insulted the twice-born and brought disgrace upon the Kurus.
इति शप्त्वातिसंक्रुद्धः शृङ्गी पितरमभ्यगात्। आसीनं ग्रोव्रजे तस्मिन्वहन्तं शवपन्नगम्
Having thus pronounced the curse in great anger, Śṛṅgi approached his father, who was seated in the cow-pen, bearing the dead serpent.
स तमलक्ष्य पितरं शृङ्गी स्कन्धगतेन वै। शवेन भुजगेनासीद्भूयः क्रोधसमाकुलः
Seeing his father with the serpent draped across his shoulder, Śṛṅgi became even more agitated with anger.
दुःखाच्चाश्रूणि मुमुचे पितरं चेदमब्रवीत्। श्रुत्वेमां धर्षणां तात तव तेन दुरात्मना
Out of sorrow, he shed tears and spoke to his father: 'Having heard of this outrage committed against you by that wicked one—'
राज्ञा परिक्षिता कोपादशपं तमहं नृपम्। यथार्हति स एवोग्रं शापं कुरुकुलाधमः। सप्तमेऽहनि तं पापं तक्षकः पन्नगोत्तमः
'Out of anger, I have cursed King Parīkṣit, as he deserves, O father; that wretch of the Kuru line shall receive a terrible curse. On the seventh day, Takṣaka, the foremost of serpents, will strike down that sinner.'
तमब्रवीत्पिता ब्रह्मंस्तथा कोपसमन्वितम्
His father, the sage, spoke to him, who was thus filled with anger.
न मे प्रियं कृतं तात नैष धर्मस्तपस्विनाम्। वयं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य विषये निवसामहे
'My son, what you have done does not please me; this is not the way of the righteous or ascetics. We dwell within the domain of that king.'
न्यायतो रक्षितास्तेन तस्य पापं न रोचये। सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञो ह्यस्मद्विधैः सदा
'He has protected us justly; I do not approve of bringing harm upon him. One must always forgive the king who conducts himself properly towards people like us.'
क्षन्तव्यं पुत्र धर्मो हि हतो हन्ति न संशयः। यदि राजा न संरक्षेत्पीडा नः परमा भवेत्
'Forgiveness must be shown, my son, for when righteousness is destroyed, it destroys in return—there is no doubt. If the king does not protect us, we would suffer greatly.'
न शक्नुयाम चरितुं धर्मं पुत्र यथासुखम्। रक्षमाणा वयं तात राजभिर्धर्मदृष्टिभिः
'We would not be able to practice righteousness freely, my son, if we were not protected by kings who uphold dharma.'
चरामो विपुलं धर्मं तेषां भागोऽस्ति धर्मतः। सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञः क्षन्तव्यमेव हि
'We are able to practice great righteousness, and by right, they receive a share of its merit; forgiveness must always be shown to a king who acts properly.'
परिक्षित्तु विशेषेण यथाऽस्य प्रपितामहः। रक्षत्यस्मांस्तथा राज्ञा रक्षितव्याः प्रजा विभो
'Especially towards Parīkṣit, who, like his great-grandfather, protects us; just as a king guards his subjects, so must he protect them, O illustrious one.'
अराजके जनपदे दोषा जायन्ति वै सदा। उद्वृत्तं सततं लोकं राजा दण्डेन शास्ति वै
'In a land without a king, faults always arise; the people become unruly, but the king restrains them with punishment.'
दण्डात्प्रतिभयं भूयः शान्तिरुत्पद्यते तदा। नोद्विग्नश्चरते धर्मं नोद्विग्नश्चरते क्रियाम्
When there is fear of punishment, tranquility arises; then, one pursues righteousness and action without anxiety.
राज्ञा प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धर्मात्स्वर्गः प्रतिष्ठितः। राज्ञो यज्ञक्रियाः सर्वा यज्ञाद्देवाः प्रतिष्ठिताः
Righteousness is established by the king, and from righteousness, heaven is established; all sacrificial rites of the king are established, and from sacrifice, the gods are established.
देवाद्वृष्टिः प्रवर्तेत वृष्टेरोषधयः स्मृताः। ओषधिभ्यो मनुष्याणां धारयन्सततं हितम्
From the gods, rain is produced; from rain, plants are known to arise; from plants, the constant welfare of humans is sustained.
मनुष्याणां च यो धाता राजा राज्यकरः पुनः। दशश्रोत्रियसमो राजा इत्येवं मनुरब्रवीत्
And the king, who is the sustainer of people and the upholder of sovereignty, is said by Manu to be equal to ten learned Brahmins.
तेनेह क्षुधितेनैत्य श्रान्तेन मृगलिप्सुना। अजानता कृतं मन्ये व्रतमेतदिदं मम
Therefore, coming here hungry, weary, and seeking game, and acting unknowingly, I believe this act was done as my vow.
कस्मादिदं त्वया बाल्यात्सहसा दुष्कृतं कृतम्। न ह्यर्हति नृपः शापमस्मत्तः पुत्र सर्वथा
Why, out of childishness, have you rashly committed this wrongful act? O son, a king does not at all deserve a curse from us.