षष्ठे काले मयाऽऽहारः प्राप्तोऽयमनुजस्तव। नाहमेनं विमोक्ष्यामि न चान्यदपि कामये
After a long time, I have obtained food today—your younger brother; I will not release him, nor do I desire another.
प्रश्नानुच्चारितानद्य वायहरिष्यसि चेन्मम। तथापश्चाद्विमोक्ष्यामि भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम्
If you answer the questions I ask today, then afterwards I will release your brother Vrikodara.
ब्रूहि सर्प यथाकामं प्रतिवक्ष्यामि ते वचः। अपि चच्छक्नुयां प्रीतिमाहर्तुं ते भुजङ्गम्
Speak, O serpent, as you wish; I will answer your words. Perhaps I may succeed in winning your favor, O serpent.
वेद्यंच ब्राह्मणेनेह तद्भवान्वेत्ति केवलम्। सर्पराज ततः श्रुत्वा प्रतिवक्ष्यामि ते वचः
What is to be known here by a Brahmin, that you alone know, O king of serpents; therefore, having heard, I will answer your words.
ब्राह्मणः को भवेद्राजन्वेद्यं किंच युधिष्ठिर। ब्रवीह्यतिमतिं त्वां हि वाक्यैरनिमिनोमि ते
O king, who is a brāhmaṇa, and what is to be known, Yudhiṣṭhira? Speak, for I question you with words, testing your great intelligence.
सत्यं दानं क्षमा शीलमानृशंस्यं तपो घृणा। दृश्यन्ते यत्रनागेन्द्रस ब्राह्मण इति स्मृतः
Where truth, generosity, forbearance, good conduct, compassion, austerity, and remorse are seen, O lord of serpents, there one is remembered as a brāhmaṇa.
वेद्यं सर्प परं ब्र्हम निर्दुःखमसुखं च यत्। यत्रगत्वा न शोचन्ति भवतः किं विवक्षितं
O serpent, that which is to be known is the supreme Brahman, which is free from sorrow and happiness; having attained that, one does not grieve. What do you wish to ask further?
चातुर्वर्ण्यं प्रमाणं च सत्यं च ब्रह्म चैव हि। आनृशंस्यमहिंसा च घृणा चैव युधिष्ठिर
The fourfold order, authority, truth, Brahman itself, compassion, non-violence, and remorse, O Yudhiṣṭhira—
वेद्यं यच्चात्र निर्दुःखमसुखं च नराधिप। ताभ्यां हीनं पदं चान्यन्न तदस्तीति लक्षये
O king, that which is to be known here, and which is free from sorrow and happiness—any state lacking these two, I do not recognize as such.
शूद्रे तु यद्भवेल्लक्ष्म द्विजे तच्च न विद्यते। न वै शूद्रो भवेच्छूद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणः
Whatever mark is found in a śūdra is not found in a twice-born, and a śūdra is not truly a śūdra, nor is a brāhmaṇa truly a brāhmaṇa.
यत्रैतल्लक्ष्यते सर्प वृत्तं स ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः। तत्रैतन्न वेत्सर्प तं शूद्रमिति निर्दिशेत्
Where this conduct is observed, O serpent, that person is considered a brāhmaṇa; where it is not found, O serpent, one should designate that person as a śūdra.
यत्पुनर्भवता प्रोक्तं न वेद्यं विद्यतेति च। ताभ्यां हीनमतोऽन्यत्र पदं नास्तीति चेदपि
And as for what you said, that there is nothing to be known, if there is a state lacking both, then there is no such state elsewhere.
एवमेतन्मतं सर्प ताभ्यां हीनं तु विद्यते। यथा शीतोष्णयोर्मध्ये भवेन्नोष्णं न शीतता
It is so, O serpent, as you think; yet, there is a state lacking both, just as between cold and heat there is neither heat nor cold.
एवं वै सुखदुःखाभ्यां हीनमस्ति पदं क्वचित्। एषा मम मतिः सर्प यथा वा मन्यते भवान्
In the same way, there is sometimes a state devoid of both happiness and sorrow; this is my view, O serpent, but you may think otherwise.
यदि ते वृत्ततो राजन्ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः। वृथा जातिस्तदायुष्मन्कृतिर्यावन्न विद्यते
If, O king, a brāhmaṇa is judged by conduct, then birth is in vain, O blessed one, as long as there is no proper action.
जातिरत्रमहासर्प मनुष्यत्वे महामते। संकरात्सर्ववर्णानां दुष्परीक्ष्येति मे मतिः
O great-minded serpent, birth as a human is the criterion here; due to the mixing of all varṇas, it is difficult to discern, in my opinion.
सर्वे सर्वास्वपत्यानि जनयन्ति यदा नराः। वाङ्मैथुनमथो जन्म मरणं च समं नृणाम्
When all men beget offspring in all classes, speech, sexual union, birth, and death are the same for all people.
इदमार्षं प्रमाणं च ये यजामह इत्यपि। तस्माच्छीलं प्रधानेष्टं विदुर्ये तत्त्वदर्शिनः
This is the authority of the sages: 'We perform sacrifice.' Therefore, those who see the truth know that conduct is the chief thing to be desired.
प्राङ्गाभिवर्धनात्पुंसो जातकर्म विधीयते। `तथोपनयनं प्रोक्तं द्विजातीनां यथाक्रमम्'। तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्वाचार्य उच्यते
From the growth of the body, the rite of birth is prescribed; so also, the initiation is enjoined for the twice-born, in due order. There, the mother is called Sāvitrī, and the father is said to be the teacher.
वृत्त्या शूद्रसमो ह्येष यावद्वेदेन जायते। तस्मिन्नेवं मतिद्वैधे मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत्
By conduct, one is like a śūdra until one is born again through the Veda; in this matter of twofold opinion, Manu Svāyambhuva has spoken.
कृतकृत्याः सर्ववर्णा यदि वृत्तं न पश्यति। संकरस्त्वत्र नागेन्द्र बलवान्प्रसमीक्षितः
If all varṇas, having fulfilled their duties, do not observe conduct, then, O lord of serpents, the confusion of castes is indeed strong, as is evident.
यत्रेदानीं महासर्प संस्कृतं वृत्तमिष्यते। तं ब्राह्मणमहं पूर्वमुक्तवान्भुजगोत्तम
Where, O great serpent, purified conduct is now desired, that person, as I said before, is a brāhmaṇa, O best of serpents.
श्रुतं विदितवेद्यस्य तव वाक्यं युधिष्ठिर। भक्षयेयमहं कस्माद्भ्रातरं ते वृकोदरम्
O Yudhishthira, I have heard your words, you who know what is to be known from the Vedas. Tell me, for what reason should I eat your brother Bhimasena?
भवानेतादृशो लोके वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः। ब्रूहि किं कुर्वतः कर्म भवेद्गतिरनुत्तमा ।। 1
You are renowned in this world as one who has mastered the Vedas and their branches. Tell me, what action leads to the highest state?
पात्रे दत्त्वा प्रियाण्युक्त्वा सत्यमुक्त्वा च भारत। अहिंसानिरतः स्वर्गं गच्छेदिति मतिर्मम
Giving to the worthy, speaking kindly, telling the truth, and being devoted to nonviolence—such a person, O Bharata, in my view, attains heaven.
दानाद्वा सर्प सत्याद्वा किमतो गुरु दृश्यते। अहिंसाप्रिययोश्चैव गुरुलाघवमुच्यताम्
O serpent, between giving and truth, which is greater? And between nonviolence and kindness, tell me which is weightier.
दानं च सत्यं तत्त्वं वा अहिंसा प्रियमेव च। एषां कार्यगरीयस्त्वाद्दृश्यते गुरुलाघवम्
Giving, truth, reality, nonviolence, and kindness—among these, the relative importance is seen according to the situation.
क्वचिद्दानप्रयोगाद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते। सत्यवाक्याच्च राजेनद्र क्वचिद्दानं विशिष्यते
Sometimes, because of the act of giving, truth is considered superior; and sometimes, O king, because of truthful speech, giving is regarded as superior.
एवमेव महेष्वास प्रियवाक्यान्महीपते। अहिंसा दृश्यते गुर्वी ततश्च प्रियमिष्यते
In the same way, O mighty-armed king, among kind words, nonviolence is seen as weightier, and after that, kindness is valued.
एवमेतद्भवेद्राजन्कार्यापेक्षमनन्तरम्। यदभिप्रेतमन्यत्ते ब्रूहि यावद्ब्रवीम्यहम्
Thus it is, O king; the importance depends on the context of the action. If you wish to ask something else, speak, and I will answer.