कुवलाश्वश्च नृपतिर्धुन्धुमार इति स्मृतः। नाम्ना च गुणयुक्तेन तदाप्रभृति सोऽभवत्
And the king Kuvalāśva became known as Dhundhumāra; from that time onward, he bore this name, endowed with virtue.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं प्रथितं यस्य कर्मणा
All this I have told you, as you asked me—the renowned story of Dhundhumāra, whose deeds are celebrated.
इदं तु पुण्यमाख्यानं विष्णोः समनुकीर्तनम्। शृणुयाद्यः स धर्मात्मा पुत्रवांश्च भवेन्नरः
This sacred tale, recounting the praise of Viṣṇu—whoever hears it, that righteous man will have sons.
आयुष्मान्भूतिमांश्चैव श्रुत्वा भवति पर्वसु। न च व्याधिभंयकिंचित्प्राप्नोति विगतज्वरः
Hearing it at the proper times, a man becomes long-lived and prosperous, and he does not suffer from any disease or fever.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा मार्कण्डेयं महाद्युतिम्। प्रपच्छ भरतश्रेष्ठ धर्मप्रश्नं स दुर्वचम्
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, radiant among the Bharatas, questioned the illustrious Mārkaṇḍeya on a difficult matter of dharma.
श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन्स्त्रीणां माहातम्यमुत्तमम्। कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र सूक्ष्मं धर्म्यं च तत्त्वतः
O venerable one, I wish to hear from you, O sage, the supreme greatness of women—subtle and righteous, as it truly is.
प्रत्यक्षमिह विप्रर्षे देवा दृश्यन्ति सत्तम। सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ वायुः पृथिवी वह्निरेव च
Here, O best of sages, the gods are seen directly—Sun, Moon, Wind, Earth, and Fire.
पिता माता च भगवान्गाव एव च सत्तम। यच्चान्यदेव विहितं तच्चापि भृगुनन्दन
Father, mother, O revered one, and cows as well, O noble one, and whatever else is ordained, O descendant of Bhṛgu.
मन्येऽहं गुरुवत्सर्वमेकपत्न्यस्तथा स्त्रियः। पतिव्रतानां शुश्रूषा दुष्करा प्रतिभाति मे। पतिव्रतानां महात्म्यं वक्तुमर्हसि नः प्रभो
I consider all as worthy of reverence, and likewise women who are devoted to one husband; service to the husband by faithful wives seems most difficult to me. You ought to tell us, O lord, the greatness of devoted wives.
निरुध्य चेन्द्रियग्रामं मनः संरुध्य चानघ। पतिं दैवतवच्चापि चिन्तयन्त्य स्थिता हि या
She who, restraining her senses and mind, stands thinking of her husband as a deity—such is her state, O sinless one.
भगवन्दुष्करं त्वेतत्प्रतिभाति मम प्रभो। मातापित्रोश्च शुश्रूषा स्त्रीणां भर्तरि च द्विज
O lord, this too seems most difficult to me: the service of women to their mother and father, and to their husband, O twice-born one.
स्त्रीणां धर्मात्सुघोराद्धि नान्यं पश्यामि दुष्करम्। साध्वाचाराः स्त्रियो ब्र्हमन्कुर्वन्तीह सदादृताः
I see nothing more difficult than the dharma of women, which is truly severe; women of good conduct, O brāhmaṇa, always perform it with respect.
दुष्करं खलु कुर्वन्ति पितरो मातरश्च वै। एकपत्न्यश्च या नार्यो याश् सत्यं वदन्त्युत
Indeed, fathers and mothers perform difficult tasks, as do those women who are devoted to one husband and always speak the truth.
कुक्षिणा दशमासांश्च गर्भं संधारयन्ति याः। नार्यः कालेन संबूय किमद्भुततरं ततः
Women bear a child in their womb for ten months—what could be more wondrous than this, when they give birth in due time?
संशयं परमं प्राप्य वेदनामतुलामपि। प्रजायन्ते सुतान्नार्यो दुःखेन महता विभो
Having reached the utmost uncertainty and incomparable pain, women give birth to sons through great suffering, O mighty one.
पुष्णन्ति चापि महता स्नेहेन द्विजपुङ्गव। `चिन्तयन्ति ततश्चापि किंशीलोऽयंभविष्यति
And then, with great affection, they nurture them, O best of twice-born; and they worry, 'What kind of character will he have?'
याश्च क्रूरेषु सर्वेषु वर्तमाना जुगुप्सिताः। स्वकर्म कुर्वन्ति सदा दुष्करं तच्च मे मतम्
And those women who, though living among all manner of cruelty and contempt, always perform their own duties—this too, in my view, is most difficult.
क्षत्रधर्मसमाचारतत्त्वं व्याख्याहि मे द्विज। धर्मः सुदुर्लभो विप्र नृशंसेन महात्मना
Explain to me, O brāhmaṇa, the true nature of kṣatriya dharma and conduct; for dharma is very hard to attain, O sage, by one who is cruel, even if he is great-souled.
एतदिच्छामि भगवन्प्रश्नं प्रश्नविदांवर। श्रोतुं भृगुकुलश्रेष्ठ शुश्रूषे तव सुव्रत
O venerable one, foremost among those who know questions, I wish to hear this question from you, O best of the Bhṛgu lineage, for I am eager to listen, O steadfast one.
हन्त तेऽहं समाख्यास्ये प्रश्नमेतं सुदुर्वचम्। तत्त्वेन भरतश्रेष्ठ गदतस्तन्निबोध मे
Well then, I shall explain to you this question, which is very difficult to answer; listen to me as I speak it truly, O best of the Bharatas.
मातरंश्रेयसीं तात पितृनन्ये तु मेनिरे। दुष्करं कुरुते माता विवर्धयति या प्रजाः
Some consider the mother to be superior, O dear one, while others regard the father as such; for the mother performs the difficult task of nurturing the offspring.
तपसा देवतेज्याभिर्वन्दनेन तितिक्षया। सुप्रशस्तैरुपायैश्चापीहन्ते पितरः सुतान्
Through austerity, worship of the gods, reverence, endurance, and other excellent means, fathers too strive to support their sons.
एवं कृच्छ्रेण महता पुत्रं प्राप्य सुदुर्लभम्। चिन्तयन्ति सदा वीर कीदृशोऽयं भविष्यति
Thus, after obtaining a son—so hard to attain—through great difficulty, parents always ponder, O hero, what kind of person he will become.
आशंसते हि पुत्रेषु पिता माता च भारत। यशः कीर्तिमथैश्वर्यं तेजो धर्मं तथैव च
Indeed, O descendant of Bharata, a father and mother hope for fame, renown, prosperity, brilliance, and righteousness in their sons.
मातुः पितुश्च राजेन्द्र सततं हितकारिंणोः'। तयोराशां तु सफलां यः करोति स धर्मवित्
O king, he who fulfills the hopes of his ever well-wishing mother and father is truly a knower of righteousness.
पिता माता च राजेन्द्र तुष्यतो यस् नित्यशः। इह प्रेत्य च तस्याथ कीर्तिर्धर्मश्र शाश्वतः
O king, he whose father and mother are always pleased with him attains lasting fame and righteousness in this world and the next.
नैव यज्ञक्रियाः काश्चिन्न श्राद्धं नोपवासकम्। या तु भर्तरि शुश्रूषा तया स्वर्गं जयत्युत
Neither sacrifices, nor śrāddha rites, nor fasting—none of these—grant heaven as surely as devoted service to one's husband.
एतत्प्रकरणं राजन्नधिकृत्य युधिष्ठिर। पतिव्रतानां नियतं धर्मं चावाहितः शृणु
O king, with this topic in mind, listen attentively as I recount the established duty of devoted wives, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
कश्चिद्द्विजातिप्रवरो वेदाध्यायी तपोधनः। तपस्वी धर्मशीलश्च कौशिको नाम भारत
There was once a certain eminent twice-born, rich in asceticism and devoted to the Vedas, named Kauśika, who was steadfast in austerity and righteousness, O descendant of Bharata.
साङ्गोपनिषदान्वेदानधीते द्विजसत्तमः। सवृक्षमूले कस्मिंश्चिद्वेदानुच्चारयन्स्थितः
That best of the twice-born studied the Vedas with their branches and Upaniṣads, and, reciting the Vedas, stood beneath a certain tree.