तं दृष्ट्वा रक्षिणस्तत्र तथा बहुतिथेऽहनि। न्यवेदयंस्तथा राज्ञे यथावृत्तं नराधिप
Seeing him thus, the guards, after many days, reported to the king exactly what had happened.
राजा च तमृषिं श्रुत्वा निष्क्रम्य सह मन्त्रिभिः। प्रसादयामास तदा शूलस्थमृषिसत्तमम्
And the king, hearing of that sage, went out with his ministers and sought to appease that best of sages, who was impaled on the stake.
यन्मयाऽपकृतं मोहादज्ञानादृषिसत्तम। प्रसादये त्वां तत्राहं न मे त्वं क्रोद्धुमर्हसि
'Whatever wrong I have done to you out of delusion or ignorance, O best of sages, I beg your forgiveness; you should not be angry with me.'
एवमुक्तस्ततो राज्ञा प्रसादमकरोन्मुनिः। कृतप्रसादं राजा तं ततः समवतारयत्
Thus addressed by the king, the sage granted him forgiveness; and when the king had been forgiven, he took him down from the stake.
अवतार्य च शूलाग्रात्तच्छूलं निश्चकर्ष ह। अशक्नुवंश्च निष्क्रष्टुं शूलं मूले स चिच्छिदे
Having taken him down from the tip of the stake, he tried to pull out the stake, but being unable to extract it, he cut it off at the base.
स तथान्तर्गतेनैव शूलेन व्यचरन्मुनिः। कण्ठपार्श्वान्तरस्थेन शङ्कुना मुनिराचत्। पुष्पभाजनधारी स्यादिति चिन्तापरोऽभवत्
Thus, with the stake remaining inside him, the sage moved about; with the point lodged in his throat and side, the sage thought, 'I should carry a vessel for flowers.'
स चातितपसा लोकान्विजिग्ये दुर्लभान्परैः
And by his intense austerity, he conquered worlds that are difficult for others to attain.
अणीमाण्डव्य इति च ततो लोकेषु गीयते। स गत्वा सदनं विप्रो धर्मस्य परमार्थवित्
Therefore, he is called Aṇimāṇḍavya among people; and that sage, knower of the highest truth, went to the abode of Dharma.
आसनस्थं ततो धर्मं दृष्ट्वोपालभत प्रभुम्। किं नु तद्दुष्कृतं कर्म मया कृतमजानता
Seeing Dharma seated, he addressed the lord: 'What is that wrongful deed, done by me unknowingly,'
यस्येयं फलनिर्वृत्तिरीदृश्यासादिता मया। शीघ्रमाचक्ष्व मे तत्त्वं पश्य मे तपसो बलम्
'whose result has come to me in this form? Quickly tell me the truth; witness the power of my austerity.'
पतङ्गिकानां पुच्छेषु त्वयेषीका प्रवेशिता। कर्मणस्तस्य ते प्राप्तं फलमेतत्तपोधन
'You inserted a blade of grass into the tails of insects; this is the fruit of that action, O ascetic.'
स्वल्पमेव यथा दत्तं दानं बहुगुणं भवेत्। अधर्म एवं विप्रर्षे बहुदुःखफलप्रदः
'Just as a small gift given becomes multiplied many times, so too unrighteousness, O sage, yields manifold painful results.'
कस्मिन्काले मया तत्तु कृतं ब्रूहि यथातथम्। तेनोक्तं धर्मराजेन बालभावे त्वया कृतम्
'At what time did I commit that act? Tell me truly.' Dharma replied, 'You did it in childhood.'
बालो हि द्वादशाद्वर्षाज्जन्मतो यत्करिष्यति। न भविष्यत्यधर्मोऽत्र न प्रज्ञास्यति वै दिशः
'For whatever a child does before twelve years from birth, there is no unrighteousness, nor does he know the directions.'
अल्पेऽपराधेऽपि महान्मम दण्डस्त्वया धृतः। गरीयान्ब्राह्मणवधः सर्वभूतवधादपि
'For a slight offense, you imposed a great punishment upon me; the killing of a Brahmin is heavier than the killing of all creatures.'
शूद्रयोनावतो धर्म मानुषः संभविष्यसि। मर्यादां स्थापयाम्यद्य लोके कर्मफलोदयाम्
'O Dharma, you will be born as a human in the womb of a Shudra; today I establish the rule in the world for the arising of the fruit of actions.'
आ चतुर्दशकाद्वर्षान्न भविष्यति पातकम्। परतः कुर्वतामेव दोष एव भविष्यति
'Up to fourteen years of age, there will be no sin; only after that, fault will arise for those who act wrongly.'
एतेन त्वपराधेन शापात्तस्य महात्मनः। धर्मो विदुररूपेण शूद्रयोनावजायत
Because of this offense, by the curse of that great soul, Dharma was born in the form of Vidura in the womb of a Shudra.
धर्मे चार्थे च कुशलो लोभक्रोधविवर्जितः। दीर्घदर्शी शमपरः कुरूणां च हिते रतः
Skilled in righteousness and wealth, free from greed and anger, far-sighted, devoted to peace, and engaged in the welfare of the Kurus.
धृतराष्ट्रे च पाण्डौ च विदुरे च महात्मनि।' एषु त्रिषु कुमारेषु जातेषु कुरुजाङ्गलम्। कुरवोऽथ कुरुक्षेत्रं त्रयमेतदवर्धत
When Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and the great Vidura were born, the land of the Kurus and Kurukshetra flourished together with them.
ऊर्ध्वसस्याऽभवद्भूमिः सस्यानि फलवन्ति च। यथर्तुवर्षी पर्जन्यो बहुपुष्पफला द्रुमाः
The earth yielded abundant crops, and the grains bore fruit; as the rain fell in its season, the trees produced many flowers and fruits.
वाहनानि प्रहृष्टानि मुदिता मृगपक्षिणः। गन्धवन्ति च माल्यानि रसवन्ति फलानि च
The vehicles were joyful, the wild animals and birds were delighted; the garlands were fragrant, and the fruits were full of flavor.
वणिग्भिश्चान्वकीर्यन्त नगराण्यथ शिल्पिभिः। शूराश्च कृतविद्याश्च सन्तश्च सुखिनोऽभवन्
The cities were filled with merchants and artisans; the heroes, those skilled in knowledge, and the virtuous were happy.
नाभवन्दस्यवः केचिन्नाधर्मरुचयो जनाः। प्रदेशेष्वपि राष्ट्राणां कृतं युगमवर्तत
There were no robbers, nor people inclined to unrighteousness; even in the regions of the kingdoms, a golden age prevailed.
धर्मक्रिया यज्ञशीलाः सत्यव्रतपरायणाः। अन्योन्यप्रीतिसंयुक्ता व्यवर्धन्त प्रजास्तदा
At that time, the people, devoted to righteous acts, sacrificial rites, and the observance of truth, flourished together, united by mutual affection.
मानक्रोधविहीनाश्च नरा लोभविवर्जिताः। अन्योन्यमभ्यनन्दन्त धर्मोत्तरमवर्तत
Men were free from pride and anger, untouched by greed; they rejoiced in one another, and the highest righteousness prevailed.
तन्महोदधिवत्पूर्णं नगरं वै व्यरोचत। द्वारतोरणनिर्यूहैर्युक्तमभ्रचयोपमैः
That city shone, filled like a great ocean, adorned with gates, arches, and exits resembling masses of clouds.
प्रसादशतसंबाधं महेन्द्रपुरसन्निभम्। नदीषु वनखण्डेषु वापीपल्वलसानुषु। काननेषु च रम्येषु विजह्रुर्मुदिता जनाः
Crowded with hundreds of palaces, resembling the city of Indra, the joyful people delighted in the rivers, forest tracts, ponds, marshes, and beautiful groves.
उत्तरैः कुरुभिः सार्धं दक्षिणाः कुरवस्तथा। विस्पर्धमाना व्यचरंस्तथा देवर्षिचारणैः
The southern Kurus, together with the northern Kurus, moved about in rivalry, just like the divine sages and celestial beings.
नाभवत्कृपणः कश्चिन्नाभवन्विधवाः स्त्रियः। तस्मिञ्जनपदे रम्ये कुरुभिर्बहुलीकृते
In that delightful land, made populous by the Kurus, there was no one destitute, nor were there any widowed women.