वेत्रकीयगृहे राजा नायं नयमिहास्थितः। उपायं तं न कुरुते यत्नादपि स मन्दधीः। अनामयं जनस्यास्य येन स्यादद्य शाश्वतम्
In the house of Vetrakīya, the king does not uphold justice here; that dull-witted man does not devise a means, even with effort, by which the people might have lasting safety today.
एतदर्हा वचं नूनं वसामो दुर्बलस्य ये। विषये नित्यवास्तव्याः कुराजानमुपाश्रिताः
Surely, this is the fate we deserve, we who are weak, always dwelling in the realm of a bad king.
ब्राह्मणाः कस्य वक्तव्याः कस्य वाच्छन्दचारिणः। गुणैरेते हि वत्स्यन्ति कामगाः पक्षिणो यथा
To whom should Brahmanas speak, and for whom should they act as they please? For these will remain only as long as there are virtues, just as birds stay where they wish.
राजानं प्रथमं विन्देत्ततो भार्यां ततो धनम्। `राजन्यसति लोकेऽस्मिन्कुतो भार्या कुतो धनम्। वयस्य संचयेनास्य ज्ञातीन्पुत्रांश्च तारयेत्
One should first seek a king, then a wife, and then wealth; for without a king in this world, how can there be a wife or wealth? By gathering friends, one should rescue his kin and sons.
विपीरतं मया चेदं त्रयं सर्वमुपार्जितम्। तदिमामापदं प्राप्य भृशं तप्यामहे वयम्
By my effort, I have acquired all these three—king, wife, and wealth; yet, having come to this misfortune, we are greatly afflicted.
सोऽयमस्माननुप्राप्तो वारः कुलविनाशनः। भोजनं पुरुषश्चैकः प्रदेयं वेतनं मया
Now this calamity, which destroys the family, has come upon us; I must give food and a man as payment.
न च मे विद्यते वित्तं संक्रेतुं पुरुषं क्वचित्। सुहृज्जनं प्रदातुं च न शक्ष्यामि कदाचन
But I have no wealth to buy a man anywhere, nor can I ever give a friend.
गतिं चान्यां न पश्यामि तस्मान्मोक्षाय रक्षसः। सोऽहं दुःखार्णवे मग्नो महत्यसुकरे भृशम्
I see no other way; therefore, for release from the Rakshasa, I am plunged in a great and difficult ocean of sorrow.
सहैवैतैर्गमिष्यामि बान्धवैरद्य राक्षसम्। ततो नः सहितान्क्षुद्रः सर्वानेवोपभोक्ष्यति
Today, together with these relatives, I will go to the Rakshasa; then that wretch will consume us all together.
दुःखमूलमिदं भद्रे मयोक्तं प्रश्नतोऽनघे
O blameless one, I have told you the root of this sorrow, as you asked.
न विषादस्त्वया कार्यो भयादस्मात्कथंचन। उपायः परिदृष्टोऽत्र तस्मान्मोक्षाय रक्षसः
You should not be despondent or afraid in any way; a means has been found here for deliverance from the Rakshasa.
नैव स्वयं सपुत्रस्य गमनं तत्र रोचये।' एकस्तव सुतो बालः कन्या चैका तपस्विनी। न चैतयोस्तथा पत्न्या गमनं तव रोचये
I do not approve that you yourself, with your son, should go there; you have one young son and one daughter devoted to austerity, nor do I approve that your wife or you should go.
मम पञ्च सुता ब्रह्मंस्तेषामेको गमिष्यति। त्वदर्थं बलिमादाय तस्य पापस्य रक्षसः
O Brahman, I have five sons; one of them will go, as an offering for your sake, to that sinful Rakshasa.
नाहमेतत्करिष्यामि जीवितार्थी कथंचन। ब्राह्मणस्यातिथेश्चैव स्वार्थे प्राणान्वियोजयन्
I will never do this, even for the sake of life—depriving a Brahmana guest of his own interests or life.
न त्वेतदकुलीनासु नाधर्मिष्ठासु विद्यते। यद्ब्राह्ममार्थं विसृजेदात्मानमपि चात्मजम्
This is not found among those of noble lineage or among the unrighteous—that one would abandon himself or his own son for the sake of a Brahmana.
आत्मनस्तु वधः श्रेयो बोद्धव्यमिति रोचते। ब्रहम्वध्याऽऽत्मवध्या वा श्रेयानात्मवधो मम
It seems to me that death of oneself is preferable; whether it is the slaying of a Brahmana or oneself, for me, self-sacrifice is better.
ब्रह्मवध्या परं पापं निष्कृतिर्नात्र विद्यते। अबुद्धिपूर्वं कृत्वापि प्रत्यवायो हि विद्यते
The slaying of a Brahmana is the highest sin; there is no expiation for it, even if done unintentionally, there is still demerit.
न त्वहं वधमाकाङ्क्षे स्वयमेवात्मनः शुभे। परैः कृते वधे पापं न किंचिन्मयि विद्यते
But I do not desire to kill myself, O virtuous one; if the killing is done by others, there is no sin in me.
अभिसंधौ कृते तस्मिन्ब्राह्मणस्य वधे मया। निष्कृतिं न प्रपश्यामि नृशंसं क्षुद्रमेव च
If, with intention, I were to kill a Brahmana, I see no expiation for it—only cruelty and baseness.
आगतस्य गृहं त्यागस्तथैव शरणार्थिनः। याचमानस्य च वधो नृशंसो गर्हितो बुधैः
Abandoning one who has come to the house, or one who seeks refuge, or killing a supplicant—these are cruel acts, censured by the wise.
कुर्यान्न निन्दितं कर्म न नृशंसं कथंचन। इति पूर्वे महात्मान आपद्धर्मविदो विदुः
One should never perform a condemned act, nor a cruel deed in any circumstance; thus did the great souls of old, who understood the law of adversity, declare.
श्रेयांस्तु सहदारस्य विनाशोऽद्य मम स्वयम्। ब्राह्मणस्य वधं नाहमनुमंस्ये कदाचन
It is better for me, along with my wife, to perish today of my own accord; I will never consent to the killing of a Brahmin.
ममाप्येषा मतिर्ब्रह्मन्विप्रा रक्ष्या इति स्थिरा। न चाप्यनिष्टः पुत्रो मे यदि पुत्रशतं भवेत्
This is my firm conviction, O Brahmin: the Brahmins must be protected; nor would my son be undesirable, even if I had a hundred sons.
न चासौ राक्षसः शक्तो मम पुत्रविनाशने। वीर्यमन्मन्त्रसिद्धश्च तेजस्वी च सुतो मम
Nor is that Rakshasa capable of destroying my son; my son is powerful, accomplished in mantras, and radiant.
राक्षसाय च तत्सर्वं प्रापयिष्यति भोजनम्। मोक्षयिष्यति चात्मानमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः
He will deliver all that food to the Rakshasa, and he will save himself; this is my settled resolve.
समागताश्च वीरेण दृष्टपूर्वाश्च राक्षसाः। बलवन्तो महाकाया निहताश्चाप्यनेकशः
The Rakshasas, who have encountered him before and have seen his valor, though mighty and of great size, have been slain by him many times.
न त्विदं केषुचिद्ब्रह्मान्व्याहर्तव्यं कथंचन। विद्यार्थिनो हि मे पुत्रान्विप्रकुर्युः कुतूहलात्
This matter should not be spoken of to any Brahmin under any circumstance; for my sons, eager for knowledge, might act out of curiosity.
गुरुणा चाननुज्ञातो ग्राहयेद्यः सुतो मम। न स कुर्यात्तथा कार्यं विद्ययेति सतां मतम्
If my son, without the teacher’s permission, were to undertake this task, he should not do so; this is the view of the virtuous regarding learning.
एवमुक्तस्तु पृथया स विप्रो भार्यया सह। हृष्टः संपूजयामास तद्वाक्यममृतोपमम्
Thus addressed by Pritha, the Brahmin, together with his wife, joyfully honored those words, which were like nectar.
ततः कुन्ती च विप्रश्च सहितावनिलात्मजम्। तमब्रूतां कुरुष्वेति स तथेत्यब्रवीच्च तौ
Then Kunti and the Brahmin, together, spoke to the son of the wind, saying, 'Do this,' and he replied to them, 'So be it.'