ब्राह्मण्युवाच न संतापस्त्वया कार्यः प्राकृतेनेव कर्हिचित्। न हि संतापकालोऽयं वैद्यस्य तव विद्यते॥
The Brahmani said: You should not grieve like ordinary men. This is not the time for lamentation. You are learned.
अवश्यं निधनं सर्वैर्गन्तव्यमिह मानवैः। अवश्यम्भाविन्यर्थे वै संतापो नेह विद्यते॥
All men must die. None should grieve for that which is inevitable.
भार्या पुत्रोऽथ दुहिता सर्वमात्मार्थमिष्यते। व्यथां जहि सुबुद्ध्या त्वं स्वयं यास्यामि तत्र च॥ एतद्धि परमं नार्याः कार्यं लोके सनातनम्। प्राणानपि परित्यज्य यद् भर्तृहितमाचरेत्॥
Man desires son, daughter and wife for himself. Therefore abandon grief, for you are greatly intelligent; I shall myself go there. It is the highest and eternal duty of women, namely to sacrifice their lives and to seek the good of their husbands.
तच्च तत्र कृतं कर्म तवापीदं सुखावहम्। भवत्यमुत्र चाक्षय्यं लोकेऽस्मिंश्च यशस्करम्॥
Such an act done by me will give you pleasure; it will (also) bring me fame in this world and eternal bliss hereafter.
एष चैव गुरुर्धर्मो यं प्रवक्ष्याम्यहं तव। अर्थश्च तव धर्मश्च भूयानत्र प्रदृश्यते॥
What I speak to you is the highest virtue. You can acquire by it (by my sacrificing myself) both virtue and profit.
यदर्थमिष्यते भार्या प्राप्तः सोऽर्थस्त्वया मयि। कन्या चैका कुमारश्च कृताहमनृणा त्वया॥
The object for which one desires a wife has already been achieved by you from me. I have borne you a daughter and a son, by which I have been freed from the debt I owe you.
समर्थः पोषणे चासि सुतयो रक्षणे तथा। न त्वहं सुतयोः शक्ता तथा रक्षणपोषणे॥
You are able to support and protect your children. I cannot support and protect the children as you can (do it).
मम हि त्वद्विहीनायाः सर्वप्राणधनेश्वर। कथं स्यातां सुतौ बालौ भरेयं च कथं त्वहम्॥
You are my life, wealth and lord; having been abandoned by you, how these children to tender years and how myself, can live?
कथं हि विधवानाथा बालुपत्रा विना त्वया। मिथुनं जीवयिष्यामि स्थिता साधुगते पथि॥
Being a helpless widow with two children of tender years depending on me how shall I be able to live leading my life in the path of virtue.
अहंकृतावलिप्तैश्च प्रार्थ्यमानामिमां सुताम्। अयुक्तैस्तव सम्बन्धे कथं शक्ष्यामि रक्षितुम्॥
How shall I be able to protect the girl, if your this daughter is solicited by dishonourable and vain persons, unworthy of contracting an alliance with you?
उत्सृष्टमामिषं भूमौ प्रार्थयन्ति यथा खगाः प्रार्थयन्ति जनाः सर्वे पतिहीनां तथा स्त्रियम्॥ साहं विचाल्यमाना वै प्रार्थ्यमाना दुरात्मभिः। स्थातुं पथि न शक्ष्यामि सज्जनेष्टे द्विजोत्तम्॥
As birds eagerly seek with avidity for the piece of) meat thrown on the ground, so men solicit women who have lost their husbands. O best of the twice-born, being solicited by wicked men, I might waver and I might not be able to keep myself on the path of virtue.
कथं तव कुलस्यैकामिमां बालामनागसम्। पितृपैतामहे मार्गे नियोक्तुमहमुत्सहे॥
How shall I be able to place this only daughter of your house, this innocent girl, in the (virtuous) way in which her ancestors have always walked?
कथं शक्ष्यामि बालेऽस्मिन् गुणानाधातुमीप्सितान्। अनाथे सर्वतो लुप्ते यथा त्वं धर्मदर्शिवान्॥
How shall I be able to teach this child (your son) every desirable accomplishment to make him as virtuous as yourself in that time of want I shall be helpless (without you)?
इमामपि च ते बालामनाथां परिभूय माम्। अनर्हाः प्रार्थयिष्यन्ति शूद्रा वेदश्रुति यथा।॥
When I shall be in such helpless state, the unworthy persons will demand this orphan girl, like Shudras desiring to hear the Vedas.
तां चेदहं न दित्सेयं त्वहगुणैरुपबृंहिताम्। प्रमथ्यैनां हरेयुस्ते हविर्खाङ्क्षा इवाध्वरात्॥
If I do not bestow this girl, endued with all qualities and possessing your blood, they may take her away by force as cows take the sacrificial ghee.
सम्प्रेक्षमाणा पुत्रं ते नानुरूपमिवात्मनः। अनर्हवशमापन्नामिमां चापि सुतां तव॥ अवज्ञाता च लोकेषु तथाऽऽत्मानमजानती। अवलिप्तैनरैर्ब्रह्मन् मरिष्यामि न संशयः॥
Seeing your son (thoroughly) unlike yourself and your daughter under the control of unworthy person. I shall be despised in the world. I do not know what will happen to me. O Brahmana, there is no doubt I shall certainly die.
तौ च हीनौ मया बालौ त्वया चैव तथाऽऽत्मजौ। विनश्येतां न संदेहो मत्स्याविव जलक्षये॥
There is no doubt these children of tender years, being bereft of me and you, will die as fish (in a tank) when the water is dried up.
त्रितयं सर्वथाप्येवं विनशिष्यत्यसंशयम्। त्वया विहीनं तस्मात् त्वं मां परित्यक्तुमर्हसि॥
There is no doubt the three (myself, our son and daughter) will all die without you. Therefore you ought to abandon me.
व्युष्टिरेषा परा स्त्रीणां पूर्वं भर्तुः परां गतिम्। गन्तुं ब्रह्मन् सपुत्राणामिति धर्मविदो दिदुः॥
O Brahmana, persons learned in the precepts of virtue have said that to predecease their husbands in an act of the highest merit for women who have borne children.
परित्यक्तः सुतश्चायं दुहितेयं तथा मया। बान्धवाश्च परित्यक्तास्त्वदर्थं जीवितं च मे॥
I am ready to abandon this son and this daughter, these my relations, my this life itself.
यज्ञैस्तपोभिर्नियमैर्दानैश्च विविधैस्तथा। विशिष्यते स्त्रिया भर्तुनित्यं प्रियहिते स्थितिः॥
To be ever engaged in serving her husband is a higher duty to a women than sacrifices, asceticism, vows and various charities.
तदिदं यच्चिकीर्षामि धर्मं परमसम्मतम्। इष्टं चैव हितं चैव तव चैव कुलस्य च॥
Therefore the act I desire to perform is consonant with the highest virtue. It is for your good and for the good of your race.
इष्टानि चाप्यपत्यानि द्रव्याणि सुहृदः प्रियाः। आपद्धर्मप्रमोक्षाय भार्या चापि सतां मतम्॥
The virtuous (men) say, that children, relatives, wives and all things dear in this world) are cherished for rescuing oneself from distress.
आपदर्थे धनं रक्षेद् दारान् रक्षेद् धनैरपि। आत्मानं सततं रक्षेद् दारैरपि धनैरपि॥
Man cherishes wealth for (rescuing himself) from distress and danger. By wealth be cherishes his wife. He must always cherish himself both by his wealth and wife.
दृष्टादृष्टफलार्थं हि भार्या पुत्रो धनं गृहम्। सर्वमेतद् विधातव्यं बुधानमेष निश्चयः॥
The wise men have said that wife, son, wealth or house is acquired to provide for foreseen or unforescen accidents.
एकतो वा कुलं कृत्स्नमात्मा वा कुलवर्धनः। न समं सर्वमेवेति बुधानामेष निश्चयः॥
The wise men have said that one's all relations, weighed against one's own self, would not be equal to one's own self.
स कुरुष्व मया कार्यं तारयात्मानमात्मना। अनुजानीहि मामार्य सुतौ मे परिपालय॥
Therefore, O respected Sir, accomplish your object by me. Protect yourself by abandoning me. Give me your permission cherish children.
अवध्यां स्त्रियमित्याहुर्धर्मज्ञा धर्मनिश्चये। धर्मज्ञान् राक्षसानाहुन हन्यात् स च मामपि॥
In fixing moralities the men, learned in the precepts of virtue, have said that women should never be killed; and (they have also said that the Rakshasas are learned in the rules of morality. Therefore he (the Rakshasas) may not kill me.
निस्संशयं वधः पुंसां स्त्रीणां संशयितो वधः। अतो मामेव धर्मज्ञ प्रस्थापयितुमर्हसि॥
It is certain that he will kill a man, but it is doubtful whether he will kill a woman. O virtuously learned man, you ought to send me.
भुक्तं प्रियाण्यवाप्तानि धर्मश्च चरितो महान्। त्वत् प्रसूतिः प्रिया प्राप्ता न मां तप्स्यत्यजीवितम्।३३॥
I have enjoyed much happiness; I have obtained many things agreeable; I have earned much of religious merits; I have obtained from you beloved sons; I do not grieve to die.
जातपुत्रा च वृद्धा च प्रियकामा च ते सदा। समीक्ष्यैतदहं सर्वं व्यवसायं करोम्यतः॥
I have borne son and I have grown old; I am ever desirous of doing good to you. Having considered all this, I have come to this resolution.
उत्सृज्यापि हि मामार्य प्राप्स्यस्यन्यामपि स्त्रियम्। ततः प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो भविष्यति पुनस्तव॥
O respected Sir, you can take another wife by abandoning me. You may be then again placed on the path of virtue.
न चाप्यधर्मः कल्याण बहुपत्नीकृतां नृणाम्। स्त्रीणामधर्मः सुमहान् भर्तुः पूर्वस्य लङ्घने॥
To marry more than one wife is not sin among men. It is very sinful for a woman to take second husband after the first.
एतत् सर्वं समीक्ष्य त्वमात्मत्यागं च गर्हितम्। आत्मानं तारयाद्याशु कुलं चेमौ च दारकौ॥
Having considered all this and knowing that your self-sacrifice is censurable, save today yourself, your race and your these two children without loss of time.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तया भर्ता तां समालिङ्गय भारत। मुमोच बाष्पं शनकैः सभार्यो भृशदुःखितः॥
O foremost of the Bharata race, when Brahmani told thus, her husband became griefstricken and, embracing her, shed copious tears along with her.