BAKA-VADHA: Chapter 159

Words of Brahmana's daughter and son

वैशम्पायन उवाच तयोर्दुःखितयोर्वाक्यमतिमात्रं निशम्य तु। ततो दुःखपरीताङ्गी कन्या तावभ्यभाषत॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard these words of her affected parents, the daughter was filled with grief and she thus spoke (to them.)

किमेवं भृशदुःखार्ती रोरूयेतामनाथवत्। ममापि श्रूयतां वाक्यं श्रुत्वा च क्रियतां क्षमम्॥
The Daughter said : Why are you so sorrowful? Why are you weeping, as if you have none. Listen to my words and hearing them, do what is proper.

धर्मतोऽहं परित्याज्या युवयोर्नात्र संशयः। त्यक्तव्यां मां परित्यज्य त्राहि सर्वं मयैकया।॥
There is no doubt that you will one time abandon me by the dictates of virtue. Abandon me who am to be abandoned and thus save all by (sacrificing) me alone.

इत्यर्थमिष्यतेऽपत्यं तारयिष्यति मामिति। अस्मिन्नुपस्थिते काले तरध्वं प्लवन्मया॥
Men desire for children hoping, they will save them. Cross this stream of your difficulty by me.

इह वा तारयेद् दुर्गादुत वा प्रेत्य भारत। सर्वथा तारयेत् पुत्रः पुत्र इत्युच्यते बुधैः॥
A child saves his presents in this world and in the next. Therefore, a child is called by the learmed Putra.

आकाङ्क्षन्ते च दौहित्रान् मयि नित्यं पितामहाः। तत् स्वयं वै परित्रास्ये रक्षन्ती जीवितं पितुः॥
My forefathers always desire to have daughter's son by me, (to save them from hell). I shall myself save them by saving the life of my father.

भ्राता च मम बालोऽयं गते लोकममुं त्वयि। अचिरेणैव कालेन विनश्यत न संशयः॥
My brother is but of tender years; there is no doubt he will die soon after your death.

तातेऽपि हि गते स्वर्ग विनष्टे च ममानुजे। पिण्डः पितॄणां व्युच्छिद्येत् तत् तेषां विप्रियं भवेत्॥
If you, my father, ascend to heaven, if my brother dies, the Pinda (funeral cake) for the Pitris (ancestors) will be stopped and it will be most unfavourite act of theirs.

पित्रा त्यक्ता तथा मात्रा भ्रात्रा चाहमसंशयम्। दुःखाद् दुःखतरं प्राप्य म्रियेयमतथोचिता॥
Having been abandoned by my father brother and also my mother, I shall fall from misery to greater misery and I shall finally perish in great distress.

त्वयि त्वरोगे निर्मुक्ते माता भ्राता च मे शिशुः। संतानश्चैव पिण्डश्च प्रतिष्ठास्यत्यसंशयम्॥
There is no doubt that if you can save yourself, my mother and my child brother, also the Pinda will be perpetuated.

आत्मा पुत्रः सखा भार्या कृच्छं तु दुहिता किला स कृच्छ्रान्मोचयात्मानं मां च धर्मे नियोजय॥
The son is one's own self; the wife is one's friend; the daughter is (however) a source of trouble. Save yourself by sacrificing that cause of trouble; and set me on the path of virtue.

अनाथा कृपणा बाला यत्रक्वचनगामिनी। भविष्यामि त्वया तात विहीना कृपणा सदा॥
O father, I am but a girl being abandoned by you, I shall be helpless and miserable and I shall have to go anywhere and everywhere.

अथवाहं करिष्यामि कुलस्यास्य विमोचनम्। फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्॥
I shall, therefore, save my race and I shall acquire the merit that such difficult work brings in.

अथवा यास्यसे तत्र त्यक्त्वा मां द्विजसत्तम्। पीडिताहं भविष्यामि तदवेक्षस्व मामपि॥
O best of the twice-born, leaving me behind, if you go there (to the Rakshasas) I shall be very much pained; therefore be kind to ine.

तदस्मदर्थं धर्मार्थं प्रसवार्थं स सत्तम। आत्मानं परिरक्षस्व त्यक्तव्यां मां च संत्यज॥
O excellent man, abandoning me who am to be (one day) abandoned, save yourself for our sake, for the sake of virtue and your race.

अवश्यकरणीये च मा त्वां कालोऽत्यगादयम्। किं त्वतः परमं दुःखं यद् वयं स्वर्गते त्वयि॥ याचमानाः परादन्नं परिधावेमहि श्ववत्। त्वयि त्वरोगे निर्मुक्ते क्लेशादस्मात् सबान्धवे। अमृते वसती लोके भविष्यामि सुखान्विता॥
There should not be may delay in doing that which is inevitable. What could be more painful to us than your ascending heaven. (Then) we shall have to beg our food from others like dogs. If you are saved with your friends (dear ones), I shall pass my time in heaven and bliss.

इतः प्रदाने देवाश्च पितरश्चेति न श्रुतम्। त्वया दत्तेन तोयेन भविष्यन्ति हिताय वै॥
We have heard that if after bestowing your daughter, you offer obtains to the celestial and forefathers, they will be propitious to you.

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं बहुविधं तस्या निशम्य परिदेवितम्। पिता माता च सा चैव कन्या प्ररुरुदुस्त्रयः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard her these piteous lamentations, the father, the brother and the daughter began to weep (together).

ततः प्ररुदितान् सर्वान् निशम्याथ सुतस्तदा। उत्फुल्लनयनो बाल: कलमव्यक्तमब्रवीत्॥
Thereupon seeing them all weep, their son of tender years, spoke thus in childish words, his eyes expanded with joy.

मा पिता रुद मा मातर्मा स्वसस्त्विति चाब्रवीत्। प्रहसन्निव सर्वांस्तानेकैकमनुसर्पति॥ ततः स तृणमादाय प्रहृष्टः पुनरब्रवीत्। अनेनाहं हनिष्यामि राक्षसं पुरुषादकम्॥
He said O father, o you mother, O sister also, do not weep.” Thus saying and smiling, he came to each of them. Then taking up a blade of glass, he said again in joy, “I shall kill the cannibal Rakshasas by it.

तथापि तेषां दुःखेन परीतानां निशम्य तत्। बालस्य वाक्यमव्यक्तं हर्षः समभवन्महान्॥
Through they were all in grief, yet hearing the lisping words of the child, they felt exceeding delight.

अयं काल इति ज्ञात्वा कुन्ती समुपसृत्य तान्। गतासूनमृतेनेव जीवयन्तीदमब्रवीत्॥
Thinking that to be the (proper) time (to appear before them), Kunti came to them and reviving them as nectar revives a dead man, she thus spoke (to them).