जनमेजय उवाच अनर्थं जातनिर्बन्धं परार्थं लोभमोहितम्। अनार्यकेष्वभिरतं मरणे कृतनिश्चयम्॥ ज्ञातीनां दुःखकर्तारं बन्धूनां शोकवर्धनम्। सुहृदां क्लेशदातारं द्विषतां हर्षवर्धनम्॥ कथं नैनं विमार्गस्थं वारयन्तीह बान्धवाः। सौहृदाद् वा सुहृत् स्निग्धो भगवान् वा पितामहः॥
Janamejaya said Being from his very birth attached to evil and témpted by covetousness for the wealth of others, addicted to wicked habits and bent upon bringing about his own death, the cause of the misery of his kinsmen, the cause of heightening the grief of his friends, the cause of giving pain to his well-wishers and the cause of the increase of the joy of his enemies, for what reason did not his friends dissuade him who was wedding the wrong course and why did not the friend Krishna or the grandfather do it out of friendship or affection?
वैशम्पायन उवाच उक्तं भगवता वाक्यमुक्तं भीष्मेण यत् क्षयम्। उक्तं बहुविधं चैव नारदेनापि तच्छृणु॥
Vaishampayana said Words were spoken by Krishna and Bhishma, all that could be said and many were the words spoken by Narada. Listen to them.
नारद उवाच दुर्लभो वै सुहच्छ्रोता दुर्लभश्च हितः सुहृत्। तिष्ठते हि सुहृद् यत्र न बन्धुस्तत्र तिष्ठते॥
Narada said Race are those persons who listen to the advice of well-wishers and rare are friends who give good counsels, where there is an adviser who could advice well there is no friend standing (in need of it).
श्रोतव्यमपि पश्यामि सुहृदां कुरुनन्दन। न कर्तव्यश्च निर्बन्धो निर्बन्धो हि सुदारुणः॥
I see, that the advice of your friends ought to be listened to by you, O you the delighter of the race of Kuru; obstinacy ought not to be persevered in, for it is a great evil.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। यथा निर्बन्धतः प्राप्तो गालवेन पराजयः॥
In this connection is cited the old story in which out of obstinacy Galava met with defeat.
विश्वामित्रं तपस्यन्तं धर्मो जिज्ञासया पुरा। अभ्यगच्छत् स्वयं भूत्वा वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः॥
In days of old, with a view to try Vishhvamitra who was practicing asceticism, Dharma came to him in person in the disguise of the divinely prosperous Rishi Vasishtha.
सप्तर्षीणामन्यतमं वेषमास्थाय भारत। बुभुक्षुः क्षुभितो राजन्नाश्रमं कौशिकस्य तु॥
Having assumed the appearance of one of the seven Rishis, O Bharata, he came to the hermitage of the son of Kushika, as if hungry, with the desire of satisfying his hunger.
विश्वामित्रोऽथ सम्भ्रान्तः श्रपयामास वै चरुम्। परमान्नस्य यत्नेन न च तं प्रत्यपालयत्॥
Vishvamitra, with great respect, employed himself in preparing Charu (rice boiled in milk and honey) and in his anxiety to prepare that excellent repast he could not attend to him in other respects.
अन्नं तेन तदा भुक्तमन्यैर्दत्तं तपस्विभिः। अथ गृह्यान्नमत्युष्णं विश्वामित्रोऽप्युपागमत्॥
When he had taken the fool offered by other devotees, Vishvamitra too came there taking his food which was very hot.
भुक्तं मे तिष्ठ तावत् त्वमित्युक्त्वा भगवान् ययौ। विश्वामित्रस्ततो राजन् स्थितं एव महाद्युतिः॥
I have taken my food; you stay here for the present" saying this the divinely prosperous one went away and then did Vishvamitra, of great effulgence, O king, stand there.
भक्तं प्रगृह्य मूर्धा वै बाहुभ्यां संशितव्रतः। स्थितः स्थाणुरिवाभ्याशे निष्चेष्टो मारुताशनः॥
Out of reverence, taking the food on his head and holding the same by his hands the devotee, of austere asceticism, stood there in the hermitage like a post and subsisting on air.
तस्य शुश्रूषणे यलमकरोद् गालवो मुनिः। गौरवाद् बहुमानाच्च हार्देन प्रियकाम्यया॥
In attending on him the Muni Galava took pains out of respect, reverence, affection and the desire to do what was pleasing to Vishvamitra.
अथ वर्षशते पूर्णे धर्मः पुनरुपागमत्। वासिष्ठं वेषमास्थाय कौशिकं भोजनेप्सया॥
Then on the completion of a hundred years Dharma came there again to the son of Kushika, assuming the appearance of Vasishtha with the desire of eating.
स दृष्ट्वा शिरसा भक्तं ध्रियमाणं महर्षिणा। तिष्ठता वायुभक्षेण विश्वामित्रेण धीमता॥ प्रतिगृह्य ततो धर्मस्तथैवोष्णं तथा नवम्। भुक्त्वाप्रीतोऽस्मि विप्रर्षे तमुक्त्वा स मुनिर्गतः॥
He saw his food held on his head by the wise and great Rishi Vishvamitra who stood there subsisting on air and Dharma then accepting the food which was hot and newly cooked and eating it said-“I am pleased, O regenerate Rishi" and went away.
क्षत्रभावादपगतो ब्राह्मणत्वमुपागतः। धर्मस्य वचनात् प्रीतो विश्वामित्रस्तदाभवत्॥
He then became divested of the condition of a Kshatriyas and reached that of a Brahmana and Vishvamitra became pleased at those words Dharma.
विश्वामित्रस्तु शिष्यस्य गालवस्य तपस्विनः। शुश्रूषया च भक्त्या च प्रीतिमानित्युवाच ह॥
And Vishvamitra, being pleased with the attention and devotion of his disciple the ascetic Galava, said thus:
अनुज्ञातौ मया वत्स यथेष्टं गच्छ गालवा इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचेदं गालवो मुनिसत्तमम्॥ प्रीतो मधुरया वाचा विश्वामित्रं महाद्युतिम्। दक्षिणाः काः प्रयच्छामि भवते गुरुकर्मणि॥
“With my permission, child, go away wherever you wish, O Galava.” Being thus addressed, Galava, the best of Munis, said this in reply, in words which were sweet and pleasing to Vishvamitra endued with great effulgence-"What gift (Dakshina) shall I give to your exalted self for your favour as my preceptor?
दक्षिणआभिरुपेतं हि कर्म सिद्ध्यति मानद। दक्षिणानां हि दाता वै अपवर्गेण युज्यते॥
Every religions act becomes successful only when it is accompanied by a gift, O you the giver of honours and then the giver of those gifts obtains salvation.
स्वर्गे क्रतुफलं तद्धि दक्षिणा शान्तिरुच्यते। किमाहरामि गुर्वर्थं ब्रवीतु भगवानिति॥
Gifts are the fruits of acts (enjoyed) in heaven and are therefore said to be the peace. What shall I procure for my spiritual guide let my lord command.”
जानानस्तेन भगवाञ्जितः शुश्रूषणेन वै। विश्वामित्रस्तमसकृद् गच्छ गच्छेत्यचोदयत्॥
The Rishi Vishvamitra, divinely prosperous, knowing that he had been conquered by his attentions (and nothing else) said to him-“Go, go" and sought to send his attendant away by that means,
असकृद् गच्छ गच्छेति विश्वामित्रेण भाषितः। किं ददानीति बहुशो गालवः प्रत्यभाषत॥
The attendant, being spoken to by Vishvamitra saying again and again 'go, go,' said by way of reply “What shall I give you."
निर्बन्धतस्तु बहुशो गालवस्य तपस्विनः। किंचिदागतसंरम्भो विश्वामित्रऽब्रवीदिदम्॥
Vishvamitra, a little angry at the excessive obstinacy of the devotee Galava, said this to him:
एकतः श्यामकर्णानां हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम्। अष्टौ शतानि मे देहि गच्छ गालव मा चिरम्॥
“Give me eight hundred horses, white as the rays of the moon and each having one ear black. Go,OGalava, without delay."