राजोवाच वीरद्युम्न इति ख्यातो राजाहं दिक्षु विश्रुतः। भूरिद्युम्नं सुतं नष्टमन्वेष्टुं वनमागतः॥
The king said I am a king named Viradyumna. My fame has travelled everywhere. My Bhuridyumna has been lost. To find him out I have come to this forest.
एकः पुत्रः स विप्राय बाल एव च मेऽनघ। न दृश्यते वने चास्मिंस्तमन्वेष्टुं चराम्यहम्॥
O ye foremost of Brahmanas, that child was my only son and, O ye of sinless ones, he is very young. He cannot, however, be found here. I am travelling everywhere for finding him out. son
ऋषभ उवाच इत्येवमुक्ते वचने राज्ञा मुनिरधोमुखः। तूष्णीमेवाभवत् तत्र न च प्रत्युक्तवान् नृपम्॥
Rishabha said After the king had said so, the ascetic Tanu lowered his head. He remained absolutely silent, without giving any response.
स हि तेन पुरा विप्रो राज्ञा नात्यर्थमानितः। आशाकृतश्च राजेन्द्र तपो दीर्घं समाश्रितः॥ प्रतिग्रहमहं राज्ञां न करिष्ये कथञ्चन। अन्येषां चैव वर्णानामिति कृत्वा धियं तदा॥ आशा हि पुरुषं बालमुत्थापयति तस्थुषी।
Formerly that Brahmana had not been much respected by the king. Out of disappointment, O king, he had practised austere penances for a long time, being determined that he should never accept anything as present from either kings or members of any other caste.
तामहं व्यपनेष्यामि इति कृत्वा व्यवस्थितः। वीरद्युम्नस्तु तं भूयः पप्रच्छ मुनिसत्तमम्॥
And he said to himself,-Hope moves every foolish man. I shall banish hope from my mind!-Such was his resolution. Viradyumna once more asked that foremnost of ascetics, saying,
राजोवाच आशायाः किं कृशत्वं च किं चेह भुवि दुर्लभम्। ब्रवीतु भगवानेतत् त्वं हि धर्मार्थदर्शिवान्॥
What is the extent of the faintness of Hope? What on Earth is highly difficult to acquire? Tell me this, O holy one, for you are master of virtue and profit.
तत: संस्मृत्य तत् सर्वं स्मारयिष्यन्निवाब्रवीत्। राजानं भगवान् विप्रस्ततः कृशतनुस्तदा॥
Rishabha said Remembering all the past incidents and calling them back to the recollection of the king also, that holy Brahmana of emaciated body said to the king.
ऋषिरुवाच कृशत्वेन समं राजन्नाशामा विद्यते नृप। तस्या वै दुर्लभत्वाच्च प्रार्थिताः पार्थिवा मया॥
The sage said-There is nothing, o king, which is so slender as Hope, I had requested many kings and found that there is nothing which is so The sage difficult of acquiring as an image presented by Hope before the mind!-
राजोवाच कृशाकृशे मया ब्रह्मन् गृहीते वचनात् तव। दुर्लभत्वं च तस्यैव वेदवाक्यमिव द्विज॥
The king said At your words, O Brahmana, I understand what is feeble and what is not so. I understand also now difficult it is to acquire the images placed by hope before the mind. I consider these words of yours as Shruti.
संशयस्तु महाप्राज्ञ संजातो हृदये मम तन्मुने मम तत्त्वेन वक्तुमर्हसि पृच्छतः॥
O you of great wisdom, one doubt, however, is in my mind. You should, O sage, explain it fully to me.
त्वत्तः कृशतरं किं नु ब्रवीतु भगवानिदम्। यदि गुह्यं न ते किञ्चिद् विद्यते मुनिसत्तम॥
What is slenderer than your body? Tell me this, O holy one, if, however, O best of sages, the subject is one, which may fairly be dealt with.
कृश उवाच दुर्लभोऽप्यथवा नास्ति योऽर्थी धृतिमवाप्नुयात्। स दुर्लभतरस्तात योऽर्थिनं नावमन्यते॥
It highly difficult to find a contented applicant. Perhaps, there is none such in the world. Still rare, O sire, is the man who never disregards an applicant.
सत्कृत्य नोपकुरुते परं शक्त्या यथार्हतः। या सक्ता सर्वभूतेषु साऽऽशा कृशतरी मया॥
The hope in persons who do not, after making promises, do good to others, to the best of their abilities and according to the fitness of the applicant, is slenderer than even my body.
कृतघ्नेषु च या सक्ता नृशंसेष्वलसेषु च। अपकारिषु चासत्ता साऽऽशा कृशतरीमया॥
The hope in an ungrateful man, or in one who is cruel, or in one who is idle, or in one who injures others, is slenderer than even my body.
एकपुत्रः पिता पुत्रे नष्टे वा प्रोषितेऽपि वा। प्रवृत्तिं यो न जानाति साऽऽशा कृशतरी मया॥
The hope entertained by a father who has only one son, of once more seeing him after he has been lost or missed, is slenderer than even my body.
प्रसवे चैव नारीणां वृद्धानां पुत्रकारिता। तथा नरेन्द्र धनिनां साऽऽशा कृशतरी मया।॥
The hope that old women hold of giving birth to sons, O king, and which is cherished by rich men, is slenderer than even my body.
प्रदानकाक्षिणीनां च कन्यानां वयसि स्थिते। श्रुत्वा कथास्तथायुक्ताः साऽऽशा कृशतरी मया॥
The hope of marriage in grown up maidens when they hear any body only talk of it in their presence, is slenderer than even my body.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो राजन् स राजा सावरोधनः। संस्पृश्य पादौ शिरसा निपपात द्विजर्षभम्॥
Hearing these words, O monarch, king Viradyumna, and the ladies of his household, laid themselves low before that foremost of Brahmanas and touched his feet with their bent heads.
राजोवाच प्रसादये त्वां भगवन् पुत्रेणेच्छामि संगमम्। यदेतदुक्तं भवता सम्प्रति द्विजसत्तम॥
The king said I beg your favour, O holy one. I wish to meet with my child. What you have said, O best of Brahmanas, is very true. There is not doubt of the truth of your words.
ऋषभ उवाच सत्यमेतन्न संदेहो यदेतद् व्याहृतं त्वया। ततः प्रहस्य भगवांस्तनुर्धर्मभृतां वरः॥
Rishabha continued The holy Tanu, that best of virtuous persons, smiling, caused, by virtue of his learning and his penances, the king's son to be brought there.
पुत्रमस्यानयत् क्षिप्रं तपसा च श्रुतेन च। स समानीय तत्पुत्रं तमुपालभ्य पार्थिवम्॥
Having caused the prince to be brought there, the sage remonstrated with the king (his father). That foremost of virtuous persons then showed himself to be the god of righteousness.
आत्मानं दर्शयामास धर्म धर्मभृतां वरः। स दर्शयित्वा चात्मानं दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम्। विपाष्मा विगतक्रोधश्चचार वनमन्तिकात्॥
Indeed, having shown his own wonderful and celestials form, he entered an adjacent forest, with heart shorn of anger and the desire of revenge.
एतद् दृष्टं मया राजंस्तथा च वचनं श्रुतम्। आशामपनयस्वाशु ततः कृशतरीमिमाम्॥
I saw all this, O king, and heard the words I have said. Dispell your hope that is even slenderer than any of those which the sage pointed out.
भीष्म उवाच स तथोक्तस्तदा राजन् ऋषभेण महात्मना। सुमित्रोऽपनयत् क्षिप्रमाशां कृशतरी ततः॥
Bhishma said Thus addressed, O king, by the great Rishabha, king Sumitra quickly renounced the hope that was in his heart and which was slenderer than any of the various sorts of hope pointed out by the emaciated Rishi.
एवं त्वमपि कौन्तेय श्रुत्वा वाणीमिमां मम। स्थिरो भव महाराज हिमवानिव पर्वतः॥
Do you also, O son of Kunti, hearing these words of mine, be calm and composed like Himavat.
त्वं हि प्रष्टा च श्रोता च कृच्छ्रेष्वनुगतेष्विह। श्रुत्वा मम महाराज न संतप्तुमिहार्हसि॥
Stricken with distress you have questioned me and heard my answer. Fiaving heard it, O monarch, you should remove these regrets of yours.