युधिष्ठिर उवाच अबुद्धिपूर्वं यत् पापं कुर्याद् भरतसत्तम। मुच्यते स कथं तस्मादेतत् सर्वं वदस्व मे॥
Yudhishthira said O best of the Bharatas, when a person commits sin from want of discrimination, how may he be purified by it? Tell me all about it.
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पुराणमृषिसंस्तुतम्। इन्द्रोत: शौनको विप्रो यदाह जनमेजयम्॥
Bhishma said In this connection I shall recite to you the old narrative, spoken highly of by the Rishis, of what the twice-born Indrota, the son of Shunaka, said to Janamejaya.
आसीद् राजा महावीर्यः परिक्षिज्जनमेजयः। अबुद्धिपूर्वामागच्छद् ब्रह्महत्यां महीपतिः॥
There was, in days of old, a highly energetic king, called Janamejaya, who was the son of Parikshit. On one occasion from want of discrimination, that king became guilty of Brahmanicide.
ब्राह्मणाः सर्व एवैते तत्यजुः सपुरोहिताः। स जगाम वनं राजा दह्यमानो दिवानिशम्॥
Upon this, all the Brahmanas together with his priests cast him off. Burning day and night with grief, the king retired into the forest.
प्रजाभिः स परित्यक्तश्चकार कुशलं महत्। अतिवेलं तपस्तेपे दह्यमानः स मन्युना॥
Deserted by his subjects too, he adopted this course for acquiring great merit. Reduced by repentance, the king practised the most rigid austerities.
ब्रह्महत्यापनोदार्थमपृच्छद् ब्राह्मणान् बहून्। पर्यटन् पृथिवीं कृत्स्ना देशे देशे नराधिपः॥
For purifying himself of the sin of Brahmanicide he asked many Brahmanas, and travelled from one country to another over the whole Earth.
तत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि धर्मस्यास्योपबृंहणम्। दह्यमानः पापकृत्या जगाम जनमेजयः॥
I shall now tell you the story of his expiation. Burning with the recollection of his sin, Janamejaya wandered about.
चरिष्यमाण इन्द्रोतं शौनकं संशितव्रतम्। समासाद्योपजग्राह पादयोः परिपीडयन्॥
One day, in course of his peregrinations, he met Indrota, the son of Shunaka, of rigid vows, and approaching him touched his feet.
ऋषिर्दृष्ट्वा नृपं तत्र जगहें सुभृशं तदा। कर्ता पापस्य महतो भ्रूणहा किमिहागतः॥
Seeing the king before him, the sage reproved him, saying,-You have committed a great sin. You have been guilty of foeticide. Why have you come here.
किं त्वयास्मासु कर्तामा मां स्प्राक्षीः कथंचन। गच्छ गच्छ न ते स्थानं प्रीणात्यस्मानिति ब्रुवन्॥
What have you to do with us? Do not touch me! Go, go away! Your presence does not give us pleasure!
रुधिरस्येव ते गन्धः शवस्येव च दर्शनम्। अशिवः शिवसंकाशो मृतो जीवन्निवाटसि॥
Your body smells like blood. You look like a corpse. Though impure, you appear as pure, and though dead you move like a living being!
ब्रह्ममृत्युरशुद्धात्मा पापमेवानुचिन्तयन्। प्रबुद्ध्यसे प्रस्वपिषि वर्तसे परमे सुखे॥
Dead within, you are of impure soul for you always wish to commit sin. Though you sleep, and wake, your life, however, is spent in great misery.
मोघं ते जीवितं राजन् परिक्लिष्टं च जीवसि। पापायैव हि सृष्टोऽसि कर्मणे हि यवीयसे॥
Useless is your life, O king. You live most miserably. You have been created for ignoble and sinful acts.
बहुकल्याणमिच्छन्ति ईहन्ते पितरः सुतान्। तपसा दैवतेज्याभिर्वन्दनेन तितिक्षया॥
Fathers wish for sons for obtaining various kinds of blessings, and hoping they would perform penances and sacrifices, adore the gods, and practise renunciation.
पितृवंशमिमं पश्य त्वत्कृते नरकं गतम्। निरर्थाः सर्व एवैषामाशाबन्धास्त्वदाश्रयाः॥
See all your ancestors have fallen into hell for your acts. All the hopes your fathers had placed upon you have been frustrated,
यान् पूजयन्तो विन्दन्ति स्वर्गमायुर्यशः प्रजाः। तेषु त्वं सततं द्वेष्टा ब्राह्मणेषु निरर्थकः॥
You live in vain, for you, always entertain hatred and malice towards the Brahmanas,-by worshipping whom other men acquire long life, fame, and heaven.
इमं लोकं विमुच्य त्वमवाङ्मूर्द्धा पतिष्यसि। अशाश्वतीः शाश्वतीश्च समाः पापेन कर्मणा॥
Leaving this world, you shall have to fall (into hell) with head downwards and remain in that posture for numberless years for your sinful deeds.
अर्धमानो यत्र गृधैः शितिकण्ठैरयोमुखैः। ततश्च पुनरावृत्तः पापयोनि गमिष्यसि॥
There you will be tortured by vultures and peacocks having iron beaks. Returning thence into this world, you will be born again in a wretched order of creatures.
यदिदं मन्यसे राजन् नायमस्ति कुतः परः। प्रतिस्मारयितारस्त्वां यमदूता यमक्षये॥
If you think, o king, that this world is nothing and that the next world is nothing and that the next world is but a shadow, the attendants of Yama in the infernal regions will convince you, removing your scepticism.