Mahabharata 1.101: ekādhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

1.101.1

janamejaya uvāca |
kiṃ kṛtaṃ karma dharmeṇa yena śāpamupeyivān |
kasya śāpācca brahmarṣe śūdrayonāvajāyata || 1 ||

"Janamejaya said, 'What did the god of justice do for which he was cursed? And who was the Brahmana ascetic from whose curse the god had to be born in the Sudra caste?'

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'What did the god of justice do for which he was cursed? And who was the Brahmana ascetic from whose curse the god had to be born in the Sudra caste?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a Brahmana known by the name of Mandavya. He was conversant with all duties and was devoted to religion, truth and asceticism. The great ascetic used to sit at the entrance of his hermitage at the foot of a tree, with his arms upraised in the observance of the vow of silence. And as he sat there for years together, one day there came into his asylum a number of robbers laden with spoil. And, O bull in Bharata's race, those robbers were then being pursued by a superior body as guardians of the peace. The thieves, on entering that asylum, hid their booty there, and in fear concealed themselves thereabout before the guards came. But scarcely had they thus concealed themselves when the constables in pursuit came to the spot. The latter, observing the Rishi sitting under the tree, questioned him, O king, saying, 'O best of Brahmanas, which way have the thieves taken? Point it out to us so that we may follow it without loss of time.' Thus questioned by the guardians of peace the ascetic, O king, said not a word, good or otherwise, in reply. The officers of the king, however, on searching that asylum soon discovered the thieves concealed thereabout together with the plunder. Upon this, their suspicion fell upon the Muni, and accordingly they seized him with the thieves and brought him before the king. The king sentenced him to be executed along with his supposed associates. And the officers, acting in ignorance, carried out the sentence by impaling the celebrated Rishi. And having impaled him, they went to the king with the booty they had recovered. But the virtuous Rishi, though impaled and kept without food, remained in that state for a long time without dying. And the Rishi by his ascetic power not only preserved his life but summoned other Rishi to the scene. And they came there in the night in the forms of birds, and beholding him engaged in ascetic meditation though fixed on that stake, became plunged into grief. And telling that best of Brahmanas who they were, they asked him saying, 'O Brahmana, we desire to know what hath been thy sin for which thou hast thus been made to suffer the tortures of impalement!'"

1.101.2

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
babhūva brāhmaṇaḥ kaścinmāṇḍavya iti viśrutaḥ |
dhṛtimānsarvadharmajñaḥ satye tapasi ca sthitaḥ || 2 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a Brahmana known by the name of Mandavya. He was conversant with all duties and was devoted to religion, truth and asceticism. The great ascetic used to sit at the entrance of his hermitage at the foot of a tree, with his arms upraised in the observance of the vow of silence. And as he sat there for years together, one day there came into his asylum a number of robbers laden with spoil. And, O bull in Bharata's race, those robbers were then being pursued by a superior body as guardians of the peace. The thieves, on entering that asylum, hid their booty there, and in fear concealed themselves thereabout before the guards came. But scarcely had they thus concealed themselves when the constables in pursuit came to the spot. The latter, observing the Rishi sitting under the tree, questioned him, O king, saying, 'O best of Brahmanas, which way have the thieves taken? Point it out to us so that we may follow it without loss of time.' Thus questioned by the guardians of peace the ascetic, O king, said not a word, good or otherwise, in reply. The officers of the king, however, on searching that asylum soon discovered the thieves concealed thereabout together with the plunder. Upon this, their suspicion fell upon the Muni, and accordingly they seized him with the thieves and brought him before the king. The king sentenced him to be executed along with his supposed associates. And the officers, acting in ignorance, carried out the sentence by impaling the celebrated Rishi. And having impaled him, they went to the king with the booty they had recovered. But the virtuous Rishi, though impaled and kept without food, remained in that state for a long time without dying. And the Rishi by his ascetic power not only preserved his life but summoned other Rishi to the scene. And they came there in the night in the forms of birds, and beholding him engaged in ascetic meditation though fixed on that stake, became plunged into grief. And telling that best of Brahmanas who they were, they asked him saying, 'O Brahmana, we desire to know what hath been thy sin for which thou hast thus been made to suffer the tortures of impalement!'"

1.101.3

sa āśramapadadvāri vṛkṣamūle mahātapāḥ |
ūrdhvabāhurmahāyogī tasthau maunavratānvitaḥ || 3 ||

1.101.4

tasya kālena mahatā tasmiṃstapasi tiṣṭhataḥ |
tamāśramapadaṃ prāptā dasyavo loptrahāriṇaḥ |
anusāryamāṇā bahubhī rakṣibhirbharatarṣabha || 4 ||

1.101.5

te tasyāvasathe loptraṃ nidadhuḥ kurusattama |
nidhāya ca bhayāllīnāstatraivānvāgate bale || 5 ||

1.101.6

teṣu līneṣvatho śīghraṃ tatastadrakṣiṇāṃ balam |
ājagāma tato'paśyaṃstamṛṣiṃ taskarānugāḥ || 6 ||

1.101.7

tamapṛcchaṃstato rājaṃstathāvṛttaṃ tapodhanam |
katareṇa pathā yātā dasyavo dvijasattama |
tena gacchāmahe brahmanpathā śīghrataraṃ vayam || 7 ||

1.101.8

tathā tu rakṣiṇāṃ teṣāṃ bruvatāṃ sa tapodhanaḥ |
na kiṃcidvacanaṃ rājannavadatsādhvasādhu vā || 8 ||

1.101.9

tataste rājapuruṣā vicinvānāstadāśramam |
dadṛśustatra saṃlīnāṃstāṃścorāndravyameva ca || 9 ||

1.101.10

tataḥ śaṅkā samabhavadrakṣiṇāṃ taṃ muniṃ prati |
saṃyamyainaṃ tato rājñe dasyūṃścaiva nyavedayan || 10 ||

1.101.11

taṃ rājā saha taiścorairanvaśādvadhyatāmiti |
sa vadhyaghātairajñātaḥ śūle proto mahātapāḥ || 11 ||

1.101.12

tataste śūlamāropya taṃ muniṃ rakṣiṇastadā |
pratijagmurmahīpālaṃ dhanānyādāya tānyatha || 12 ||

1.101.13

śūlasthaḥ sa tu dharmātmā kālena mahatā tataḥ |
nirāhāro'pi viprarṣirmaraṇaṃ nābhyupāgamat |
dhārayāmāsa ca prāṇānṛṣīṃśca samupānayat || 13 ||

1.101.14

śūlāgre tapyamānena tapastena mahātmanā |
saṃtāpaṃ paramaṃ jagmurmunayo'tha paraṃtapa || 14 ||

1.101.15

te rātrau śakunā bhūtvā saṃnyavartanta sarvataḥ |
darśayanto yathāśakti tamapṛcchandvijottamam |
śrotumicchāmahe brahmankiṃ pāpaṃ kṛtavānasi || 15 ||

1.101.16

tataḥ sa muniśārdūlastānuvāca tapodhanān |
doṣataḥ kaṃ gamiṣyāmi na hi me'nyo'parādhyati || 16 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus asked, the tiger among Munis then answered those Rishis of ascetic wealth, 'Whom shall I blame for this? In fact, none else (than my own self) hath offended against me!' After this, O monarch, the officers of justice, seeing him alive, informed the king of it. The latter hearing what they said, consulted with his advisers, and came to the place and began to pacify the Rishi. fixed on the stake. And the king said, 'O thou best of Rishis, I have offended against thee in ignorance. I beseech thee to pardon me for the same. It behoveth thee not to be angry with me.' Thus addressed by the king, the Muni was pacified. And beholding him free from wrath, the king took him up with the stake and endeavoured to extract it from his body. But not succeeding therein, he cut it off at the point just outside the body. The Muni, with a portion of the stake within his body, walked about, and in that state practised the austerest of penances and conquered numberless regions unattainable by others. And for the circumstances of a part of the stake being within his body, he came to be known in the three worlds by the name of Ani-Mandavya (Mandavya with the stake within). And one day that Brahamana acquainted with the highest truth of religion went unto the abode of the god of justice. And beholding the god there seated on his throne, the Rishi reproached him and said, 'What, pray, is that sinful act committed by me unconsciously, for which I am bearing this punishment? O, tell me soon, and behold the power of my asceticism.'

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus asked, the tiger among Munis then answered those Rishis of ascetic wealth, 'Whom shall I blame for this? In fact, none else (than my own self) hath offended against me!' After this, O monarch, the officers of justice, seeing him alive, informed the king of it. The latter hearing what they said, consulted with his advisers, and came to the place and began to pacify the Rishi. fixed on the stake. And the king said, 'O thou best of Rishis, I have offended against thee in ignorance. I beseech thee to pardon me for the same. It behoveth thee not to be angry with me.' Thus addressed by the king, the Muni was pacified. And beholding him free from wrath, the king took him up with the stake and endeavoured to extract it from his body. But not succeeding therein, he cut it off at the point just outside the body. The Muni, with a portion of the stake within his body, walked about, and in that state practised the austerest of penances and conquered numberless regions unattainable by others. And for the circumstances of a part of the stake being within his body, he came to be known in the three worlds by the name of Ani-Mandavya (Mandavya with the stake within). And one day that Brahamana acquainted with the highest truth of religion went unto the abode of the god of justice. And beholding the god there seated on his throne, the Rishi reproached him and said, 'What, pray, is that sinful act committed by me unconsciously, for which I am bearing this punishment? O, tell me soon, and behold the power of my asceticism.'

"The god of justice, thus questioned, replied, 'O thou of ascetic wealth, a little insect was once pierced by thee on a blade of grass. Thou bearest now the consequence of the act. O Rishi, as a gift, however small, multiplieth in respect of its religious merits, so a sinful act multiplieth in respect of the woe it bringeth in its train.' On hearing this, Ani-Mandavya asked, 'O tell me truly when this act was committed by me. Told in reply by the god of justice that he had committed it, when a child, the Rishi said, 'That shall not be a sin which may be done by a child up to the twelfth year of his age from birth. The scriptures shall not recognise it as sinful. The punishment thou hast inflicted on me for such a venial offence hath been disproportionate in severity. The killing of a Brahmana involves a sin that is heavier than the killing of any other living being. Thou shall, therefore, O god of justice, have to be born among men even in the Sudra order. And from this day I establish this limit in respect of the consequence of acts that an act shall not be sinful when committed by one below the age of fourteen. But when committed by one above that age, it shall be regarded as sin.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Cursed for this fault by that illustrious Rishi, the god of justice had his birth as Vidura in the Sudra order. And Vidura was well-versed in the doctrines of morality and also politics and worldly profit. And he was entirely free from covetousness and wrath. Possessed of great foresight and undisturbed tranquillity of mind, Vidura was ever devoted to the welfare of the Kurus.'"

1.101.17

rājā ca tamṛṣiṃ śrutvā niṣkramya saha mantribhiḥ |
prasādayāmāsa tadā śūlasthamṛṣisattamam || 17 ||

1.101.18

yanmayāpakṛtaṃ mohādajñānādṛṣisattama |
prasādaye tvāṃ tatrāhaṃ na me tvaṃ kroddhumarhasi || 18 ||

1.101.19

evamuktastato rājñā prasādamakaronmuniḥ |
kṛtaprasādo rājā taṃ tataḥ samavatārayat || 19 ||

1.101.20

avatārya ca śūlāgrāttacchūlaṃ niścakarṣa ha |
aśaknuvaṃśca niṣkraṣṭuṃ śūlaṃ mūle sa cicchide || 20 ||

1.101.21

sa tathāntargatenaiva śūlena vyacaranmuniḥ |
sa tena tapasā lokānvijigye durlabhānparaiḥ |
aṇīmāṇḍavya iti ca tato lokeṣu kathyate || 21 ||

1.101.22

sa gatvā sadanaṃ vipro dharmasya paramārthavit |
āsanasthaṃ tato dharmaṃ dṛṣṭvopālabhata prabhuḥ || 22 ||

1.101.23

kiṃ nu tadduṣkṛtaṃ karma mayā kṛtamajānatā |
yasyeyaṃ phalanirvṛttirīdṛśyāsāditā mayā |
śīghramācakṣva me tattvaṃ paśya me tapaso balam || 23 ||

1.101.24

dharma uvāca |
pataṃgakānāṃ puccheṣu tvayeṣīkā praveśitā |
karmaṇastasya te prāptaṃ phalametattapodhana || 24 ||

"The god of justice, thus questioned, replied, 'O thou of ascetic wealth, a little insect was once pierced by thee on a blade of grass. Thou bearest now the consequence of the act. O Rishi, as a gift, however small, multiplieth in respect of its religious merits, so a sinful act multiplieth in respect of the woe it bringeth in its train.' On hearing this, Ani-Mandavya asked, 'O tell me truly when this act was committed by me. Told in reply by the god of justice that he had committed it, when a child, the Rishi said, 'That shall not be a sin which may be done by a child up to the twelfth year of his age from birth. The scriptures shall not recognise it as sinful. The punishment thou hast inflicted on me for such a venial offence hath been disproportionate in severity. The killing of a Brahmana involves a sin that is heavier than the killing of any other living being. Thou shall, therefore, O god of justice, have to be born among men even in the Sudra order. And from this day I establish this limit in respect of the consequence of acts that an act shall not be sinful when committed by one below the age of fourteen. But when committed by one above that age, it shall be regarded as sin.'

1.101.25

aṇīmāṇḍavya uvāca |
alpe'parādhe vipulo mama daṇḍastvayā kṛtaḥ |
śūdrayonāvato dharma mānuṣaḥ saṃbhaviṣyasi || 25 ||

1.101.26

maryādāṃ sthāpayāmyadya loke dharmaphalodayām |
ā caturdaśamādvarṣānna bhaviṣyati pātakam |
pareṇa kurvatāmevaṃ doṣa eva bhaviṣyati || 26 ||

1.101.27

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
etena tvaparādhena śāpāttasya mahātmanaḥ |
dharmo vidurarūpeṇa śūdrayonāvajāyata || 27 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Cursed for this fault by that illustrious Rishi, the god of justice had his birth as Vidura in the Sudra order. And Vidura was well-versed in the doctrines of morality and also politics and worldly profit. And he was entirely free from covetousness and wrath. Possessed of great foresight and undisturbed tranquillity of mind, Vidura was ever devoted to the welfare of the Kurus.'"

1.101.28

dharme cārthe ca kuśalo lobhakrodhavivarjitaḥ |
dīrghadarśī śamaparaḥ kurūṇāṃ ca hite rataḥ || 28 ||