Mahabharata 3.284: caturaśītyadhika dviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.284.1

janamejaya uvāca |
yattattadā mahābrahmam̐llomaśo vākyamabravīt |
indrasya vacanādetya pāṇḍuputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram || 1 ||

Janamejaya said,--"What, O Brahmana, was that great fear entertained by Yudhishthira in respect of Karna, for which Lomasa had conveyed to the son of Pandu a message of deep import from Indra in these words, That intense fear of thine which thou dost never express to any one, I will remove after Dhananjaya goeth from hence? And, O best of ascetics, why was it that the virtuous Yudhishthira never expressed it to any one?"

3.284.2

yaccāpi te bhayaṃ tīvraṃ na ca kīrtayase kvacit |
taccāpyapahariṣyāmi savyasācāvihāgate || 2 ||

3.284.3

kiṃ nu tadviduṣāṃ śreṣṭha karṇaṃ prati mahadbhayam |
āsīnna ca sa dharmātmā kathayāmāsa kasyacit || 3 ||

3.284.4

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
ahaṃ te rājaśārdūla kathayāmi kathāmimām |
pṛcchate bharataśreṣṭha śuśrūṣasva giraṃ mama || 4 ||

Vaisampayana said, "As thou askest me, O tiger among kings, I will relate that history unto thee! Do thou listen to my words, O best of the Bharatas! After twelve years (of their exile) had passed away and the thirteenth year had set in, Sakra, ever friendly to the sons of Pandu, resolved to beg of Karna (his ear-rings). And, O mighty monarch, ascertaining this intention of the great chief of the celestials about (Karna's) ear-rings, Surya, having effulgence for his wealth, went unto Karna. And, O foremost of kings, while that hero devoted to the Brahmanas and truthful in speech was lying down at night at his ease on a rich bed overlaid with a costly sheet, the effulgent deity, filled with kindness and affection for his son, showed himself, O Bharata, unto him in his dreams. And assuming from ascetic power the form of a handsome Brahmana versed in the Vedas, Surya sweetly said unto Karna these words for his benefit, 'O son, do thou O Karna, listen to these words of mine, O thou foremost of truthful persons! O mighty-armed one, I tell thee to-day from affection, what is for thy great good! With the object, O Karna, of obtaining thy ear-rings, Sakra, moved by the desire of benefiting the sons of Pandu, will come unto thee, disguised as a Brahmana! He, as Well as all the world, knoweth thy character, viz., that when solicited by pious people, thou givest away but never takest in gift! Thou, O son, givest unto Brahmanas wealth or any other thing that is asked of thee and never refusest anything to anybody. Knowing thee to be such, the subduer himself of Paka will come to beg of thee thy ear-rings and coat of mail. When he beggeth the ear-rings of thee, it behoveth thee not to give them away, but to gratify him with sweet speeches to the best of thy power. Even this, is for thy supreme good! While asking thee for the ear-rings, thou shalt, with various reasons, repeatedly refuse Purandara who is desirous of obtaining them, offering him, instead, various other kinds of wealth, such as gems and women and kine, and citing various precedents. If thou, O Kama, givest away thy beautiful ear-rings born with thee, thy life being shortened, thou wilt meet with death! Arrayed in thy mail and ear-rings, thou wilt, O bestower of honours, be incapable of being slain by foes in battle! Do thou lay to heart these words of mine! Both these jewelled ornaments have sprung from Amrita. Therefore, they should be preserved by thee, if thy life is at all dear to thee."

3.284.5

dvādaśe samatikrānte varṣe prāpte trayodaśe |
pāṇḍūnāṃ hitakṛcchakraḥ karṇaṃ bhikṣitumudyataḥ || 5 ||

3.284.6

abhiprāyamatho jñātvā mahendrasya vibhāvasuḥ |
kuṇḍalārthe mahārāja sūryaḥ karṇamupāgamat || 6 ||

3.284.7

mahārhe śayane vīraṃ spardhyāstaraṇasaṃvṛte |
śayānamabhiviśvastaṃ brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam || 7 ||

3.284.8

svapnānte niśi rājendra darśayāmāsa raśmivān |
kṛpayā parayāviṣṭaḥ putrasnehācca bhārata || 8 ||

3.284.9

brāhmaṇo vedavidbhūtvā sūryo yogāddhi rūpavān |
hitārthamabravītkarṇaṃ sāntvapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ || 9 ||

3.284.10

karṇa madvacanaṃ tāta śṛṇu satyabhṛtāṃ vara |
bruvato'dya mahābāho sauhṛdātparamaṃ hitam || 10 ||

3.284.11

upāyāsyati śakrastvāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ hitepsayā |
brāhmaṇacchadmanā karṇa kuṇḍalāpajihīrṣayā || 11 ||

3.284.12

viditaṃ tena śīlaṃ te sarvasya jagatastathā |
yathā tvaṃ bhikṣitaḥ sadbhirdadāsyeva na yācase || 12 ||

3.284.13

tvaṃ hi tāta dadāsyeva brāhmaṇebhyaḥ prayācitaḥ |
vittaṃ yaccānyadapyāhurna pratyākhyāsi karhicit || 13 ||

3.284.14

taṃ tvāmevaṃvidhaṃ jñātvā svayaṃ vai pākaśāsanaḥ |
āgantā kuṇḍalārthāya kavacaṃ caiva bhikṣitum || 14 ||

3.284.15

tasmai prayācamānāya na deye kuṇḍale tvayā |
anuneyaḥ paraṃ śaktyā śreya etaddhi te param || 15 ||

3.284.16

kuṇḍalārthe bruvaṃstāta kāraṇairbahubhistvayā |
anyairbahuvidhairvittaiḥ sa nivāryaḥ punaḥ punaḥ || 16 ||

3.284.17

ratnaiḥ strībhistathā bhogairdhanairbahuvidhairapi |
nidarśanaiśca bahubhiḥ kuṇḍalepsuḥ puraṃdaraḥ || 17 ||

3.284.18

yadi dāsyasi karṇa tvaṃ sahaje kuṇḍale śubhe |
āyuṣaḥ prakṣayaṃ gatvā mṛtyorvaśamupeṣyasi || 18 ||

3.284.19

kavacena ca saṃyuktaḥ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ ca mānada |
avadhyastvaṃ raṇe'rīṇāmiti viddhi vaco mama || 19 ||

3.284.20

amṛtādutthitaṃ hyetadubhayaṃ ratnasaṃbhavam |
tasmādrakṣyaṃ tvayā karṇa jīvitaṃ cetpriyaṃ tava || 20 ||

3.284.21

karṇa uvāca |
ko māmevaṃ bhavānprāha darśayansauhṛdaṃ param |
kāmayā bhagavanbrūhi ko bhavāndvijaveṣadhṛk || 21 ||

"Hearing these words, Kama said, 'Who art thou that tellest me so, showing me such kindness? If it pleaseth thee, tell me, O illustrious one, who thou art in the guise of a Brahmana!'--The Brahmana thereupon said, 'O son, I am he of a thousand rays! Out of affection, I point out to thee the path! Act thou according to my words, as it is for thy great good to do so!' Kama replied, 'Surely, this itself is highly fortunate for me that the god himself of splendour addresses me today, seeking my welfare. Listen, however, to these words of mine! May it please thee, O bestower of boons, it is only from affection that I tell thee this! If I am dear to thee, I should not be dissuaded from the observance of my vow! O thou that are possessed of the wealth of effulgence, the whole world knoweth this to be my vow that, of a verity, I am prepared to give away life itself unto superior Brahmanas! If, O best of all rangers of the sky, Sakra cometh to me, disguised as a Brahmana, to beg for the benefit of the sons of Pandu, I will, O chief of the celestials, give him the ear-rings and the excellent mail, so that my fame which hath spread over the three worlds may not suffer any diminution! For persons like us, it is not fit to save life by a blame-worthy act. On the contrary, it is even proper for us to meet death with the approbation of the world and under circumstances bringing fame. Therefore, will I bestow upon Indra the ear-rings with my coat of mail! If the slayer himself of Vala and Vritra cometh to ask for the ear-rings for the benefit of the sons of Pandu, that will conduce to my fame, leading at the same time to his infamy! O thou possessed of splendour, I wish for fame in this world, even if it is to be purchased with life itself, for they that have fame enjoy the celestial regions, while they that are destitute of it are lost. Fame keepeth people alive in this world even like a mother, while infamy killeth men even though they may move about with bodies undestroyed. O lord of the worlds, O thou possessed of the wealth of effulgence, that fame is the life of men is evidenced by an ancient sloka sung by the Creator himself,--In the next world it is fame that is the chief support of a person, while in this world pure fame lengthens life. Therefore, by giving away my ear-rings and mail with both of which I was born I will win eternal fame! And by duly giving away the same to Brahmanas according to the ordinance, by offering up my body (as a gift to the gods) in the sacrifice of war, by achieving feats difficult of performance, and by conquering my foes in fight, I will acquire nothing but renown. And by dispelling on the field of battle the fears of the affrighted that may beg for their lives, and relieving old men and boys and Brahmanas from terror and anxiety, I will win excellent fame and the highest heaven. My fame is to be protected with the sacrifice of even my life. Even this, know thou, is my vow! By giving away such a valuable gift to Maghavan disguised as a Brahmana, I will, O god, acquire in this world the most exalted state.'"

3.284.22

brāhmaṇa uvāca |
ahaṃ tāta sahasrāṃśuḥ sauhṛdāttvāṃ nidarśaye |
kuruṣvaitadvaco me tvametacchreyaḥ paraṃ hi te || 22 ||

3.284.23

karṇa uvāca |
śreya eva mamātyantaṃ yasya me gopatiḥ prabhuḥ |
pravaktādya hitānveṣī śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama || 23 ||

3.284.24

prasādaye tvāṃ varadaṃ praṇayācca bravīmyaham |
na nivāryo vratādasmādahaṃ yadyasmi te priyaḥ || 24 ||

3.284.25

vrataṃ vai mama loko'yaṃ vetti kṛtsno vibhāvaso |
yathāhaṃ dvijamukhyebhyo dadyāṃ prāṇānapi dhruvam || 25 ||

3.284.26

yadyāgacchati śakro māṃ brāhmaṇacchadmanāvṛtaḥ |
hitārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ khecarottama bhikṣitum || 26 ||

3.284.27

dāsyāmi vibudhaśreṣṭha kuṇḍale varma cottamam |
na me kīrtiḥ praṇaśyeta triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā || 27 ||

3.284.28

madvidhasyāyaśasyaṃ hi na yuktaṃ prāṇarakṣaṇam |
yuktaṃ hi yaśasā yuktaṃ maraṇaṃ lokasaṃmatam || 28 ||

3.284.29

so'hamindrāya dāsyāmi kuṇḍale saha varmaṇā |
yadi māṃ balavṛtraghno bhikṣārthamupayāsyati || 29 ||

3.284.30

hitārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ kuṇḍale me prayācitum |
tanme kīrtikaraṃ loke tasyākīrtirbhaviṣyati || 30 ||

3.284.31

vṛṇomi kīrtiṃ loke hi jīvitenāpi bhānuman |
kīrtimānaśnute svargaṃ hīnakīrtistu naśyati || 31 ||

3.284.32

kīrtirhi puruṣaṃ loke saṃjīvayati mātṛvat |
akīrtirjīvitaṃ hanti jīvato'pi śarīriṇaḥ || 32 ||

3.284.33

ayaṃ purāṇaḥ śloko hi svayaṃ gīto vibhāvaso |
dhātrā lokeśvara yathā kīrtirāyurnarasya vai || 33 ||

3.284.34

puruṣasya pare loke kīrtireva parāyaṇam |
iha loke viśuddhā ca kīrtirāyurvivardhanī || 34 ||

3.284.35

so'haṃ śarīraje dattvā kīrtiṃ prāpsyāmi śāśvatīm |
dattvā ca vidhivaddānaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo yathāvidhi || 35 ||

3.284.36

hutvā śarīraṃ saṃgrāme kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram |
vijitya vā parānājau yaśaḥ prāpsyāmi kevalam || 36 ||

3.284.37

bhītānāmabhayaṃ dattvā saṃgrāme jīvitārthinām |
vṛddhānbālāndvijātīṃśca mokṣayitvā mahābhayāt || 37 ||

3.284.38

prāpsyāmi paramaṃ loke yaśaḥ svarbhānusūdana |
jīvitenāpi me rakṣyā kīrtistadviddhi me vratam || 38 ||

3.284.39

so'haṃ dattvā maghavate bhikṣāmetāmanuttamām |
brāhmaṇacchadmine deva loke gantā parāṃ gatim || 39 ||