Mahabharata · Book 12 · Shanti Parva
Mahabharata, Book 12, Section CXXXVशान्तिपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 12.135.
Sanskrit
अत्राप्युदाहन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्।
यथा दस्युः समर्यादो दस्युत्वात्सिद्धिमाप्तवान्।।
प्रहर्ता मतिमाञ्शूरः श्रुतवान्सुनृशंसवान्।
अक्षन्नाश्रमिणां धर्मं ब्रह्मण्यो गुरुपूजकः।।
अनिषाद्यां क्षत्रियाज्जातः क्षत्रधर्मानुपालकः।
कापच्यो नाम नैषादिर्दस्युत्वात्सिद्धिमाप्तवान्।।
अरण्ये सायं पूर्वाह्णे मृगयूथप्रकोपिता।
वेधिज्ञो मृगजातीनां नैषादानां च कोविदः।।
सर्वकाननदेशज्ञः पारियात्रचरः सदा।
धर्मज्ञः सर्ववर्णानाममोघेषुर्दृढायुधः।।
अप्यनेकशतां सेनामेक एव जिगाय सः।
स वृद्धावम्बपितरौ महारण्येऽभ्यपूजयत्।।
मधुमांसैर्मूलफलैरन्नैरुच्चावचैरपि।
सत्कृत्य भोजयामास सम्यक्परिचचार ह।।
आरण्यकान्प्रव्रजितान्ब्राह्मणान्परिपालयन्।
अपि तेभ्यो मृगान्हत्वा निनाय सततं वने।।
येऽस्मान्न प्रतिगृह्णन्ति दस्युभोजनशङ्कया।
तेषामासज्य गेहेषु कल्य एव स गच्छति।।
तं बहूनि सहस्राणि ग्रामणीत्वेऽभिवव्रिरे।
निर्मर्यादानि दस्यूनां निरनुक्रोशवर्तिनाम्।।
दस्यव ऊचुः।
मुहूर्तदेशकालज्ञः प्राज्ञः शूरो दृढव्रतः।
ग्रामणीर्भव नो मुख्यः सर्वेपामेव संमतः।।
यथायथा वक्ष्यसि नः करिष्यामस्तथातथा।
पालयास्मान्यथान्यायं यथा माता यथा पिता।।
कापच्य उवाच।
मा वधीस्त्वं स्त्रियं भीरुं मा शिशुं मा तपस्विनम्।
नायुध्यमानो हन्तव्यो न च ग्राह्या बलात्स्त्रियः।।
सर्वथा स्त्री न हन्तव्या सर्वसत्वेषु बुध्यत।
नित्यं गोब्राह्मणे स्वस्ति योद्धव्यं च तदर्थतः।।
सत्यं च नापि हर्तव्यं सारविघ्नं च मा कृथाः।
पूज्यन्ते यत्र देवाश्च पितरोऽतिथयश्च ह।।
सर्वभूतेष्वपि वरो ब्राह्मणो मोक्षमर्हति।
कार्या चापचितिस्तेषां सर्वस्वेनापि भावयेत्।।
यस्य त्वेते संप्रदुष्टास्तस्य विद्यात्पराभवम्।
न तस्य त्रिषु लोकेषु त्राता भवति कस्चन।।
यो ब्राह्मणान्परिभवेद्विनाशं चापि रोचयेत्।
सूर्योदय इव ध्वान्ते ध्रुवं तस्य पराभवः।।
इहैव फलमासीनः प्रत्याकाङ्क्षेत सर्वशः।
येये नो न प्रदास्यन्ति तांस्तांस्तेनाभियास्यसि।।
शिष्ट्यर्थं विहितो दण्डो न वधार्थं विधीयते।
ये च शिष्टान्प्रबाधन्ते धर्मस्तेषां वधः स्मृतः।।
ये च राष्ट्रोपरोधेन वृद्धिं कुर्वन्ति केचन।
तानेवानुम्रियेरंस्ते कुणपं कृमयो यथा।।
ये पुनर्धर्मशास्त्रेण वर्तेरन्निह दस्यवः।
अपि ते दस्यवो भूत्वा क्षिप्रं सिद्धिमवाप्नुयुः।
भीष्म उवाच।
ते सर्वमेवानुचक्रुः कापच्यस्यानुशासनम्।
वृद्धिं च लेभिरे सर्वे पापेभ्यश्चाप्युपारमन्।।
कापच्यः कर्मणा तेन महतीं सिद्धिमाप्तवान्।
साधूनामाचरन्क्षेमं दस्यून्पापान्निवर्तयन्।।
इदं कापच्यचरितं यो नित्यमनुचिन्तयेत्।
नारण्येभ्योऽपि भूतेभ्यो भयमृच्छेत्कथंचन।।
न भयं तस्य मर्त्येभ्यो नामर्त्येभ्यः कथंचन।
न सतो नासतो राजन्स ह्यरण्येषु गोपतिः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि
आपद्धर्मपर्वणि पञ्चत्रिंशदधिकशततमोऽध्यायः।। 135।।
English Ganguli
"'Bhishma said, "In this connection is cited the old story of a robber who having in this would been observant of restraints did not meet with destruction in the next. There was a robber of the name of Kayavya, born of a Kshatriya father and a Nishada mother. Kayavya was a practiser of Kshatriya duties. Capable of smiting, possessed of intelligence and courage, conversant with the scriptures, destitute of cruelty, devoted to the Brahmanas, and worshipping his seniors and preceptors with reverence, he protected the ascetics in the observance of their practices. Though a robber, he still succeeded in winning felicity in heaven. Morning and evening he used to excite the wrath of the deer by chasing them. He was well conversant with all the practices of the Nishadas as also of all animals living in the forest. Well acquainted with the requirements of time and place, he roved over the mountains. Acquainted as he was with the habits of all animals, his arrows never missed their aim, and his weapons were strong. Alone, he could vanquish many hundreds of troops. He worshipped his old, blind, and deaf parents in the forest every day. With honey and flesh and fruits and roots and other kinds of excellent food, he hospitably entertained all persons deserving of honour and did them many good offices. He showed great respect for those Brahmanas that had retired from the world for taking up their residence in the woods. Killing the deer, he often took flesh to them. As regards those that were unwilling, from fear of others, to accept gifts from him because of the profession he followed, he used to go to their abodes before dawn and leave flesh at their doors.[406] One day many thousands of robbers, destitute of compassion in their conduct and regardless of all restraints, desired to elect him as their leader.
"'"The robbers said, 'Thou art acquainted with the requirements of place and time. Thou hast wisdom and courage. Thy firmness also is great in everything thou undertakest. Be thou our foremost of leaders, respected by us all. We will do as thou wilt direct. Protect us duly, even as a father or mother.'
"'"Kayavya said, 'Never kill ye a woman, or one that from fear keeps away from the fight, or one that is a child, or one that is an ascetic. One that abstains from fight should never be slain, nor should women be seized or brought away with force. None of you should ever slay a woman amongst all creatures. Let Brahmanas be always blessed and you should always fight for their good. Truth should never be sacrificed. The marriages of men should never be obstructed. No injury should be inflicted on those houses in which the deities, the Pitris, and guests are worshipped. Amongst creatures, Brahmanas deserve to be exempted by you in your plundering excursions. By giving away even your all, you should worship them. He who incurs the wrath of the Brahmanas, he for whose discomfiture they wish, fails to find a rescuer in the three worlds. He who speaks ill of the Brahmanas and wishes for their destruction, himself meets with destruction like darkness at sunrise. Residing here, ye shall acquire the fruits of your valour. Troops shall be sent against those that will refuse to give us our dues. The rod of chastisement is intended for the wicked. It is not intended for self-aggrandisement. They who oppress the god deserve death, it is said. They who seek to aggrandise their fortunes by afflicting kingdoms in unscrupulous ways, very soon come to be regarded as vermin in a dead body. Those robbers again that would conduct themselves by conforming to these restraints of the scriptures, would soon win salvation although leading a plundering life.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Those robbers, thus addressed, obeyed all the commands of Kayavya. By desisting from sin, they obtained great prosperity. By behaving himself in such a way by thus doing good to the honest and by thus restraining the robbers from bad practices, Kayavya won great success (in the next world). He who always thinks of this narrative of Kayavya will not have any fear from the denizens of the forest, in fact, from any earthly creature. Such a man will have no fear from any creature, O Bharata! He will have no fear from wicked men. If such a man goes to the forest, he will be able to live there with the security of a king."'"