Mahabharata, Book 13, Section LXXIVअनुशासनपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 13.74.

74Sanskrit adhyāya 13.74 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
इमे वै मानवा लोके स्त्रीषु सज्जन्त्यभीक्ष्णशः।
मोहेन परमाविष्टा देवदृष्टेन कर्मणा।।
स्त्रियश्च पुरुषेष्वेव प्रत्यक्षं लोकसाक्षिकम्।
अत्र मे संशयस्तीव्रो हृदि सम्परिवर्तते।।
कथमासां नराः सङ्गं कुर्वते कुरुनन्दनः।
स्त्रियो वातेषु रज्यन्ते विरज्यन्ते च ताः पुनः।।
इति ताः पुरुषव्याघ्र कथं शक्यास्तु रक्षितुम्।
प्रमदाः पुरुषेणेह तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि।।
भीष्म उवाच।
एत्वा हि स्वीयमायाभिर्वञ्चयन्तीह मानवान्।
न चासां मुच्यते कश्चित्पुरुषो हस्तमागतः।।
गावो नवतृणानीव गृह्णन्त्येता नवन्नवम्।।
शम्बरस्य च या माया माया या नमुचेरपि।
बलेः कुम्भीनसेश्चैव सर्वास्तां योषितो विदुः।।
हसन्तं प्रहसन्त्येता रुद्रन्तं प्ररुदन्ति च।
अप्रियं प्रियवाक्यैश्च गृह्णते कालयोगतः।।
`यदि जिह्वासहस्रं स्याज्जीवेच्च शरदां शतम्।
अनन्यकर्मा स्त्रीदोषाननुक्त्वा निधनं व्रजेत्।।'
उशना वेद यच्छास्त्रं यच्च वेद बृहस्पतिः।
स्त्री बुद्ध्या न विशिष्येत तास्तु रक्ष्याः कथं नरैः।।
अनृतं सत्यमित्याहुः सत्यं चापि तथाऽनृतम्।
इति यास्ताः कथं वीर संरक्ष्याः पुरुषैरिह।
`दोषास्पदेऽशुचौ देहे ह्यासां सक्तास्त्वहो नराः'।।
स्त्रीणां बुद्ध्यर्थनिष्कर्षादर्थशास्त्राणि शत्रुहन्।
बृहस्पतिप्रभृतिभिर्मन्ये सद्भिः कृतानि वै।।
संपूज्यमानाः पुरुषैर्विकुर्वन्ति मनो नृषु।
अपास्ताश्च तथा राजन्विकुर्वन्ति मनः स्त्रियः।।
इमाः प्रजा महापाहो धार्मिक्य इति नः श्रुतम्।।
सत्कृतासत्कृताश्चापि विकुर्वन्ति मनः सदा।
कस्ताः शक्तो रक्षितुं स्यादिति मे संशयो महान्।।
तथा ब्रूहि महाभाग कुरूणां वंशवर्धन।
यदि शक्या कुरुश्रेष्ठ रक्षा तासां कदाचन।
कर्तुं वा कृतपूर्वं वा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अनुशासनपर्वणि
दानधर्मपर्वणि चतुःसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः।। 74 ।।

English Ganguli

"'"Indra said, 'I wish to know, O Grandsire, what the end is that is attained by him who consciously steals a cow or who sells one from motives of cupidity.'

"'"The Grandsire said, 'Hear what the consequences are that overtake those persons that steal a cow for killing her for food or selling her for wealth, or making a gift of her unto a Brahmana. He, who, without being checked by the restraints of the scriptures, sells a cow, or kills one, or eats the flesh of a cow, or they, who, for the sake of wealth, suffer a person to kill kine,—all these, viz., he that kills, he that eats, and he that permits the slaughter,—rot in hell for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the cow so slain.[364] O thou of great puissance, those faults and those kinds of faults that have been said to attach to one that obstructs a Brahmana's sacrifice, are said to attach to the sale and the theft of kine. That man, who, having stolen a cow makes a gift of her unto a Brahmana, enjoys felicity in heaven as the reward of the gift but suffers misery in hell for the sin of theft for as long a period. Gold has been said to constitute the Dakshina, O thou of great splendour, in gifts of kine. Indeed, gold has been said to be the best Dakshina in all sacrifices. By making a gift of kine one is said to rescue one's ancestors to the seventh degree as also one's descendants to the seventh degree. By giving away kine with Dakshina of gold one rescues one's ancestors and descendants of double the number. The gift of gold is the best of gifts. Gold is, again, the best Dakshina. Gold is a great cleanser, O Sakra, and is, indeed, the best of all cleansing objects. O thou of a hundred sacrifices, gold has been said to be the sanctifier of the entire race of him who gives it away. I have thus, O thou of great splendour, told thee in brief of Dakshina.'"

"'Bhishma said, "Even this was said by the Grandsire unto Indra, O chief of Bharata's race! Indra imparted it unto Dasaratha, and Dasaratha in his turn unto his son Rama. Rama of Raghu's race imparted it unto his dear brother Lakshmana of great fame. While dwelling in the woods, Lakshmana imparted it unto the Rishis. It has then come down from generation to generation, for the Rishis of rigid vows held it amongst themselves as also the righteous kings of the earth. My preceptor, O Yudhishthira, communicated it to me. That Brahmana, who recites it every day in the assemblies of Brahmanas, in sacrifices or at gifts of kine, or when two persons meet together, obtains hereafter many regions of inexhaustible felicity where he always resides with the deities as his companions. The holy Brahman, the Supreme Lord, had said so (unto Indra on the subject of kine)."'"