जनमेजय उवाच कथितो धार्तराष्ट्राणामार्षः सम्भव उत्तमः। अमनुष्यो मनुष्याणां भवता ब्रह्मवादिना॥
Janamejaya said : O utterer of Brahma, you have recited the excellent account of the extraordinary births of the sons of Dhritarashtra on earth, the result of the Rishi grace.
नामधेयानि चाप्येषां कथ्यमानानि भागशः। त्वत्तः श्रुतानि मे ब्रह्मन् पाण्डवानां च कीर्तय॥
O Brahmana, you have also told me their names according to their order of birth. I have heard all this from you. (Now) tell me all about the Pandavas.
ते हि सर्वे महात्मानो देवराजपराक्रमाः। त्वथैवांशावतरणे देवभागाः प्रकीर्तिताः॥
While reciting the incarnations of the celestials, the Asuras and beings of other classes on earth, you said that the illustrious men, the Pandavas, as powerful as the king of the celestials, were all incarnate portions of the celestials themselves.
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुमतिमानुषकर्मणाम्। तेषामाजननं सर्वं वैशम्पायन कीर्तय॥
I desire to hear all about those beings of extraordinary achievements, beginning from the moments of their births. O Vaishampayana, narrate to me all their achievements.
वैशम्पायन उवाच राजा पाण्डुर्महारण्ये मृगव्यालनिषेविते। चरन् मैथुनधर्मस्थं ददर्श मृगयूथपम्॥
Vaishampayana said : O king, one day Pandu, while roaming in that great forest abounding in deer and other fierce animals, saw a large deer, the leader of its herd, coupling with its mate.
ततस्तां च मृगीं तं च रुक्मपुडखैः सुपत्रिभिः। निर्विभेद शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः पाण्डुः पञ्चभिराशुगैः॥
Seeing them, Pandu pierced both with five of his sharp and swift arrows, winged with golden feathers.
स च राजन् महातेजा ऋषिपुत्रस्तपोधनः। भार्यया सह तेजस्वी मृगरूपेण संगतः॥
O king, it was a greatly effulgent ascetic, the son of a Rishi (in the form of that deer) this effulgent man was with his wife who was a deer.
संसक्तश्च तया मृग्या मानुषीमीरयन् गिरम्। क्षणेन पतितो भूमौ विललापाकुलेन्द्रयः॥
Wounded by Pandu while with the mate, he fell down on the ground in a moment and uttered cries that were human. He began to weep bitterly.
मृग उवाच काममन्युपरीता हि बुद्ध्या विरहिता अपि। वर्जयन्ति नृशंसानि पापेष्वपि रता नराः॥ न विधिं ग्रसते प्रज्ञा प्रज्ञां तु ग्रसते विधिः। विधिपर्यागतानान् प्राज्ञो न प्रतिपद्यते॥
The deer said: Even men, who are slaves of lust and anger, who are devoid of reason and who are ever sinful, never commit such a cruel act. Man's individual judgment does not prevail against the ordinance; the ordinance (always) prevails against individual judgment. The wise men never sanction anything discountenanced by the ordinance.
शश्वद्धर्मात्मना मुख्ये कुले जातस्य भारत। कामलोभाभिभूतस्य कथं ते चलिता मतिः॥
O descendant of the Bharata race you are born in a dynasty that has ever been virtuous. How is it that you have lost your reason, over powered by passion.
पाण्डुरुवाच शत्रूणां या वधे वृत्तिः सा मृगाणां वधे स्मृता। राज्ञां मृग न मां मोहात् त्वं गर्हयितुमर्हसि॥
Pandu said : O deer, kings behave in the matter of killing the animals of your species (deer) as they do in the matter of killing their foes. Therefore, you should not, reprove me out of ignorance.
अच्छद्मना मायया च मृगाणां वध इष्यते। स एव धर्मो राज्ञां तु तद्धि त्वं किं नु गर्हसे॥
Animals of your species are killed by open or covert means. This is the practice of kings. Then why do you reprove me?
अगस्त्यः सत्रमासीनश्चकार मृगयामृषिः। आरण्यान् सर्वदेवेभ्यो मृगान् प्रेषन् महावने॥ प्रमाणदृष्टधर्मेण कथमस्मान् विगर्हसे। अगस्त्यस्याभिचारेण युष्माकं विहितो वधः॥
The Rishi Agastya, while engaged in a (great) sacrifice, hunted, he deer in the great forest and offered every one of them to the celestial. Agastya performed the Homa with the fat of the deer. You have been killed according to such precedents. Why then do you reprove me?
मृग उवाच न रिपून् वै समुद्दिश्य विमुञ्चन्ति नराः शरान्। रन्ध्र एषां विशेषेण वधः काले प्रशस्यते॥
The deer said : Man do not throw their arrows even at their enemies when they are unprepared. There is a time for doing it; to kill at such a time is not censurable.
पाण्डुरुवाच प्रमत्तमप्रमत्तं वा विवृतं जन्ति चौजसा। उपायैर्विविधैस्तीक्ष्णैः : कस्मान्मृग विगर्हसे॥
Pandu said: It is well known that men kill deer by various means, without (the least) regard whether they are prepared or unprepared; O deer, you should not, therefore, reprove me.
मृग उवाच नाहं जन्तं मृगान् राजन् विगर्हे चात्मकारणात्। मैथुनं तु प्रतीक्ष्यं मे त्वयेहाद्यानृशंस्यतः॥
The deer said: O king, I do not blame you, because you have killed a deer, or because you have done me an injury. Instead of doing such a cruel act, you should have waited till the completion of my intercourse.
सर्वभूतहिते काले सर्वभूतेप्सिते तथा। को हि विद्वान् मृगं हन्याच्चरन्तं मैथुनं वने॥
The intercourse is agreeable to all creatures; it is productive of good to all. What man of learning is there who kills a deer engage in intercourse in the forest?
अस्यां मृग्यां च राजेन्द्र हर्षान्मैथुनमाचरम्। पुरुषार्थफलं कर्तुं तत् त्वया विफलीकृतम्॥
O king, I was joyfully engaged in intercourse with this mate to beget offspring. You have made my that effort futile.
पौरवाणां महाराज तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम्। वंशे जातस्य कौरव्य नानुरूपमिदं तव॥
O great king, being born in the Puru dynasty, ever famous for its pure acts and being a descendant of the Kuru race, you should not have committed such an act.
नृशंसं कर्म सुमहत् सर्वलोकविगर्हितम्। अस्वय॑मयशस्यं चाप्यधर्मिष्ठं च भारत॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, this act is yours is extremely cruel, it deserves universal excretion, it is infamous and sinful and will certainly lead (you) to hell.
स्त्रीभोगानां विशेषज्ञः शास्त्रधर्मार्थतत्त्ववित्। नार्हस्त्वं सुरसंकाश कर्तुमस्वय॑मीदृशम्॥
You are well acquainted with the pleasure of intercourse; you are also learned in the Shastras and the precepts of religion. You are like a celestial, you should not have committed such an act, unworthy of heaven.
त्वया नृशंसकर्तारः पापाचाराश्च मानवाः। निग्राह्याः पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ त्रिवर्गपरिवर्जिताः॥
O best of kings, your duty is to chastise those who act cruelly, who are engaged in sinful practices and who are devoid of the precepts of religion (Dharma, Artha and Kama.)
किं कृतं ते नरश्रेष्ठ मामिहानागसं जता। मुनिं मूलफलाहारं मृगवेषधरं नृप॥ वसमानमरण्येषु नित्यं शमपरायणम्। त्वयाहं हिंसितो यस्मात् तस्मात् त्वामप्यहं शपे॥
O best of men, O king, what have I done that you have killed me? I am a Rishi who lives on fruits and roots though in the form of a deer! I live in the forest always being disposed to peace. As you have killed me, I shall certainly curse you.
द्वयोर्नृशंसकर्तारमवशं काममोहितम्। जीवितान्तकरो भाव एवमेवागमिष्यति॥
Cruel as you have been to a couple, death shall certainly overtake you as soon as you will feel the influence of desire.
अहं कि किंदमो नाम तपसा भावितो मुनिः। व्यपत्रपन्मनुष्याणां मृग्यां मैथुनमाचरम्॥ मृगो भूत्वा मृगैः सार्धं चरामि गहने वने। न तु ते ब्रह्महत्येयं भविष्यत्यविजानतः॥
I am an ascetic Rishi, named Kindama. I was engaged in intercourse with this deer out of shame of men. Assuming the form of a deer I roam in the deep forest in company with other female deer. The sin of killing a Brahmana, (however), will not be yours, for you have done it not knowing me (to be Brahmana).
मृगरूपधरं हत्वा मामेवं काममोहितम्। अस्य तु त्वं फलं मूढ प्राप्स्यसीदृशमेव हि॥
As you have killed me in the form of a deer when I was full of desire, so you, O foolish man, will certainly meet with the fate that has befallen me.
प्रियया सह संवासं प्राप्य कामविमोहितः। त्वमप्यस्यामवस्थायां प्रेतलोकं गमिष्यसि॥
When you will go to your dear one, full of desire as was the case with me, you will, at that time, certainly go to the land of the dead.
अन्तकाले हि संवासं यया गन्तासि कान्तया। प्रेतराजपुरं प्राप्तं सर्वभूतदुरत्ययम्। भक्त्या मतिमतां श्रेष्ठ सैव त्वानुगमिष्यति॥
Your wife with whom you will join at your last moments will also go with you with reverence and affection to the ever unavoidable land of the dead.
वर्तमानः सुखे दुःखं यथाहं प्रापितस्त्वया। तथा त्वां च सुखं प्राप्तं दुःखमभ्यागमिष्यति॥
As I have been plunged into grief when I was happy, so you will also be afflicted with grief when in happiness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा सुदुःखार्तो जीवितात् स व्यमुच्यत। मृगः पाण्डुश्च दुःखार्तः क्षणेन समपद्यत॥
Vaishampayana said : Having said this, the deer, affected with grief, gave up his life; and Pandu also was plunged in grief in a moment.