सौतिरुवाच एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी श्रृंगी कोप समन्वितः मृतधारं गुरुं श्रुत्रा पर्यतप्यत मन्युना॥
Sauti said: Being thus addressed and having heard that his father was bearing a dead snake, the powerful Shringi grew exceedingly angry.
स तं कृशमभिप्रेक्ष्य सूनृतां वाचमुत्सृजन्। अपृच्छत्तं कथं तातः स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः॥
Looking at Krisha, he softly asked him, “Why does my father bear a dead snake?”
कृश उवाच राज्ञा परिक्षिता तात मृगयां परिधावता। अवसक्तः पितुस्तेऽद्य मृतः स्कन्धे भुजंगमः॥
Krisha said: O dear friend, when Parikshit was roving for the purpose of hunting, he placed the dead snake of the shoulder of your father.
शृंग्युवाच किं मे पित्रा कृतं तस्य राज्ञोऽनिष्टं दुरात्मनः। ब्रूहि तत्कृश तत्त्वेन पश्य मे तपसो बलम्॥
Shringi said : What harm was done by my father to that miscreant king? Tell me this, O Krisha and (you will then) see my ascetic powers.
कृश उवाच स राजा मृगयां यातः परिक्षितभिमन्युजः। ससार मृगमेकाकी विद्ध्वा बाणेन शीघ्रगम्॥
Krisha said: King Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu, having wounded a fleet stag with an arrow while hunting, chased it alone.
न चापश्यन्मृगं राजा चरंस्तस्मिन्महावने। पितरं ते स दृष्ट्वैव पप्रच्छानभिभाषिणम्॥
He lost sight of the stag in the wilderness of the forest and seeing your father he accosted him.
तं स्थाणुभूतं तिष्ठन्तं क्षुत्पिपासाश्रमातुरः। पुनः पुनर्पगं नष्टं पप्रच्छ पितरं तव॥
But he (your father) was then observing the vow of silence. Oppressed by hunger, thirst and fatigue, the king repeatedly asked your father about the missing deer.
स च मौनव्रतोयेतो नैवं तं प्रत्यभाषत। तस्य राजा धनुष्कोट्या सर्प स्कन्धे समासजत्॥
But the Rishi, being then under the vow of silence, did not make any reply. Thereupon the king, becoming angry, placed the snake on his shoulder, taking it up with the end of his bow.
शृंगिस्तव पिता सोऽपि तथैवास्ते यतव्रतः। सोऽपि राजा स्वनगरं प्रस्थितो गजसाह्वयम्॥
O Shringi, your father, engaged in devotion, is still in that posture. The king has, however, gone away to his capital (Hastinapur), named after the elephant.
सौतिरुवाच श्रुत्वैवमृषिपुत्रस्तु शवं स्कन्धे प्रतिष्ठितम्। कोपसंरक्तनयनः प्रज्वलन्निव मन्युना॥
Sauti said : Having heard that a dead snake had been placec. on his father's shoulder, the Rishi's son looked like a blazing fire, his eyes reddened with anger.
आविष्टः स हि कोपेन शशाप नृपतिं तदा। वायुपस्पृश्य तेजस्वी क्रोधवेगबलात्कृतः॥
Inflamed with anger, the powerful Rishi, touching water, cursed the king thus,
शृङ्गयुवाच योऽसौ वृद्धस्य तातस्य तथा कृच्छ्रगतस्य ह। स्कन्धे मृतं समानाक्षीत्पन्नगः राजकिल्बिषी॥ तं पापमतिसंक्रुद्धस्तक्षकः पन्नगेश्वरः। आशीविषस्तिग्मतेजा मद्वाक्यबलचोदितः॥ सप्तरात्रादितो नेता यमस्य सदनं प्रति। द्विजानामवमन्तारं कुरूणामयशस्करम्॥
Shringi said : He who has placed the dead snake on the shoulder of my old and lean father, that miscreant of a king, that insulter of the Brahmanas, the destroyer of the fame of the Kuru race, will be taken within seven days from to-day to the land of Yama: by the snake Takshaka, the powerful king of the serpents, stimulated by my words.
सौतिरुवाच इति शप्त्वाऽतिसंक्रुद्धः शृंगी पितरमभ्यगात्। आसीनं गोव्रजे तस्मिन्वहन्तं शवपन्नगम्॥
Sauti said: Having thus cursed the king from anger, Shringi went to his father and saw that he was sitting in the cow-shed, the dead snake (was still) on his shoulder.
स तमालक्ष्य पितरं शृङ्गी स्कन्धगतेन वै। शवेन भुजगेनासीद्भूयः क्रोधसमाकुलः॥
Seeing that the dead snake was on the shoulder of his father, he was again inflamed with anger.
दुःखाच्चाश्रूणि मुमुचे पितरं चेदमब्रवीत्। श्रुत्वेमां धर्षणां तात तव तेन दुरात्मना॥
He shed tears in grief; and addressed his father thus, “O father, hearing the insult offered to you by the miscreant,
राज्ञा परिक्षिता कोपादशपन्तमहं नृपम्। यथार्हति स एवोगं शापं कुरुकुलाधमः। सप्तमेऽहनि तं पापं तक्षकः पन्नगोत्तमः॥ वैवस्वतस्य सदन नेता परमदारुणम्। तमब्रवीत्पिता ब्रह्मस्तथा कोपसमन्वितम्॥
King Parikshit, I have cursed him from। anger, that wretch of the Kurus richly deserves। my potent curse. Within seven days from this date the king of snakes, Takshaka will take the sinner to the fearful house of Death." And the father said to the enraged son,
शमीक उवाच न मे प्रियं कृतं तात नैष धर्मस्तपस्विनाम्। वयं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य विषये निवसामहे॥
Shamika said: O child, I am not pleased with your act. It is not proper for ascetics to act thus. We live in the domains of that king.
न्यायतो रक्षितास्तेन तस्य पापं न रोचये। सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञो ह्यस्मद्विधैः सदा॥
We are righteously protected by him and therefore, we should not mind his faults, The reigning kings should always be pardoned by men like us.
क्षन्तव्यं पुत्रधर्मो हि हतो हन्ति न संशयः। यदि राजा न संरक्षेत्पीडा नः परमा भवेत्॥
O son, if you destroy Dharma, (piety), Dharma will certainly destroy you. If the king. does not protect us, we meet with many afflictions. was
न शक्नुयाम चरितुं धर्म पुत्र यथासुखम्। रक्ष्यमाणा वयं तात राजभिर्धर्मदृष्टिभिः॥२३.।
O son, we cannot then perform our religious rites as we desire. Protected by virtuous kings,
चरामो विपुलं धर्मं तेषां भागोऽस्ति धर्मतः। सर्वथा वर्तमानस्य राज्ञः क्षन्तव्यमेव हि॥
We achieve great merits; and a share of it always goes to such kings. Therefore, reigning kings are always to be forgiven;
परिक्षित्तु विशेषेण यथाऽस्य प्रपितामहः। रक्षत्यस्मांस्तथा राज्ञा रक्षितव्याः प्रजा विभो॥
Specially Parikshit, who, like his great grandfather, protects us as a king should protect his subjects.
तेनेह क्षुधितेनाद्य श्रान्तेन च तपस्विना। अजानता कृतं मन्ये व्रतमेतदिदं मम॥
That penance-practising king oppressed by hunger and thirst and he did not know that I was observing the vow of silence.
अराजके जनपदे दोषा जायन्ति वै सदा। उद्वृत्तं सततं लोकं राजा दण्डेन शास्ति वै॥
Disasters always befall on a country where there is no king. The king punishes those who grow wicked.
दण्डात्प्रतिभयं भूयः शान्तिरुत्पद्यते तदा। नोद्विग्नश्चरते धर्मं नोद्विग्नश्चरते क्रियाम्॥
The fear of punishment brings in peace and men thus perform their duties and their rites undisturbed.
राज्ञा प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धर्मात्स्वर्गः प्रतिष्ठितः। राज्ञो यज्ञक्रियाः सर्वा यज्ञाद्देवाः प्रतिष्ठिता॥
The king establishes dharma, and by dharma, one gains the kingdom of heaven. The king protects all sacrifices and the sacrifices please the celestials;
देवावृष्टिः प्रवर्तेत वृष्टेरोषधयः स्मृताः। ओषधिभ्यो मनुष्याणां धारयन्सततं हितम्॥
The celestials cause rain and rain produces medicinal herbs; the medicinal herbs do immense good to mankind.
मनुष्याणां च यो धाता राजा राज्यकरः पुनः। दशश्रोत्रियसमो राजा इत्येवं मनुरब्रवीत्॥
Manu said, “The ruler of the destiny of is equal to ten Veda-knowing Brahmanas.'
तेनेह क्षुधितेनाद्य श्रान्तेन च तपस्विना। अजानता कृतं मन्ये व्रतमेतदिदं मम॥
That penance-observing king, oppressed by hunger and thirst, has done this through ignorance of my vow.
कस्मादिदं त्वया बाल्यात्सहसा दुष्कृतं कृतम्। न हर्हति नृपः शापमस्मत्तः पुत्र सर्वथा॥
Why have you, through childishness, done rashly this unrighteous action? O son, that king in no way deserves a curse from us.