BHAGAVAD-YANA PARVA: Chapter 107

The story of Galava

नारद उवाच एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन विश्वामित्रेण धीमता। नास्ते न शेते नाहारं कुरुते गालवस्तदा॥
Narada said Being thus commanded by the intelligent Vishvamitra Galava could not sit, nor sleep nor could he take his meals.

त्वगस्थिभूतो हरिणश्चिन्ताशोकपरायणः। शोचमानोऽतिमात्रं स दह्यमानश्च मन्युना। गालवो दुःखितो दुःखाद् विललाप सुयोधन॥
His body was reduced to a skeleton and became pale being subject to grief and a prey to excessive anxiety and burning with dissatisfaction. Galava, being very sorry, thus began to lament, O Suyodhana.

कुतः पुष्टानि मित्राणि कुतोऽर्थाः संचयः कुतः। हयानां चन्द्रशुभ्राणां शतान्यष्टौ कुतो मम॥
Where can I get well-to-do friends? Where can I have wealth froin? Where are my saving? Eight hundred horses white as the moon where can I get?

कुतो मे भोजने श्रद्धा सुखश्रद्धा कुतश्च मे। श्रद्धा मे जीवितस्यापि छिन्ना किं जीवितेन मे॥
How can I get satisfaction from eating? How can I get satisfaction from happiness? My happiness derived from life itself is broken up. What is the use of my living on?

अहं पारे समुद्रस्य पृथिव्या वा परम्परात्। गत्वाऽऽत्मानं विमुञ्चामि किं फलं जीवितेन मे॥
Having gone to the other side of the sea or going to the most distant part of the world, I shall cast off my life. What is the use of my living on?

अधनस्याकृतार्थस्य त्यक्तस्य विविधैः फलैः। ऋणं धारयमाणस्य कुतः सुखमनीहया॥
What happiness can there be without hard exertion for him who is poor, unsuccessful, deprived of all the sweets of life and saddled with debts?

सुहृदां हि धनं भुक्त्वा कृत्वा प्रणयमीप्तिसतम्। प्रतिकर्तुमशक्तस्य जीवितान्मरणं वरम्॥
Having enjoyed the wealth of my friends having given him to understand that I shall return it to him, I am unable to make a return for his kindness and so death is preferable to life for me.

प्रतिश्रुत्य करिष्येति कर्तव्यं तदकुर्वतः। मिथ्यावचनदग्धस्य इष्टापूर्त प्रणश्यति॥
The religious merit of a man bears no fruit, who having promised to do an act fails to perform it and is thus sullied with falsehood.

न रूपमनृतस्यास्ति नानृतस्यास्ति संततिः। नानृतस्याधिपत्यं च कुत एव गतिः शुभा॥
A man addicted to false-hood can never get beauty, a man addicted to false-hood can get not get children, a man addicted to falsehood cannot power can he then expect to obtain bliss?

कुतः कृतघ्नस्य यशः कुतः स्थानं कुतः सुखम्। अश्रद्धेयः कृतघ्नो हि कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः॥
Where is fame for an ungrateful person? Where is there a proper place for an ungrateful person? An ungrateful person is unworthy of respect and there is no emancipation for an ungrateful person.

न जीवत्यधनः पापः कुतः पापस्य तन्त्रणम्। पापो ध्रुवमवाप्नोति विनाशं नाशयन् कृतम्॥
The wretch who is without wealth is dead as it were; and how can such a wretch support his relatives; the wretch certainly meets with ruin for he is unable to return the favours he receives.

सोऽहं पापः कृतघ्नश्च कृपणश्चानृतोऽपि च। गुरोर्यः कृतकार्यः संस्तत् करोमि न भाषितम्॥
I am such a wretch, an ungrateful man, without wealth and addicted to false-hood, who, having my wishes gratified by my spiritual guide, am unable to act up to his orders.

सोऽहं प्राणान् विमोक्ष्यामि कृत्वा यलमनुत्तमम्। अर्थिता न मया काचित् कृतपूर्वा दिवौकसाम्। मानयन्ति च मां सर्वे त्रिदशा यज्ञसंस्तरे॥
I, who am such, shall cast off this life after having made an attempt which cannot be exceeded (by other attempts in point of earnestness). Never before has anything been asked by me from the gods.

अहं तु विबुधश्रेष्ठं देवं त्रिभुवनेश्वरम्। विष्णुं गच्छाम्यहं कृष्णं गतिं गतिमतां वरम्॥
All the gods regard me for this in sacrificial rites; and I shall go to Vishnu the friend of wise men, the god, who is the lord of the three worlds, to Krishna who is the best refuge for those that need refuge.

भोगा यस्मात् प्रतिष्ठन्ते व्याप्य सर्वान् सुरासुरान्। प्रणतो द्रष्टुमिच्छामि कृष्ण योगिनमव्ययम्॥
From whom flow all the enjoyments that are enjoyed by the gods and Asuras; with my head bent down I desire to see Krishna, the devotee who is without end.

एवमुक्ते सखा तस्य गरुडो विनतात्मजः। दर्शयामास तं प्राह संहृष्टः प्रियकाम्यया॥
He having thus said, his friend Garuda, the son of Vinata, came into his view who being pleased, said to him with a desire to do him good.

सुहृद् भवान् मम मतः सुहृदां च मतः सुहृत्। ईप्सितेनाभिलाषेण योक्तव्यो विभवे सति॥
Your exalted self is my friend. A friend is prosperity should try to accomplish the wishes of his friends.

विभवश्वास्ति मे विप्र वासवावरजो द्विजा पूर्वमुक्तस्त्वदर्थं च कृतः कामश्च तेन मे॥
O twice-born one, the prosperity I possess has its rise in the younger brother of Vasava; I have already spoken to him about your wishes and he has granted my wishes to do you good).

स भवानेतु गच्छाव नयिष्ये त्वां यथासुखम्। देशं पारं पृथिव्या वा गच्छ गालव मा चिरम्॥
Such being the case, wherever you want to go, I will take you without any trouble to yourself, to the countries on the other side of the sea or to the remotest corner of the earth, come, O Galava, without delay.