भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्त्वा तु राजेन्द्र शाल्मलिं ब्रह्मवित्तमः। नारदः पवने सर्वं शाल्मलेर्वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Bhishma said-Having said these words to the Shalmali, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, viz., Narada, communicated to the Wind-god all that the Shalmali had said about him.
नारद उवाच हिमवत्पृष्ठजः कश्चिच्छाल्मलिः परिवारवान्। बृहन्मूलो बृहच्छायः स त्वां वायोऽवमन्यते॥
Narada said There is a a certain Shalmali on the Himalaya, adorned with branches and leaves. His roots have gone deep into the Earth and its branches have spread wide around. That tree, O Wind-god, disrespects you.
बहुव्याक्षेपयुक्तानि त्वामाह वचनानि सः। न युक्तानि मया वायो तानि वक्तुं तवाग्रतः॥
He spoke many insulting words against yourself. It is not meet, O Wind, that I should repeat them in your hearing.
जानामि त्वामहं वायो सर्वप्राणभृतां वरम्। वरिष्ठं च गरिष्ठं च क्रोधे वैवस्वतं यथा॥
I know, O Wind, that you are greatest of all created things. I know too that you are a very superior and very powerful being, and that in anger you resemble the Destroyer himself.
भीष्म उवाच एतत् तु वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदस्य समीरणः। शाल्मलिं तमुपागम्य क्रुद्धो वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Hearing these words of Narada, the Windgod going to that Shalmali, said to him angrily as follows.
वायुरुवाच शाल्मले नारदो गच्छंस्त्वयोक्तो मद्विगर्हणम्। अहं वायुः प्रभावं ते दर्शयाम्यात्मनो बलम्॥
The Wind-god said O Shalmali, you have uttered derogatory words against me before Narada, know that I am the God of wind. I shall certainly show you my power and might.
अहं त्वामभिजानामि विदितश्चासि मे दुम। पितामहः प्रजासर्गे त्वयि विश्रान्तवान् प्रभुः॥
I know you well. You are no stranger to me. While creating the world, the powerful Grandfather had for a time rested under you.
तस्य विश्रमणादेष प्रसादो मत्कृतस्तव। रक्ष्यसे तेन दुर्बुद्धे नात्मवीर्याद् दुमाधम॥ यन्मां त्वमवजानीषे यथान्यं प्राकृतं तथा। दर्शयाम्येष चात्मानं यथा मां नावमन्यसे॥
For this incident I have hitherto shown you favour. O worst of trees, it is for this that you stand uninjured and not for your own power. You consider me lightly as if I were a vulgar thing. I shall, however, appear to you in such a way that you may not disrespect me again.
भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्तस्ततः प्राह शाल्मलिः प्रहसन्निव। पवन त्वं च मे क्रुद्धो दर्शयात्मानमात्मना॥
Thus addressed, the Shalmali laughed in contempt and replied, saying,-O Wind-god, you are angry with me. Do not stop showing the extent of your power.
मयि वै त्यज्यतां क्रोधः किं मे क्रुद्धः करिष्यसि। न ते बिभेमि पवन यद्यपि त्वं स्वयं प्रभुः॥
Do you vomit all your anger upon me. By becoming angry, what will you do to me? Even if your power had been all your own, I would not still have been afraid of you. I am superior to you in power. I am not afraid of you.
बलाधिकोऽहं त्वत्तश्च न भी: कार्या मया तव। ये तु बुद्ध्या हि बलिनस्ते भवन्ति बलीयसः॥
Those who are strong in understanding are strong in reality. Those who endued with only physical strength are not to be regarded strong.
प्राणमात्रबला ये वै नैव ते बलिनो मताः। इत्येवमुक्तः पवनः श्व इत्येवाब्रवीद् वचः॥
Thus addressed, the Wind-god said,Tomorrow I shall test your strength,Thereafter night came.
दर्शयिष्यामि ते तेजस्ततो रात्रिरुपागमत्। अथ निश्चित्य मनसा शाल्मलिर्वातकारितम्॥
Determining in his mind the extent of the Wind's might and seeing his ownself to be inferior to the god, the Shalmali began to say aside,
पश्यमानस्तदाऽऽत्मानमसमं मातरिश्वना। नारदे यन्मया प्रोक्तं वचनं प्रति तन्मृषा॥
All that I said to Narada is untrue. I am, forsooth, inferior in power to the Wind. Verily, he is superior in strength.
असमर्थो ह्यहं वायोर्बलेन बलवान् हि सः। मारुतो बलवान् नित्यं यथा वै नारदोऽब्रवीत्॥
The Wind, as Narada said, is always powerful. Forsooth, I am weaker than other trees.
अहं तु दुर्बलोऽन्येभ्यो वृक्षेभ्यो नात्र संशयः। किं तु बुद्ध्या समो नास्ति मया कश्चिद् वनस्पतिः।।१७।
But in intelligence no tree is equal to me. Therefore, depending upon my intelligence I shall view this fear which arises from the wind.
तदहं बुद्धिमास्थाय भयं मोक्ष्ये समीरणात्। यदि तां बुद्धिमास्थाय तिष्ठेयुः पर्णिनो वने॥
If the other trees in the forest all depend upon the same kind of intelligence, then, no injury can come to them from the Wind-god when he is irate.
अरिष्टाः स्युः सदा क्रुद्धात् पवनान्नात्र संशयः। ते तु बाला न जानन्ति यथा वै तान् समीरणः। समीरयति संक्रुद्धो यथा जानाम्यहं तथा॥
All of them, however, are shorn of understanding, and, therefore, they do not know, as I know, why or how the Wind succeeds in shaking and tearing them up.