कथं हिंसितवान्सर्पान्स राजा जनमेजयः ।
सर्पा वा हिंसितास्तत्र किमर्थं द्विजसत्तम
kathaṃ hiṃsitavānsarpānsa rājā janamejayaḥ |
sarpā vā hiṃsitāstatra kimarthaṃ dvijasattama
Adi Parva
Chapter 12: Ruru asks his father about Astika
इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आदिपर्वणि पौलोमपर्वणि द्वादशोऽध्यायः ॥
9 verses · 12 of 261
What happens in this chapter
Ruru asks his father about Astika
Ruru asks the rishi why King Janamejaya slaughtered the snakes, and why that wise brahmana set them free. The rishi says Ruru will hear the whole great deed of Astika from the brahmanas, and by his yogic power vanishes on the spot. Ruru, gathering all his strength, runs searching in every direction for him, and failing to find him, falls into a swoon, as though his senses had left him. On recovering he goes home and tells his father all that happened. Then he asks Pramati again about the words concerning Astika, wishing to hear the account in its truth. Here Sauti's narration turns: the question of Astika, raised by Sahasrapat, becomes the thread that leads into the Astika parva.
रुरुरुवाच
किमर्थं मोक्षिताश्चैव पन्नगास्तेन धीमता ।
आस्तीकेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यशेषतः
kimarthaṃ mokṣitāścaiva pannagāstena dhīmatā |
āstīkena dvijaśreṣṭha śrotumicchāmyaśeṣataḥ
ऋषिरुवाच
श्रोष्यसि त्वं रुरो सर्वमास्तीकचरितं महत् ।
ब्राह्मणानां कथयतां त्वरावान्गमने ह्यहम्
śroṣyasi tvaṃ ruro sarvamāstīkacaritaṃ mahat |
brāhmaṇānāṃ kathayatāṃ tvarāvāngamane hyaham
सौतिरुवाच
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिते योगात्तस्मिन्नृषिवरे प्रभौ ।
संभ्रमाविष्टहृदयो रुरुर्मेने तदद्भुतम्
ityuktvāntarhite yogāttasminnṛṣivare prabhau |
saṃbhramāviṣṭahṛdayo rururmene tadadbhutam
बलं परममास्थाय पर्यधावत्समन्ततः ।
तमृषिं नष्टमन्विच्छन्संश्रान्तो न्यपतद्भुवि
balaṃ paramamāsthāya paryadhāvatsamantataḥ |
tamṛṣiṃ naṣṭamanvicchansaṃśrānto nyapatadbhuvi
स मोहे परमं गत्वा नष्टसंज्ञ इवाभवत् ।
तदृषेर्वचनं तथ्यं चिन्तयानः पुनःपुनः
sa mohe paramaṃ gatvā naṣṭasaṃjña ivābhavat |
tadṛṣervacanaṃ tathyaṃ cintayānaḥ punaḥpunaḥ
लब्धसंज्ञो रुरुश्चायात्तदाचख्यौ पितुस्तदा ।
पित्रे तु सर्वमाख्याय डुण्डुभस्य वचोऽर्थवत्
labdhasaṃjño ruruścāyāttadācakhyau pitustadā |
pitre tu sarvamākhyāya ḍuṇḍubhasya vaco'rthavat
अपृच्छत्पितरं भूयः सोस्तीकस्य वचस्तदा ।
आख्यापयत्तदाऽऽख्यानं डुण्डुभेनाथ कीर्तितम्
apṛcchatpitaraṃ bhūyaḥ sostīkasya vacastadā |
ākhyāpayattadā''khyānaṃ ḍuṇḍubhenātha kīrtitam
तत्कीर्त्यमानं भगवञ्श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।
पिता चास्य तदाख्यानं पृष्टः सर्वं न्यवेदयत्
tatkīrtyamānaṃ bhagavañśrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ |
pitā cāsya tadākhyānaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ sarvaṃ nyavedayat
Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)