स चामन्त्र्योरगश्रेष्ठं ब्राह्मणः कृतनिश्चयः ।
दीक्षाकाङ्क्षी तदा राजंश्च्यवनं भार्गवं श्रितः
sa cāmantryoragaśreṣṭhaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ kṛtaniścayaḥ |
dīkṣākāṅkṣī tadā rājaṃścyavanaṃ bhārgavaṃ śritaḥ
Shanti Parva
Chapter 375: The gleaner's katha and its line of tellers
9 verses · 375 of 372
What happens in this chapter
The gleaner's katha and its line of tellers
The last adhyaya of the Shanti Parva. Bhishma tells how the brahmana, his resolve made, took leave of the Naga and went to Chyavana of Bhrigu's line seeking initiation. He told Chyavana this katha. Chyavana told it to Narada in Janaka's palace; Narada told it to Indra when asked in the city of the devas; Indra told it to the foremost brahmanas. When Bhishma fought his fierce battle with Parashurama, the Vasus told it to him, and now he has told it to Yudhishthira. This, he says, is the highest dharma about which Yudhishthira asked. Guided by the Naga, keeping yama and niyama, he went deep into the forest and lived on gleaned grain.
भीष्म उवाच
स तेन कृतसत्कारो धर्ममेवाधितस्थिवान् ।
तथैव च कथामेतां राजन्कथितवांस्तदा
sa tena kṛtasatkāro dharmamevādhitasthivān |
tathaiva ca kathāmetāṃ rājankathitavāṃstadā
भार्गवेणापि राजेन्द्र जनकस्य निवेशने ।
कथैषा कथिता पुण्या नारदाय महात्मने
bhārgaveṇāpi rājendra janakasya niveśane |
kathaiṣā kathitā puṇyā nāradāya mahātmane
नारदेनापि राजेन्द्र देवेन्द्रस्य निवेशने ।
कथिता भरतश्रेष्ठ पृष्टेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा
nāradenāpi rājendra devendrasya niveśane |
kathitā bharataśreṣṭha pṛṣṭenākliṣṭakarmaṇā
देवराजेन च पुरा कथितैषा कथा शुभा ।
समस्तेभ्यः प्रशस्तेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो वसुधाधिप
devarājena ca purā kathitaiṣā kathā śubhā |
samastebhyaḥ praśastebhyo viprebhyo vasudhādhipa
यदा च मम रामेण युद्धमासीत्सुदारुणम् ।
वसुभिश्च तदा राजन्कथेयं कथिता मम
yadā ca mama rāmeṇa yuddhamāsītsudāruṇam |
vasubhiśca tadā rājankatheyaṃ kathitā mama
पृच्छमानाय तत्त्वेन मया चैवोत्तमा तव ।
कथेयं कथिता पुण्या धर्म्या धर्मभृतांवर
pṛcchamānāya tattvena mayā caivottamā tava |
katheyaṃ kathitā puṇyā dharmyā dharmabhṛtāṃvara
तदेव परमो धर्मो यन्मां पृच्छसि भारत ।
आसीद्धीरो ह्यनाकाङ्क्षी धर्मार्थकरणे नृप
tadeva paramo dharmo yanmāṃ pṛcchasi bhārata |
āsīddhīro hyanākāṅkṣī dharmārthakaraṇe nṛpa
स च किल कृतनिश्चयो द्विजो
भुजगपतिप्रतिदशितात्मकृत्यः ।
यमनियमसहो वनान्तरं
परिगणितोञ्छशिलाशनः प्रविष्टः
sa ca kila kṛtaniścayo dvijo
bhujagapatipratidaśitātmakṛtyaḥ |
yamaniyamasaho vanāntaraṃ
parigaṇitoñchaśilāśanaḥ praviṣṭaḥ
Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)