॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ षड्विंशोऽध्यायः - २६ ॥
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Discourse XXVI
Purañjana goes a hunting to the forest and the queen gets angry with him (Preamble)
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नारद उवाच ।
स एकदा महेष्वासो रथं पञ्चाश्वमाशुगम् ।
द्वीषं द्विचक्रमेकाक्षं त्रिवेणुं पञ्चबन्धुरम् ॥ १॥
एकरश्म्येकदमनमेकनीडं द्विकूबरम् ।
पञ्चप्रहरणं सप्तवरूथं पञ्चविक्रमम् ॥ २॥
हैमोपस्करमारुह्य स्वर्णवर्माक्षयेषुधिः ।
एकादशचमूनाथः पञ्चप्रस्थमगाद्वनम् ॥ ३॥
चचार मृगयां तत्र दृप्त आत्तेषुकार्मुकः ।
विहाय जायामतदर्हां मृगव्यसनलालसः ॥ ४॥
आसुरीं वृत्तिमाश्रित्य घोरात्मा निरनुग्रहः ।
न्यहनन्निशितैर्बाणैर्वनेषु वनगोचरान् ॥ ५॥
तीर्थेषु प्रतिदृष्टेषु राजा मेध्यान् पशून् वने ।
यावदर्थमलं लुब्धो हन्यादिति नियम्यते ॥ ६॥
य एवं कर्म नियतं विद्वान् कुर्वीत मानवः ।
कर्मणा तेन राजेन्द्र ज्ञानेन न स लिप्यते ॥ ७॥
अन्यथा कर्म कुर्वाणो मानारूढो निबध्यते ।
गुणप्रवाहपतितो नष्टप्रज्ञो व्रजत्यधः ॥ ८॥
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Nārada resumed : Armed with a mighty bow, clad in his gold armour, equipped with his inexhaustible quiver and attended by his eleventh general, Purañjana one day mounted his car drawn by five horses and fit for swift marches, and proceeded to the forest called Pāñcaprastha. The car had a pair of shafts, two wheels, one axle-tree, three flag-staffs, five cords, a single rein, one charioteer, a seat (for the owner of the chariot), two (central) poles (to which the yoke is fixed), five recesses and sevenfold protection. It was capable of five kinds of motion and was provided with appurtenances of gold. (1—3)
Leaving behind his wife, who (however) did not deserve such (callous) treatment, the proud king, who was totally given up to the passion for game, set about hunting there, bow and arrow in hand. (4)
Following the ways of the demons, he became hard-hearted and cruel and killed with his sharp arrows a number of wild animals in the woods. (5)
The scriptures restrict the scope of hunting and lay down that a king (alone), if he is excessively fond (of hunting), may kill in the forest according to his needs (only) such animals as are fit for sacrifice (and that too) on sacred occasions (Śrāddha etc.), recognized in the scriptures. (6)
The wise man who performs his duties thus defined (in the Śāstras) is not tainted by that action, O ruler of kings, thanks to the enlightenment that dawns on him (as a result of such actions). (7)
Full of egotism, he who does his duties otherwise (in violation of the restrictions imposed by the scriptures) is bound (by such actions). Having fallen into (the whirlpool of) transmigration, and deprived of his judgment, he goes down in the scale of spiritual evolution. (8) (1-8)
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तत्र निर्भिन्नगात्राणां चित्रवाजैः शिलीमुखैः ।
विप्लवोऽभूद्दुःखितानां दुःसहः करुणात्मनाम् ॥ ९॥
शशान् वराहान् महिषान् गवयान् रुरुशल्यकान् ।
मेध्यानन्यांश्च विविधान् विनिघ्नन् श्रममध्यगात् ॥ १०॥
ततः क्षुत्तृट्परिश्रान्तो निवृत्तो गृहमेयिवान् ।
कृतस्नानोचिताहारः संविवेश गतक्लमः ॥ ११॥
आत्मानमर्हयाञ्चक्रे धूपालेपस्रगादिभिः ।
साध्वलङ्कृतसर्वाङ्गो महिष्यामादधे मनः ॥ १२॥
तृप्तो हृष्टः सुदृप्तश्च कन्दर्पाकृष्टमानसः ।
न व्यचष्ट वरारोहां गृहिणीं गृहमेधिनीम् ॥ १३॥
अन्तःपुरस्त्रियोऽपृच्छद्विमना इव वेदिषत् ।
अपि वः कुशलं रामाः सेश्वरीणां यथा पुरा ॥ १४॥
न तथैतर्हि रोचन्ते गृहेषु गृहसम्पदः ।
यदि न स्याद्गृहे माता पत्नी वा पतिदेवता ।
व्यङ्गे रथ इव प्राज्ञः को नामासीत दीनवत् ॥ १५॥
क्व वर्तते सा ललना मज्जन्तं व्यसनार्णवे ।
या मामुद्धरते प्रज्ञां दीपयन्ती पदे पदे ॥ १६॥
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The slaughter of wild animals that had their bodies lacerated by his arrows decorated with variegated feathers and died with great pain was something hard to bear for those possessed of a tender heart. (9)
While (engaged in) killing hares, boars, bisons, Gayals, black antelopes and porcupines, fit for sacrifice, and many other creatures, he felt (much) fatigued. (10)
Exhausted with hunger and thirst, he desisted from the cruel act and returned home; and, when he had finished his bath and duly taken his meals, he lay down to rest and was (thus) relieved of his fatigue. (11)
He graced his person with perfume, sandal paste and wreath of flowers etc., and, well adorned all over, (now) thought of his queen. (12)
Sated with refreshments, delighted with perfume etc., and highly proud of his royal state, and his mind seized with passion, he missed his beautiful wife, who helped him in discharging the duties of a householder. (13)
As if sad at heart, he enquired of the ladies of the gynaecium, O king of a householder. Vediṣat (Prācīnabarhi) : "Is everything well with you and your mistress, O charming damsels? The household wealth in this house looks not so splendid as before at this moment. (How is it ?) What wise man would stay like a miserable creature in his house neglected as a chariot without wheels etc., if there was no mother, or wife looking upon her husband as God (Himself) in that house. (14-15)
Where is that lovely lady, who cheers me up when I am drowning in an ocean of misery, brightening my intellect at every step ?" (16) (9-16)
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रामा ऊचुः ।
नरनाथ न जानीमस्त्वत्प्रिया यद्व्यवस्यति ।
भूतले निरवस्तारे शयानां पश्य शत्रुहन् ॥ १७॥
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The ladies replied : O lord of men, we know not what your beloved wife is bent upon (doing). (Just) see her lying on the bare ground, O slayer of foes ! (17) (17)
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नारद उवाच ।
पुरञ्जनः स्वमहिषीं निरीक्ष्यावधुतां भुवि ।
तत्सङ्गोन्मथितज्ञानो वैक्लव्यं परमं ययौ ॥ १८॥
सान्त्वयन् श्लक्ष्णया वाचा हृदयेन विदूयता ।
प्रेयस्याः स्नेहसंरम्भलिङ्गमात्मनि नाभ्यगात् ॥ १९॥
अनुनिन्येऽथ शनकैर्वीरोऽनुनयकोविदः ।
पस्पर्श पादयुगलमाह चोत्सङ्गलालिताम् ॥ २०॥
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Nārada went on : Purañjana, whose judgment had been shaken through attachment to his wife, was sorely perturbed to see her lying unkempt on the ground. (18)
With an aching heart he tried to pacify her with soft words, but failed to perceive in (the behaviour of) his beloved queen any sign of anger prompted by love towards him. (19)
The gallant youth then gradually began to cajole her, skilled as he was in (the art of) conciliation. He touched her feet and, having seated her in his lap and caressed her, spoke (as follows). (20) (18-20)
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पुरञ्जन उवाच ।
नूनं त्वकृतपुण्यास्ते भृत्या येष्वीश्वराः शुभे ।
कृतागःस्वात्मसात्कृत्वा शिक्षा दण्डं न युञ्जते ॥ २१॥
परमोऽनुग्रहो दण्डो भृत्येषु प्रभुणार्पितः ।
बालो न वेद तत्तन्वि बन्धुकृत्यममर्षणः ॥ २२॥
सा त्वं मुखं सुदति सुभ्र्वनुरागभार-
व्रीडाविलम्बविलसद्धसितावलोकम् ।
नीलालकालिभिरुपस्कृतमुन्नसं नः
स्वानां प्रदर्शय मनस्विनि वल्गु वाक्यम् ॥ २३॥
तस्मिन् दधे दममहं तव वीरपत्नि
योऽन्यत्र भूसुरकुलात्कृतकिल्बिषस्तम् ।
पश्ये न वीतभयमुन्मुदितं त्रिलोक्या-
मन्यत्र वै मुररिपोरितरत्र दासात् ॥ २४॥
वक्त्रं न ते वितिलकं मलिनं विहर्षं
संरम्भभीममविमृष्टमपेतरागम् ।
पश्ये स्तनावपि शुचोपहतौ सुजातौ
बिम्बाधरं विगतकुङ्कुमपङ्करागम् ॥ २५॥
तन्मे प्रसीद सुहृदः कृतकिल्बिषस्य
स्वैरं गतस्य मृगयां व्यसनातुरस्य ।
का देवरं वशगतं कुसुमास्त्रवेग-
विस्रस्तपौंस्नमुशती न भजेत कृत्ये ॥ २६॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
चतुर्थस्कन्धे पुरञ्जनोपाख्याने षड्विंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २६॥
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Purañjana said : Unlucky indeed are those servants whom, when they have committed some offence, their masters, O fair one, care not to punish by way of correction, recognizing them as subject to their control. (21)
Punishment meted out to servants by their master is an act of supreme grace (on the latter's part). He who resents it is a fool in that he fails to recognize it as a friendly act, O lovely one. (22)
Therefore, O proud lady with beautiful teeth and graceful eyebrows, reveal to us, who are yours, your face with a prominent nose and a sweet tongue, hanging under the weight of love and bashfulness, charming with smiling glances and decked with dark bee-like tresses. (23)
I shall (presently) inflict (suitable) punishment, O spouse of a warrior, on him who has wronged you, unless he belongs to the Brāhmaṇa race. I do not find him immune from fear, much less rejoicing, in all the three worlds ( or even) beyond them, if he is other than a servant of Lord Viṣṇu (the Slayer of the demon Mura). (24)
Never before did I see your face without its Tilaka (sacred mark on the forehead), dull, cheerless, frowning with anger, untrimmed and sullen, nor did I (ever) see even your lovely breasts soiled with tears of grief and your lips, ruddy as the ripe Bimba fruit, without their saffron-like hue. (25)
Therefore, be gracious to me, your loved one, even though I have committed an offence against you in that I went out a hunting of my own will ( without taking your leave), seized with a passion for sport. What woman, longing for union, would not accept, for befitting services, her beloved one, who was (ever) under her sway and had been deprived of his patience by the vehemence of love ? (26)
Thus ends the twenty-sixth discourse forming part of the story of Purañjana, in Book Four of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārṣa-Sarhhitā. (21-26)
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