Chapter 170: The good merchant and the treacherous Brahmin

SS 270-273

brahmovāca:

BRP170.001.1 cakṣustīrtham iti khyātaṃ rūpasaubhāgyadāyakam |
BRP170.001.2 yatra yogeśvaro devo gautamyā dakṣiṇe taṭe || 1 ||
BRP170.002.1 puraṃ bhauvanam ākhyātaṃ girimūrdhny abhidhīyate |
BRP170.002.2 yatrāsau bhauvano rājā kṣatradharmaparāyaṇaḥ || 2 ||
BRP170.003.1 tasmin puravare kaścid brāhmaṇo vṛddhakauśikaḥ |
BRP170.003.2 tatputro gautama iti khyāto vedaviduttamaḥ || 3 ||
BRP170.004.1 tasya mātur manodoṣād viparīto 'bhavad dvijaḥ |
BRP170.004.2 sakhā tasya vaṇik kaścin maṇikuṇḍala ucyate || 4 ||
BRP170.005.1 tena sakhyaṃ dvijasyāsīd viṣamaṃ dvijavaiśyayoḥ |
BRP170.005.2 śrīmaddaridrayor nityaṃ parasparahitaiṣiṇoḥ || 5 ||
BRP170.006.1 kadācid gautamo vaiśyaṃ vitteśaṃ maṇikuṇḍalam |
BRP170.006.2 prāhedaṃ vacanaṃ prītyā rahaḥ sthitvā punaḥ punaḥ || 6 ||

gautama uvāca:

BRP170.007.1 gacchāmo dhanam ādātuṃ parvatān udadhīn api |
BRP170.007.2 yauvanaṃ tad vṛthā jñeyaṃ vinā saukhyānukūlyataḥ |
BRP170.007.3 dhanaṃ vinā tat kathaṃ syād aho dhiṅ nirdhanaṃ naram || 7 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.008.1 kuṇḍalo dvijam āhedaṃ matpitropārjitaṃ dhanam |
BRP170.008.2 bahv asti kiṃ dhanenādya kariṣye dvijasattama |
BRP170.008.3 dvijaḥ punar uvācedaṃ maṇikuṇḍalam ojasā || 8 ||
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gautama uvāca:

BRP170.009.1 dharmārthajñānakāmānāṃ ko nu tṛptaḥ praśasyate |
BRP170.009.2 utkarṣaprāptir evaiṣāṃ sakhe ślāghyā śarīriṇām || 9 ||
BRP170.010.1 svenaiva vyavasāyena dhanyā jīvanti jantavaḥ |
BRP170.010.2 paradattārthasantuṣṭāḥ kaṣṭajīvina eva te || 10 ||
BRP170.011.1 sa putraḥ śasyate loke pitṛbhiś cābhinandyate |
BRP170.011.2 yaḥ paitryam abhilipseta na vācāpi tu kuṇḍala || 11 ||
BRP170.012.1 svabāhubalam āśritya yo 'rthān arjayate sutaḥ |
BRP170.012.2 sa kṛtārtho bhavel loke paitryaṃ vittaṃ na tu spṛśet || 12 ||
BRP170.013.1 svayam ārjya suto vittaṃ pitre dāsyati bandhave |
BRP170.013.2 taṃ tu putraṃ vijānīyād itaro yonikīṭakaḥ || 13 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.014.1 etac chrutvā tu tad vākyaṃ brāhmaṇasyābhilāṣiṇaḥ |
BRP170.014.2 tatheti matvā tadvākyaṃ ratnāny ādāya satvaraḥ || 14 ||
BRP170.015.1 ātmakīyāni vittāni gautamāya nyavedayat |
BRP170.015.2 dhanenaitena deśāṃś ca paribhramya yathāsukham || 15 ||
BRP170.016.1 dhanāny ādāya vittāni punar eṣyāmahe gṛham |
BRP170.016.2 satyam eva vaṇig vakti sa tu vipraḥ pratārakaḥ || 16 ||
BRP170.017.1 pāpātmā pāpacittaṃ ca na bubodha vaṇig dvijam |
BRP170.017.2 tau parasparam āmantrya mātāpitror ajānatoḥ || 17 ||
BRP170.018.1 deśād deśāntaraṃ yātau dhanārthaṃ tau vaṇigdvijau |
BRP170.018.2 vaṇigghastasthitaṃ vittaṃ brāhmaṇo hartum icchati || 18 ||

brāhmaṇa uvāca:

BRP170.019.1 yena kenāpy upāyena tad dhanaṃ hi samāhare |
BRP170.019.2 aho pṛthivyāṃ ramyāṇi nagarāṇi sahasraśaḥ || 19 ||
BRP170.020.1 iṣṭapradātryaḥ kāmasya devatā iva yoṣitaḥ |
BRP170.020.2 manoharās tatra tatra santi kiṃ kriyate mayā || 20 ||
BRP170.021.1 dhanam āhṛtya yatnena yoṣidbhyo yadi dīyate |
BRP170.021.2 bhujyante tās tato nityaṃ saphalaṃ jīvitaṃ hi tat || 21 ||
BRP170.022.1 nṛtyagītarato nityaṃ paṇyastrībhir alaṅkṛtaḥ |
BRP170.022.2 bhokṣye kathaṃ tu tad vittaṃ vaiśyān maddhastam āgatam || 22 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.023.1 evaṃ cintayamāno 'sau gautamaḥ prahasann iva |
BRP170.023.2 maṇikuṇḍalam āhedam adharmād eva jantavaḥ || 23 ||
BRP170.024.1 vṛddhiṃ sukham abhīṣṭāni prāpnuvanti na saṃśayaḥ |
BRP170.024.2 dharmiṣṭhāḥ prāṇino loke dṛśyante duḥkhabhāginaḥ || 24 ||
BRP170.025.1 tasmād dharmeṇa kiṃ tena duḥkhaikaphalahetunā || 25 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.026.1 nety uvāca tato vaiśyaḥ sukhaṃ dharme pratiṣṭhitam |
BRP170.026.2 pāpe duḥkhaṃ bhayaṃ śoko dāridryaṃ kleśa eva ca |
BRP170.026.3 yato dharmas tato muktiḥ svadharmaḥ kiṃ vinaśyati || 26 ||
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brahmovāca:

BRP170.027.1 evaṃ vivadatos tatra samparāyas tayor abhūt |
BRP170.027.2 yasya pakṣo bhavej jyāyān sa parārtham avāpnuyāt || 27 ||
BRP170.028.1 pṛcchāvaḥ kasya prābalyaṃ dharmiṇo vāpy adharmiṇaḥ |
BRP170.028.2 vedāt tu laukikaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ loke dharmāt sukhaṃ bhavet || 28 ||
BRP170.029.1 evaṃ vivadamānau tāv ūcatuḥ sakalāñ janān |
BRP170.029.2 dharmasya vāpy adharmasya prābalyam anayor bhuvi || 29 ||
BRP170.030.1 tad vadantu yathāvṛttam evam ūcatur ojasā |
BRP170.030.2 evaṃ tatrocire kecid ye dharmeṇānuvartinaḥ || 30 ||
BRP170.031.1 tair duḥkham anubhūyate pāpiṣṭhāḥ sukhino janāḥ |
BRP170.031.2 samparāye dhanaṃ sarvaṃ jitaṃ vipre nyavedayat || 31 ||
BRP170.032.1 maṇimān dharmavicchreṣṭhaḥ punar dharmaṃ praśaṃsati |
BRP170.032.2 maṇimantaṃ dvijaḥ prāha kiṃ dharmam anuśaṃsasi |

brahmovāca:

BRP170.032.3 tatheti cety āha vaiśyo brāhmaṇaḥ punar abravīt || 32 ||

brāhmaṇa uvāca:

BRP170.033.1 jitaṃ mayā dhanaṃ vaiśya nirlajjaḥ kiṃ nu bhāṣase |
BRP170.033.2 mayaiva vijito dharmo yatheṣṭacaraṇātmanā || 33 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.034.1 tad brāhmaṇavacaḥ śrutvā vaiśyaḥ sasmita ūcivān || 34 ||

vaiśya uvāca:

BRP170.035.1 pulākā iva dhānyeṣu puttikā iva pakṣiṣu |
BRP170.035.2 tathaiva tān sakhe manye yeṣāṃ dharmo na vidyate || 35 ||
BRP170.036.1 caturṇāṃ puruṣārthānāṃ dharmaḥ prathama ucyate |
BRP170.036.2 paścād arthaś ca kāmaś ca sa dharmo mayi tiṣṭhati |
BRP170.036.3 kathaṃ brūṣe dvijaśreṣṭha mayā vijitam ity adaḥ || 36 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.037.1 dvijo vaiśyaṃ punaḥ prāha hastābhyāṃ jāyatāṃ paṇaḥ |
BRP170.037.2 tatheti manyate vaiśyas tau gatvā punar ūcatuḥ || 37 ||
BRP170.038.1 pūrvaval laukikān gatvā jitam ity abravīd dvijaḥ |
BRP170.038.2 karau chittvā tataḥ prāha kathaṃ dharmaṃ tu manyase |
BRP170.038.3 ākṣipto brāhmaṇenaivaṃ vaiśyo vacanam abravīt || 38 ||

vaiśya uvāca:

BRP170.039.1 dharmam eva paraṃ manye prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatair api |
BRP170.039.2 mātā pitā suhṛd bandhur dharma eva śarīriṇām || 39 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.040.1 evaṃ vivadamānau tāv arthavān brāhmaṇo 'bhavat |
BRP170.040.2 vimukto vaiśyakas tatra bāhubhyāṃ ca dhanena ca || 40 ||
BRP170.041.1 evaṃ bhramantau samprāptau gaṅgāṃ yogeśvaraṃ harim |
BRP170.041.2 yadṛcchayā muniśreṣṭha mithas tāv ūcatuḥ punaḥ || 41 ||
BRP170.042.1 vaiśyo gaṅgāṃ tu yogeśaṃ dharmam eva praśaṃsati |
BRP170.042.2 atikopād dvijo vaiśyam ākṣipan punar abravīt || 42 ||
525

brāhmaṇa uvāca:

BRP170.043.1 gataṃ dhanaṃ karau chinnāv avaśiṣṭo 'subhir bhavān |
BRP170.043.2 tvam anyathā yadi brūṣa āhariṣye 'sinā śiraḥ || 43 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.044.1 vihasya punar āhedaṃ vaiśyo gautamam añjasā || 44 ||

vaiśya uvāca:

BRP170.045.1 dharmam eva paraṃ manye yathecchasi tathā kuru |
BRP170.045.2 brāhmaṇāṃś ca gurūn devān vedān dharmaṃ janārdanam || 45 ||
BRP170.046.1 yas tu nindayate pāpo nāsau spṛśyo 'tha pāpakṛt |
BRP170.046.2 upekṣaṇīyo durvṛttaḥ pāpātmā dharmadūṣakaḥ || 46 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.047.1 tataḥ prāha sa kopena dharmaṃ yady anuśaṃsasi |
BRP170.047.2 āvayoḥ prāṇayor atra paṇaḥ syād iti vai mune || 47 ||
BRP170.048.1 evam ukte gautamena tathety āha vaṇik tadā |
BRP170.048.2 punar apy ūcatur ubhau lokāṃl lokās tathocire || 48 ||
BRP170.049.1 yogeśvarasya purato gautamyā dakṣiṇe taṭe |
BRP170.049.2 taṃ nipātya viśaṃ vipraś cakṣur utpāṭya cābravīt || 49 ||

vipra uvāca:

BRP170.050.1 gato 'sīmāṃ daśāṃ vaiśya nityaṃ dharmapraśaṃsayā |
BRP170.050.2 gataṃ dhanaṃ gataṃ cakṣuś cheditau karapallavau |
BRP170.050.3 pṛṣṭo 'si mitra gacchāmi maivaṃ brūyāḥ kathāntare || 50 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.051.1 tasmin prayāte vaiśyo 'sau cintayām āsa cetasi |
BRP170.051.2 hā kaṣṭaṃ me kim abhavad dharmaikamanaso hare || 51 ||
BRP170.052.1 sa kuṇḍalo vaṇikśreṣṭho nirdhano gatabāhukaḥ |
BRP170.052.2 gatanetraḥ śucaṃ prāpto dharmam evānusaṃsmaran || 52 ||
BRP170.053.1 evaṃ bahuvidhāṃ cintāṃ kurvann āste mahītale |
BRP170.053.2 niśceṣṭo 'tha nirutsāhaḥ patitaḥ śokasāgare || 53 ||
BRP170.054.1 dināvasāne śarvaryām udite candramaṇḍale |
BRP170.054.2 ekādaśyāṃ śuklapakṣe tatrāyāti vibhīṣaṇaḥ || 54 ||
BRP170.055.1 sa tu yogeśvaraṃ devaṃ pūjayitvā yathāvidhi |
BRP170.055.2 snātvā tu gautamīṃ gaṅgāṃ saputro rākṣasair vṛtaḥ || 55 ||
BRP170.056.1 vibhīṣaṇasya hi suto vibhīṣaṇa ivāparaḥ |
BRP170.056.2 vaibhīṣaṇir iti khyātas tam apaśyad uvāca ha || 56 ||
BRP170.057.1 vaiśyasya vacanaṃ śrutvā yathāvṛttaṃ sa dharmavit |
BRP170.057.2 pitre nivedayām āsa laṅkeśāya mahātmane |
BRP170.057.3 sa tu laṅkeśvaraḥ prāha putraṃ prītyā guṇākaram || 57 ||

vibhīṣaṇa uvāca:

BRP170.058.1 śrīmān rāmo mama gurus tasya mānyaḥ sakhā mama |
BRP170.058.2 hanumān iti vikhyātas tenānīto girir mahān || 58 ||
BRP170.059.1 purā kāryāntare prāpte sarvauṣadhyāśrayo 'calaḥ |
BRP170.059.2 jāte kārye tam ādāya himavantam athāgamat || 59 ||
526
BRP170.060.1 viśalyakaraṇī ceti mṛtasañjīvanīti ca |
BRP170.060.2 tadānīya mahābuddhī rāmāyākliṣṭakarmaṇe || 60 ||
BRP170.061.1 nivedayitvā tat sādhyaṃ tasmin vṛtte samāgataḥ |
BRP170.061.2 punar giriṃ samādāya āgacchad devaparvatam || 61 ||
BRP170.062.1 tām ānīyāsya hṛdaye niveśaya hariṃ smaran |
BRP170.062.2 tataḥ prāpsyaty ayaṃ sarvam apekṣitam udāradhīḥ || 62 ||
BRP170.063.1 gacchatas tasya vegena viśalyakaraṇī punaḥ |
BRP170.063.2 apatad gautamītīre yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ || 63 ||

vaibhīṣaṇir uvāca:

BRP170.064.1 tām oṣadhīṃ mama pitar darśayāśu vilamba mā |
BRP170.064.2 parārtiśamanād anyac chreyo na bhuvanatraye || 64 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.065.1 vibhīṣaṇas tathety uktvā tāṃ putrasyāpy adarśayat |
BRP170.065.2 iṣe tvety asya vṛkṣasya śākhāṃ ciccheda tatsutaḥ |
BRP170.065.3 vaiśyasya cāpi vai prītyā santaḥ parahite ratāḥ || 65 ||

vibhīṣaṇa uvāca:

BRP170.066.1 yatrāpatan nage cāsmin sa vṛkṣas tu pratāpavān |
BRP170.066.2 tasya śākhāṃ samādāya hṛdaye 'sya niveśaya |
BRP170.066.3 tatspṛṣṭamātra evāsau svakaṃ rūpam avāpnuyāt || 66 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.067.1 etac chrutvā pitur vākyaṃ vaibhīṣaṇir udāradhīḥ |
BRP170.067.2 tathā cakāra vai samyak kāṣṭhakhaṇḍaṃ nyaveśayat || 67 ||
BRP170.068.1 hṛdaye sa tu vaiśyo 'pi sacakṣuḥ sakaro 'bhavat |
BRP170.068.2 maṇimantrauṣadhīnāṃ hi vīryaṃ ko 'pi na budhyate || 68 ||
BRP170.069.1 tad eva kāṣṭham ādāya dharmam evānusaṃsmaran |
BRP170.069.2 snātvā tu gautamīṃ gaṅgāṃ tathā yogeśvaraṃ harim || 69 ||
BRP170.070.1 namaskṛtvā punar agāt kāṣṭhakhaṇḍena vaiśyakaḥ |
BRP170.070.2 paribhraman nṛpapuraṃ mahāpuram iti śrutam || 70 ||
BRP170.071.1 mahārāja iti khyātas tatra rājā mahābalaḥ |
BRP170.071.2 tasya nāsti sutaḥ kaścit putrikā naṣṭalocanā || 71 ||
BRP170.072.1 saiva tasya sutā putras tasyāpi vratam īdṛśam |
BRP170.072.2 devo vā dānavo vāpi brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo bhavet || 72 ||
BRP170.073.1 vaiśyo vā śūdrayonir vā saguṇo nirguṇo 'pi vā |
BRP170.073.2 tasmai deyā iyaṃ putrī yo netre āhariṣyati || 73 ||
BRP170.074.1 rājyena saha deyeyam iti rājā hy aghoṣayat |
BRP170.074.2 aharniśam asau vaiśyaḥ śrutvā ghoṣam athābravīt || 74 ||

vaiśya uvāca:

BRP170.075.1 ahaṃ netre āhariṣye rājaputryā asaṃśayam || 75 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.076.1 taṃ vaiśyaṃ tarasādāya mahārājñe nyavedayat |
BRP170.076.2 tatkāṣṭhasparśamātreṇa sanetrābhūn nṛpātmajā || 76 ||
BRP170.077.1 tataḥ savismayo rājā ko bhavān iti cābravīt |
BRP170.077.2 vaiśyo rājñe yathāvṛttaṃ nyavedayad aśeṣataḥ || 77 ||
527

vaiśya uvāca:

BRP170.078.1 brāhmaṇānāṃ prasādena dharmasya tapasas tathā |
BRP170.078.2 dānaprabhāvād yajñaiś ca vividhair bhūridakṣiṇaiḥ |
BRP170.078.3 divyauṣadhiprabhāvena mama sāmarthyam īdṛśam || 78 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.079.1 etad vaiśyavacaḥ śrutvā vismito 'bhūn mahīpatiḥ || 79 ||

rājovāca:

BRP170.080.1 aho mahānubhāvo 'yaṃ prāyo vṛndārako bhavet |
BRP170.080.2 anyathaitādṛg anyasya sāmarthyaṃ dṛśyate katham |
BRP170.080.3 tasmād asmai tu tāṃ kanyāṃ pradāsye rājyapūrvikām || 80 ||

brahmovāca:

BRP170.081.1 iti saṅkalpya manasi kanyāṃ rājyaṃ ca dattavān |
BRP170.081.2 vihārārthaṃ gataḥ svairaṃ paraṃ khedam upāgataḥ || 81 ||
BRP170.082.1 na mitreṇa vinā rājyaṃ na mitreṇa vinā sukham |
BRP170.082.2 tam eva satataṃ vipraṃ cintayan vaiśyanandanaḥ || 82 ||
BRP170.083.1 etad eva sujātānāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ bhuvi dehinām |
BRP170.083.2 kṛpārdraṃ yan mano nityaṃ teṣām apy ahiteṣu hi || 83 ||
BRP170.084.1 mahānṛpo vanaṃ prāyāt sa rājā maṇikuṇḍalaḥ |
BRP170.084.2 tasmiñ śāsati rājyaṃ tu kadācid gautamaṃ dvijam || 84 ||
BRP170.085.1 hṛtasvaṃ dyūtakaiḥ pāpair apaśyan maṇikuṇḍalaḥ |
BRP170.085.2 tam ādāya dvijaṃ mitraṃ pūjayām āsa dharmavit || 85 ||
BRP170.086.1 dharmāṇāṃ tu prabhāvaṃ taṃ tasmai sarvaṃ nyavedayat |
BRP170.086.2 snāpayām āsa gaṅgāyāṃ taṃ sarvāghanivṛttaye || 86 ||
BRP170.087.1 tena vipreṇa sarvais taiḥ svakīyair gotrajair vṛtaḥ |
BRP170.087.2 vaiśyaiḥ svadeśasambhūtair brāhmaṇasya tu bāndhavaiḥ || 87 ||
BRP170.088.1 vṛddhakauśikamukhyaiś ca tasmin yogeśvarāntike |
BRP170.088.2 yajñān iṣṭvā surān pūjya tataḥ svargam upeyivān || 88 ||
BRP170.089.1 tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ mṛtasañjīvanaṃ viduḥ |
BRP170.089.2 cakṣustīrthaṃ sayogeśaṃ smaraṇād api puṇyadam |
BRP170.089.3 manaḥprasādajananaṃ sarvadurbhāvanāśanam || 89 ||