Verse 3172-3173

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

नलर्तुपर्णयोश्चासावश्वाक्षहृदयज्ञयोः ।
संवाहे गच्छतोर्वाक्यमृतुपर्णेन भाषितम् ॥ ३१७२ ॥
सर्वः सर्वं न जानाति सर्वज्ञो नोपपद्यते ।
नैकत्र परिनिष्ठाऽस्ति ज्ञानस्य पुरुषे क्वचित् ॥ ३१७३ ॥

nalartuparṇayoścāsāvaśvākṣahṛdayajñayoḥ |
saṃvāhe gacchatorvākyamṛtuparṇena bhāṣitam || 3172 ||
sarvaḥ sarvaṃ na jānāti sarvajño nopapadyate |
naikatra pariniṣṭhā'sti jñānasya puruṣe kvacit || 3173 ||

“When nala and ṛtuparṇa,—who were experts in matters relating to horses and to gambling, respectively—were going together in the chariot, ṛtuparṇa made the following statement—‘all men do not know all things,—no one can be omniscient,—there is no end to knowledge, resting in any one man’.”—(3172-3173)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

In the following Text, the Mīmāṃsaka shows that his view is supported by others also:—[see verses 3172-3173 above]

‘Saṃvāha’—chariot.

The following story has been told—There was a King named Nala; not being expert in the art of Gambling, he lost his entire kingdom at Gambling; he had a queen named Damayantī. The King, having lost his entire kingdom, went away into the forest, accompanied by the said Queen alone. When he reached the forest, he became separated from her, through ill-luck. Having his face clouded with tears due to separation from his beloved wife, the King drowned in the ocean of grief and anxiety,—his body emaciated,—went about wandering hither and thither; and (in brief) somehow managed to secure a living under King Ṛtuparṇa, and remained there incognito. His Queen somehow reached her father’s place. In order to fetch her husband, she proclaimed it far and wide that Damayantī was going to choose a husband. When King Ṛtuparṇa heard that Damayantī was going to choose a husband, he started to go there, accompanied by Nala as his charioteer. Ṛtuparṇa was an expert in the art of Gambling, but did not know much about horses; while Nala was an expert in matters relating to Horses, but did not know much about Gambling. Ṛtuparṇa somehow came to know that Nala was an expert in matters relating to Horses. Having come to know this, he said to Nala—‘Please teach me the science of Horses’.—Nala said—‘I shall teach it to you, if you will teach me the art of Gambling’.—Thereupon Ṛtuparṇa said—‘All men do not know all things, etc. etc.’—Then Nala learnt the art of Gambling from Ṛtuparṇa, and won back his kingdom.

Such is the story.—(3172-3173)