Chapter 12

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
strīpuṃsayoḥ saṃprayoge sparśaḥ kasyādhiko bhavet |
etanme saṃśayaṃ rājanyathāvadvaktumarhasi || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

bhīṣma uvāca |
atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam |
bhaṅgāśvanena śakrasya yathā vairamabhūtpurā || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

purā bhaṅgāśvano nāma rājarṣiratidhārmikaḥ |
aputraḥ sa naravyāghra putrārthaṃ yajñamāharat || 3 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agniṣṭuṃ nāma rājarṣirindradviṣṭaṃ mahābalaḥ |
prāyaścitteṣu martyānāṃ putrakāmasya ceṣyate || 4 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indro jñātvā tu taṃ yajñaṃ mahābhāgaḥ sureśvaraḥ |
antaraṃ tasya rājarṣeranvicchanniyatātmanaḥ || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kasyacittvatha kālasya mṛgayāmaṭato nṛpa |
idamantaramityeva śakro nṛpamamohayat || 6 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ekāśvena ca rājarṣirbhrānta indreṇa mohitaḥ |
na diśo'vindata nṛpaḥ kṣutpipāsārditastadā || 7 ||
[Analyze grammar]

itaścetaśca vai dhāvañśramatṛṣṇārdito nṛpaḥ |
saro'paśyatsuruciraṃ pūrṇaṃ paramavāriṇā |
so'vagāhya sarastāta pāyayāmāsa vājinam || 8 ||
[Analyze grammar]

atha pītodakaṃ so'śvaṃ vṛkṣe baddhvā nṛpottamaḥ |
avagāhya tataḥ snāto rājā strītvamavāpa ha || 9 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ātmānaṃ strīkṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā vrīḍito nṛpasattamaḥ |
cintānugatasarvātmā vyākulendriyacetanaḥ || 10 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ārohiṣye kathaṃ tvaśvaṃ kathaṃ yāsyāmi vai puram |
agniṣṭuṃ nāma iṣṭaṃ me putrāṇāṃ śatamaurasam || 11 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jātaṃ mahābalānāṃ vai tānpravakṣyāmi kiṃ tvaham |
dāreṣu cāsmadīyeṣu paurajānapadeṣu ca || 12 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mṛdutvaṃ ca tanutvaṃ ca viklavatvaṃ tathaiva ca |
strīguṇā ṛṣibhiḥ proktā dharmatattvārthadarśibhiḥ |
vyāyāmaḥ karkaśatvaṃ ca vīryaṃ ca puruṣe guṇāḥ || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pauruṣaṃ vipranaṣṭaṃ me strītvaṃ kenāpi me'bhavat |
strībhāvātkathamaśvaṃ tu punarāroḍhumutsahe || 14 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mahatā tvatha khedena āruhyāśvaṃ narādhipaḥ |
punarāyātpuraṃ tāta strībhūto nṛpasattama || 15 ||
[Analyze grammar]

putrā dārāśca bhṛtyāśca paurajānapadāśca te |
kiṃ nvidaṃ tviti vijñāya vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatāḥ || 16 ||
[Analyze grammar]

athovāca sa rājarṣiḥ strībhūto vadatāṃ varaḥ |
mṛgayāmasmi niryāto balaiḥ parivṛto dṛḍham |
udbhrāntaḥ prāviśaṃ ghorāmaṭavīṃ daivamohitaḥ || 17 ||
[Analyze grammar]

aṭavyāṃ ca sughorāyāṃ tṛṣṇārto naṣṭacetanaḥ |
saraḥ suruciraprakhyamapaśyaṃ pakṣibhirvṛtam || 18 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatrāvagāḍhaḥ strībhūto vyaktaṃ daivānna saṃśayaḥ |
atṛpta iva putrāṇāṃ dārāṇāṃ ca dhanasya ca || 19 ||
[Analyze grammar]

uvāca putrāṃśca tataḥ strībhūtaḥ pārthivottamaḥ |
saṃprītyā bhujyatāṃ rājyaṃ vanaṃ yāsyāmi putrakāḥ |
abhiṣicya sa putrāṇāṃ śataṃ rājā vanaṃ gataḥ || 20 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāmāśrame striyaṃ tāta tāpaso'bhyavapadyata |
tāpasenāsya putrāṇāmāśrame'pyabhavacchatam || 21 ||
[Analyze grammar]

atha sā tānsutāngṛhya pūrvaputrānabhāṣata |
puruṣatve sutā yūyaṃ strītve ceme śataṃ sutāḥ || 22 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ekatra bhujyatāṃ rājyaṃ bhrātṛbhāvena putrakāḥ |
sahitā bhrātaraste'tha rājyaṃ bubhujire tadā || 23 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāndṛṣṭvā bhrātṛbhāvena bhuñjānānrājyamuttamam |
cintayāmāsa devendro manyunābhipariplutaḥ |
upakāro'sya rājarṣeḥ kṛto nāpakṛtaṃ mayā || 24 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tato brāhmaṇarūpeṇa devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ |
bhedayāmāsa tāngatvā nagaraṃ vai nṛpātmajān || 25 ||
[Analyze grammar]

bhrātṝṇāṃ nāsti saubhrātraṃ ye'pyekasya pituḥ sutāḥ |
rājyahetorvivaditāḥ kaśyapasya surāsurāḥ || 26 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yūyaṃ bhaṅgāśvanāpatyāstāpasasyetare sutāḥ |
kaśyapasya surāścaiva asurāśca sutāstathā |
yuṣmākaṃ paitṛkaṃ rājyaṃ bhujyate tāpasātmajaiḥ || 27 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indreṇa bheditāste tu yuddhe'nyonyamapātayan |
tacchrutvā tāpasī cāpi saṃtaptā praruroda ha || 28 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brāhmaṇacchadmanābhyetya tāmindro'thānvapṛcchata |
kena duḥkhena saṃtaptā rodiṣi tvaṃ varānane || 29 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brāhmaṇaṃ tu tato dṛṣṭvā sā strī karuṇamabravīt |
putrāṇāṃ dve śate brahmankālena vinipātite || 30 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ahaṃ rājābhavaṃ vipra tatra putraśataṃ mayā |
samutpannaṃ surūpāṇāṃ vikrāntānāṃ dvijottama || 31 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kadācinmṛgayāṃ yāta udbhrānto gahane vane |
avagāḍhaśca sarasi strībhūto brāhmaṇottama |
putrānrājye pratiṣṭhāpya vanamasmi tato gataḥ || 32 ||
[Analyze grammar]

striyāśca me putraśataṃ tāpasena mahātmanā |
āśrame janitaṃ brahmannītāste nagaraṃ mayā || 33 ||
[Analyze grammar]

teṣāṃ ca vairamutpannaṃ kālayogena vai dvija |
etacchocāmi viprendra daivenābhipariplutā || 34 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indrastāṃ duḥkhitāṃ dṛṣṭvā abravītparuṣaṃ vacaḥ |
purā suduḥsahaṃ bhadre mama duḥkhaṃ tvayā kṛtam || 35 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indradviṣṭena yajatā māmanādṛtya durmate |
indro'hamasmi durbuddhe vairaṃ te yātitaṃ mayā || 36 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indraṃ tu dṛṣṭvā rājarṣiḥ pādayoḥ śirasā gataḥ |
prasīda tridaśaśreṣṭha putrakāmena sa kratuḥ |
iṣṭastridaśaśārdūla tatra me kṣantumarhasi || 37 ||
[Analyze grammar]

praṇipātena tasyendraḥ parituṣṭo varaṃ dadau |
putrā vai katame rājañjīvantu tava śaṃsa me |
strībhūtasya hi ye jātāḥ puruṣasyātha ye'bhavan || 38 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāpasī tu tataḥ śakramuvāca prayatāñjaliḥ |
strībhūtasya hi ye jātāste me jīvantu vāsava || 39 ||
[Analyze grammar]

indrastu vismito hṛṣṭaḥ striyaṃ papraccha tāṃ punaḥ |
puruṣotpāditā ye te kathaṃ dveṣyāḥ sutāstava || 40 ||
[Analyze grammar]

strībhūtasya hi ye jātāḥ snehastebhyo'dhikaḥ katham |
kāraṇaṃ śrotumicchāmi tanme vaktumihārhasi || 41 ||
[Analyze grammar]

stryuvāca |
striyāstvabhyadhikaḥ sneho na tathā puruṣasya vai |
tasmātte śakra jīvantu ye jātāḥ strīkṛtasya vai || 42 ||
[Analyze grammar]

bhīṣma uvāca |
evamukte tatastvindraḥ prīto vākyamuvāca ha |
sarva eveha jīvantu putrāste satyavādini || 43 ||
[Analyze grammar]

varaṃ ca vṛṇu rājendra yaṃ tvamicchasi suvrata |
puruṣatvamatha strītvaṃ matto yadabhikāṅkṣasi || 44 ||
[Analyze grammar]

stryuvāca |
strītvameva vṛṇe śakra prasanne tvayi vāsava || 45 ||
[Analyze grammar]

evamuktastu devendrastāṃ striyaṃ pratyuvāca ha |
puruṣatvaṃ kathaṃ tyaktvā strītvaṃ rocayase vibho || 46 ||
[Analyze grammar]

evamuktaḥ pratyuvāca strībhūto rājasattamaḥ |
striyāḥ puruṣasaṃyoge prītirabhyadhikā sadā |
etasmātkāraṇācchakra strītvameva vṛṇomyaham || 47 ||
[Analyze grammar]

rame caivādhikaṃ strītve satyaṃ vai devasattama |
strībhāvena hi tuṣṭo'smi gamyatāṃ tridaśādhipa || 48 ||
[Analyze grammar]

evamastviti coktvā tāmāpṛcchya tridivaṃ gataḥ |
evaṃ striyā mahārāja adhikā prītirucyate || 49 ||
[Analyze grammar]