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ब्रह्मदत्तपूजनीसंवाद (brahmadattapUjanIsaMvAda)

 
Mahabharata
English
Brahmadatta-Pūjanī-Saṃvāda(ḥ) (“conversation between Br. and P.”). § 647b: XII, 139: As Bhīshma had said that from trust great danger arose to kings Yudhishthira asked: “But how would the king maintain himself if he were not to trust anybody?” Bhīshma related: A bird named Pūjanī lived with king Brahmadatta in his palace at Kāmpilya
like [the bird]
Jīvajīvaka, it could mimic the cries of all animals (rutajñā sarvabhūtānāṃ), etc. At one and the same time P. got an offspring and the king a son. P. used every day to go to the shores of the ocean and bring a couple of fruits, one for her own child and one for the prince. One day the prince, when playing with the offspring of P., killed it, and then came back to his nurse. When P. had returned to the palace, she wept bitterly, and said that nobody should live with a kshattriya or make friends with him
for so long as it suits their purpose, they behave with courtesy
but then they throw off the instrument
they do evil to all, and should never be trusted
even after doing an injury they try to soothe. P. then pierced the eyes of the prince, saying that those who avenge an injury never lose their merit by such conduct. Thinking that the avenger only squares his account, Br. sought to prevail upon P. to remain
“even after a deadly injury, affection and mutual trust arise between two persons residing together (for instance, the śvapaca [cāṇḍāla, PCR.]
and the dog)
animosity disappears quickly, like water poured upon the leaf of a lotus
it is Time that does every act
who therefore injures whom? Like fire consuming the fuel, Time consumes all creatures
what thou hast done, has been forgiven by me, do thou also forgive me.” P. maintained that the injurer ought to leave his old place and never to place his trust upon the injured
just as the fragments of an earthen vessel cannot be reunited
animosity destroys the very sons and grandsons, and thereby the parties lose the next world as well
animosity can never die
it lies hidden like fire in wood, or like the water-fire (toyāgniḥ, i.e. the Aurva-fire) in the ocean
amongst men that have injured one another, therefore, mistrust alone can produce happiness
nor should too much trust be placed upon a person deserving of trust
one should try to inspire others with confidence in one's self, but never repose confidence in others (not even in a wife, son, brother, or friend)
the mind of a person who has once injured another becomes naturally filled with mistrust if he sees the injured person worshipping him with gifts and honours. Hostility springs from five causes: woman, land, [harsh]
words, natural incompatibility (sāpatna, i.e. jāti-vairaṃ, [as]
that between the cat and the mouse, Nīl.), and injury
if Time be the cause of all acts, why do friends and kinsmen seek to avenge each other? further, why did the gods and the Asuras, in days of yore, smite each other in battle? and what use would there be of medicines? and how could religious merit be acquired by persons performing religious acts (kasmād dharmo 'sti kartṛshu)? Men wish for birds either [to kill them]
for food or [to keep them in cages]
for sport. Misery arises from various sources (decrepitude, loss of wealth, association with something disagreeable, separation from agreeable objects, death [badha], immurement [bandha], women, natural causes [sahajaṃ], [especially the death of]
a son
foolish persons say that there is no misery in others' misery
but one that knows the flavour of all [sorts of]
misery (rasajñaḥ sarvaduḥkhasya), feels the misery of others as his own
[we have this]
decision in [our]
own practical scriptures, and [according to them]
trust is productive of misery (niścayah sva9rthaśāstreshu, viśvāsaś ca9sukhodayaḥ
ought we not to read ºyaś cārthaº?), and Uśanas did formerly quote two verses (gāthe) [to this effect]
to Prahlāda (b)
those who trust [the word], true or false, of a foe, are killed by trusting (śraddadhānās) like [a seeker of]
honey by dry grass
having conceived (upagṛhya) hostilities [people]
soothe [their foe], then they dash upon him like a full jar upon stone
if a king does injury to anyone, he should never trust him again. As Br. objected that by mere mistrust one does not obtain his desires, but is like a dead person, P. maintained that it is necessary not to act without an eye to the consequences (for instance, of sore feet, sore eyes, a wicked path, want of rain, injurious food)
destiny and exertion are depending upon each other (daivaṃ purushakāraś ca sthitāv anyonyasaṃśrayāt)
but those that are high-minded achieve good feats, while eunuchs only pay court to Destiny
knowledge, courage, cleverness, strength, and patience are one's natural (sahajāni) friends
house, precious metals (kupyaṃ), land (kshetraṃ), wife, and friends are secondary (upahitāni) and may be obtained everywhere
home-keeping persons (gṛhasnehāvabaddhānāṃ) of little understanding are eaten up by a bad wife like the crab by her progeny (māghamāṃ segavā--C. śeº--iva, 89 = 5222, v. Nīl.)
one should put a distance between oneself and a bad wife, a bad son, a bad king, a bad friend, a bad alliance (ku-sambandhaṃ), and a bad country
she only is a wife who speaks what is agreeable
he is a son who makes his sire happy
he is a friend in whom one can trust
that is one's country where one earns one's living
he is a king of strict rule who does not oppress, etc. (95--96 = 5229--5230)
the king is the root of the triple aggregate (trivargasya, i.e. Virtue, Wealth, and Pleasure)
while taking from his subjects a sixth share of their wealth, he should protect them all
otherwise he is a thief, and takes upon himself the sins of all his subjects, and ultimately sinks into Hell (nirayaṃ prayāti)
the king, on the other hand, who gives protection is said by the Prajāpati Manu to have seven attributes (guṇān): he is a father (by compassion
the man who does not behave rightly towards him takes birth [in the next life]
as an animal--tiryag gacchati), a mother (by doing good to his subjects--sambhāvayati--and by cherishing the poor--dīnam apy upapadyate), a preceptor (guru) (by giving instruction in morality and virtue--dharmopadeśena), a protector, fire (by scorching the wicked--anishṭān), Vaiśravaṇa (i.e. Kubera) (by making gifts of wealth to those that are dear to him--ishṭeshu), and Yama (by restraining the sinful--yamayann asataḥ) (c)
that king, whose subjects grow like a large lotus in a lake, obtains every reward [here]
and meets with honour in Heaven (Svargaloke mahīyate).--Then P. took leave of Br. and proceeded to the region she chose.