अध्याय १२
श्लोक 1
ततो हं तस्य वचनान् मार्कण्डेयं समाहितः प्रश्नं तम् एवान्वपृच्छं यन् मे पृष्टः पुरा पिता
tato haṃ tasya vacanān mārkaṇḍeyaṃ samāhitaḥ praśnaṃ tam evānvapṛcchaṃ yan me pṛṣṭaḥ purā pitā
हिन्दी अर्थ
हरिदश्वस्य यज्ञे तु पशुत्वे विनियोजितः देवैर्दत्त: शुनःशेपो विश्वामित्राय वै पुनः। देवैर्दत्त: स वै यस्माद् देवरातस्ततो 5 भवत् देवरातादयः सप्त विश्वामित्रस्थ वै सुता:। दृषद्वतीसुतश्चापि विश्वामित्रात् तथाष्टक: राजन! पाणिन, बश्रु, ध्यानजप्य, पार्थिव, देवरात, शालड्डायन, बाष्कल, लोहित, यामदूत, कारीषु, सौश्रुत, कौशिक, सैन्धवायन, देवल, रेणु, याज्ञवल्क्य, अघमर्षण, औदुम्बर, अभिष्णात, तारकायन, चुझ्लुल, शालावत्य,
English
Markandeya said:—One of (those ganders) Vaibhrāja, an ascetic and anchorite as he was, was born as the son of Brahmadatta by name Viswaksena (1). Once on a time Brahmadatta was sporting delightedly in a forest in the company of his wife like Indra in the company of Sachi (2). Thereupon the king heard the noise made by an ant who was soliciting a female-ant and displaying his displeasure (3). Hearing that the poor female ant was expressing her disgust at the request of her husband Brahmadatta laughed aloud (4). Thereat his wife Saunati was stricken with sorrow and shame. That beautiful damsel had been abstaining from food for a long time (5). When her husband attempted to please her, that one of pure smiles said "O king, while you laughed at me I do not like to live" (6). The king however communicated to her the cause of his laughter but she placed no confidence in his words but rather said in anger "This is not within the power of a man (7). What man can decipher the sound of an ant save by the favour of the Providence or by the good deeds of his pristine birth (8)? O king, if by virtue of _Tapas_ or any other knowledge you have acquired the power of understanding the sound of animals, then by some means create confidence in me by which I may know it. Otherwise, O king, I shall renounce my life. I do swear truly" (9-10).