Page:The Mahabharata (Kishori Mohan Gangopadhyay, First Edition) Volume 17.djvu/20

8 to the sin that one incurs by slaying a Brāhmana. Hence, O great Indra, I shall not abandon this god today from desire of my happiness! Even this is my vow steadily pursued, viz., that I never give up a person that is terrified, nor one that is devoted to me, nor one that seeks my protection, saying, that he is destitute, nor one that is afflicted, nor one that has come to me, nor one that is weak in protecting oneself, nor one that is solicitous of life. I shall never give up such a one till my own life is at an end!'

"Indra said,'Whatever gifts, or sacrifices spread out, or libations poured on the sacred fire, are seen by a dog, are taken away by the Krodhavaças. Do thou, therefore, abandon this dog. By abandoning this dog thou wilt attain to the region of the deities. Having abandoned thy brothers and Krishnā, thou hast, O hero, acquired a region of felicity by thy own deeds. Why art thou so stupefied? Thou hast renounced everything. Why then dost thou not renounce this dog?'

"Yudhishthira said,'That is well known in all the worlds that there is neither friendship nor enmity with those that are dead. When my brothers and Krishnā died, I was unable to revive them. Hence it was that I abandoned them. I did not, however abandon them as long as they were alive. To frighten one that has sought protection, the slaying of a woman, the theft of what belongs to a Brāhmana, and injuring a friend, each of these four, O Cakra, is I think equal to the abandonment of one that is devoted!'

Vaiçampāyana continued,'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, (the dog became transformed into) the deity of Righteousness, who, well pleased, said these words unto him in a sweet voice fraught with praise.

"Dharma said,'Thou art well born, O king of kings, and possessed of the intelligence and the good conduct of Pāndu! Thou hast compassion for all creatures, O Bhārata, of which this is a bright example! Formerly, O son, thou wert once examined by me in the woods of Dwaita, where thy brothers of great prowess met with (an appearance of) death. Disregarding both thy brothers Bhima and Arjuna, thou didst wish for the revival of Nakula from thy desire of doing good