112 - The Story of Pushadhra. 

Manu’s son Pushadhra while hunting accidentally killed a brahman’s cow—The brahman’s son fell into a rage and cursed him—The brahman reproved his son for his passionate conduct, but the curse could not be altered and Pushadhra became a shudra. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Manu’s son who was named Pushadhra † went a-hunting to a forest. While walking about in that dense lonely forest he

† This name is generally written Prishadhra, which is the correct form.

2 lighted upon no deer at all, he was scorched by the sun’s rays, and his body was seized with hunger, thirst and heat as he

3 walked hither and thither. Then he saw there a beautiful cow which yielded milk for sacrifice, belonging to a brahman who maintained the sacrificial fire, half the body of which was

4 hidden among creepers. †† Thinking she was a gayal, he shot her with an arrow, and she fell to the earth, pierced to the heart

†† This is the reading of the Poona edition, latantar-deha-channadhaam; the text of the Calcutta edition is erroneous. The Bornbay edition reads less properly latantar-deha-chinnardham. 

5 with the arrow. Thereupon the sacrificial priest’s son Tapoati,§ who was a religious student, on seeing his father’s sacrificial

§ I have not found this name elsewhere.

6 cow stricken down cursed him; and sent foi-ward his son named Vabhravya* who tended the cow. Then, O muni, his

* This is a patronymic from Vabhru or Babhru Vishvamitra had a son Vabhru from whom was descended the family of the Vabhrus (Maha-Bh., Anushas.-p., iv. 249-259; Hari-V., xxvii. 1463-67; but see Aitar. Brah. VII. iii. 18); and Sannaka had a pupil named Vabhru (Wilson’s Vishnu-P.—edit. F. Hall—III. vi.); but the name Vabhravya soon after Manu’s time seem out of place. 

7 mental feelings were overcome by wrath and resentment, and he fell into a rage, while his eyes rolled and were blurred with drops of perspiration that trickled down. The king Pushadhra seeing

8 that muni’s son enraged said, — “Be gracous, wherefore dost thou give way to anger like a shudra. No kshatriya, no vaishya † in truth indulges so in wrath as thou dost like a shudra, thou who art born in the noble family of a brahman.”

† The Poona edition gives the right reading, na kshatriyo na va vashya; the Calcutta edition wrongly puts the accusatives. 

Markandeya spoke:

9 When that son of a pre-eminent brahman†† was upbraided thus by the king, he cursed the evil-souled king, saying: “Thou

†† Maulinah; = shreshthasya according to the commentator. This meaning is not in the dictionary. 

10 shalt become § a shudra indeed!  Whatever sacred lore thou hast learnt from thy guru’s mouth shall waste away, because thou hast hurt this my guru’s sacrificial cow.”

         § For bhavishyati read bhavishyasi. 

11 When cursed thus the king became angry, yet he was tormented greatly by that curse. He took water up in his hand,

12 intent on cursing the other in retaliation, O brahman. That brahman also gave way to wrath in order to destroy the king. His father approached him hastily and forbad him in sooth, saying— 

13     “My son, enough, more than enough, of wrath which does not counteract hostility!|| Verily calmness is beneficial to the twice -born in things of this world and of the next 

|| For kopenayati-vairina read kovenaprativairina as in the Poona edition.

14 world. Anger destroys austerities; and the angry man falls away from long life; the angry man’s knowledge melts away, 

15 and the angry man fails of his object also. There is no righteousness in the man of angry disposition; and the passionate man obtains not his object; nor among those whose minds are possessed by wrath is the obtaining of their wishes enough for

 16 happiness. If the king has killed this cow with his full knowledge, it is right for one, who perceives what is for his own

17 benefit, to extend pardon here. Or if he has slain this my cow in ignorance, how then is he worthy of a curse, since his

18 mind was not evil? Whatever man, while seeking his own good, harasses another—merciful men should shew pardon to

19 that man in the knowledge that he is benighted.* If wise men inflict punishment for what is done by a man in ignorance, I esteem him more than the wise men; better are the men

* Or, “to that man whose understanding is foolish.”

20 who are ignorant, † Invoke thou no curse now on this king, my son; by her own action indeed this cow has fallen in a painful death.”

† Tam appears to be the right reading; but read ted instead of tarn? “then better than the wise are, in my opinion, the men who are ignorant.”

Markandeya spoke:

21 Pushadhra also, prostrating himself with bowed neck before the muni’s son, exclaimed aloud, “Be gracious!” and” She

22 was slain by me in ignorance, for I thought she was a gayal a cow must not be killed; through ignorance, O muni, I slew thy sacrificial cow. Be thou also gracious to me, O muni!”

The rishi’s son spoke:

23 Since my birth, O king, I have uttered nothing in vain, and my anger this day can never be altered, illustrious sir.

24 Therefore I cannot make this curse otherwise, O king; but the second curse which was prepared for thee is averted.

25 The father then took the son who had spoken thus and went to his own hermitage. And Pushadhra in sooth became ashudra.