< preritAH 23 >
1 sabhAsadlokAn prati paulo. ananyadR^iShTyA pashyan akathayat, he bhrAtR^igaNA adya yAvat saralena sarvvAntaHkaraNeneshvarasya sAkShAd AcharAmi|
2 anena hanAnIyanAmA mahAyAjakastaM kapole chapeTenAhantuM samIpasthalokAn AdiShTavAn|
3 tadA paulastamavadat, he bahiShpariShkR^ita, IshvarastvAM praharttum udyatosti, yato vyavasthAnusAreNa vichArayitum upavishya vyavasthAM la NghitvA mAM praharttum Aj nApayasi|
4 tato nikaTasthA lokA akathayan, tvaM kim Ishvarasya mahAyAjakaM nindasi?
5 tataH paulaH pratibhAShitavAn he bhrAtR^igaNa mahAyAjaka eSha iti na buddhaM mayA tadanyachcha svalokAnAm adhipatiM prati durvvAkyaM mA kathaya, etAdR^ishI lipirasti|
6 anantaraM paulasteShAm arddhaM sidUkilokA arddhaM phirUshilokA iti dR^iShTvA prochchaiH sabhAsthalokAn avadat he bhrAtR^igaNa ahaM phirUshimatAvalambI phirUshinaH satnAnashcha, mR^italokAnAm utthAne pratyAshAkaraNAd ahamapavAditosmi|
7 iti kathAyAM kathitAyAM phirUshisidUkinoH parasparaM bhinnavAkyatvAt sabhAyA madhye dvau saMghau jAtau|
8 yataH sidUkilokA utthAnaM svargIyadUtA AtmAnashcha sarvveShAm eteShAM kamapi na manyante, kintu phirUshinaH sarvvam a NgIkurvvanti|
9 tataH parasparam atishayakolAhale samupasthite phirUshinAM pakShIyAH sabhAsthA adhyApakAH pratipakShA uttiShThanto. akathayan, etasya mAnavasya kamapi doShaM na pashyAmaH; yadi kashchid AtmA vA kashchid dUta enaM pratyAdishat tarhi vayam Ishvarasya prAtikUlyena na yotsyAmaH|
10 tasmAd atIva bhinnavAkyatve sati te paulaM khaNDaM khaNDaM kariShyantItyAsha NkayA sahasrasenApatiH senAgaNaM tatsthAnaM yAtuM sabhAto balAt paulaM dhR^itvA durgaM neta nchAj nApayat|
11 rAtro prabhustasya samIpe tiShThan kathitavAn he paula nirbhayo bhava yathA yirUshAlamnagare mayi sAkShyaM dattavAn tathA romAnagarepi tvayA dAtavyam|
12 dine samupasthite sati kiyanto yihUdIyalokA ekamantraNAH santaH paulaM na hatvA bhojanapAne kariShyAma iti shapathena svAn abadhnan|
13 chatvAriMshajjanebhyo. adhikA lokA iti paNam akurvvan|
14 te mahAyAjakAnAM prAchInalokAnA ncha samIpaM gatvA kathayan, vayaM paulaM na hatvA kimapi na bhokShyAmahe dR^iDhenAnena shapathena baddhvA abhavAma|
15 ataeva sAmprataM sabhAsadlokaiH saha vayaM tasmin ka nchid visheShavichAraM kariShyAmastadarthaM bhavAn shvo. asmAkaM samIpaM tam Anayatviti sahasrasenApataye nivedanaM kuruta tena yuShmAkaM samIpaM upasthiteH pUrvvaM vayaM taM hantu sajjiShyAma|
16 tadA paulasya bhAgineyasteShAmiti mantraNAM vij nAya durgaM gatvA tAM vArttAM paulam uktavAn|
17 tasmAt paula ekaM shatasenApatim AhUya vAkyamidam bhAShitavAn sahasrasenApateH samIpe. asya yuvamanuShyasya ki nchinnivedanam Aste, tasmAt tatsavidham enaM naya|
18 tataH sa tamAdAya sahasrasenApateH samIpam upasthAya kathitavAn, bhavataH samIpe. asya kimapi nivedanamAste tasmAt bandiH paulo mAmAhUya bhavataH samIpam enam AnetuM prArthitavAn|
19 tadA sahasrasenApatistasya hastaM dhR^itvA nirjanasthAnaM nItvA pR^iShThavAn tava kiM nivedanaM? tat kathaya|
20 tataH sokathayat, yihUdIyalAkAH paule kamapi visheShavichAraM ChalaM kR^itvA taM sabhAM netuM bhavataH samIpe nivedayituM amantrayan|
21 kintu mavatA tanna svIkarttavyaM yatasteShAM madhyevarttinashchatvAriMshajjanebhyo. adhikalokA ekamantraNA bhUtvA paulaM na hatvA bhojanaM pAna ncha na kariShyAma iti shapathena baddhAH santo ghAtakA iva sajjitA idAnIM kevalaM bhavato. anumatim apekShante|
22 yAmimAM kathAM tvaM niveditavAn tAM kasmaichidapi mA kathayetyuktvA sahasrasenApatistaM yuvAnaM visR^iShTavAn|
23 anantaraM sahasrasenApati rdvau shatasenApatI AhUyedam Adishat, yuvAM rAtrau praharaikAvashiShTAyAM satyAM kaisariyAnagaraM yAtuM padAtisainyAnAM dve shate ghoTakArohisainyAnAM saptatiM shaktidhArisainyAnAM dve shate cha janAn sajjitAn kurutaM|
24 paulam ArohayituM phIlikShAdhipateH samIpaM nirvvighnaM netu ncha vAhanAni samupasthApayataM|
25 aparaM sa patraM likhitvA dattavAn tallikhitametat,
26 mahAmahimashrIyuktaphIlikShAdhipataye klaudiyaluShiyasya namaskAraH|
27 yihUdIyalokAH pUrvvam enaM mAnavaM dhR^itvA svahastai rhantum udyatA etasminnantare sasainyohaM tatropasthAya eSha jano romIya iti vij nAya taM rakShitavAn|
28 kinnimittaM te tamapavadante tajj nAtuM teShA sabhAM tamAnAyitavAn|
29 tatasteShAM vyavasthAyA viruddhayA kayAchana kathayA so. apavAdito. abhavat, kintu sa shR^i NkhalabandhanArho vA prANanAshArho bhavatIdR^ishaH kopyaparAdho mayAsya na dR^iShTaH|
30 tathApi manuShyasyAsya vadhArthaM yihUdIyA ghAtakAiva sajjitA etAM vArttAM shrutvA tatkShaNAt tava samIpamenaM preShitavAn asyApavAdakAMshcha tava samIpaM gatvApavaditum Aj nApayam| bhavataH kushalaM bhUyAt|
31 sainyagaNa Aj nAnusAreNa paulaM gR^ihItvA tasyAM rajanyAm AntipAtrinagaram Anayat|
32 pare. ahani tena saha yAtuM ghoTakArUDhasainyagaNaM sthApayitvA parAvR^itya durgaM gatavAn|
33 tataH pare ghoTakArohisainyagaNaH kaisariyAnagaram upasthAya tatpatram adhipateH kare samarpya tasya samIpe paulam upasthApitavAn|
34 tadAdhipatistatpatraM paThitvA pR^iShThavAn eSha kimpradeshIyo janaH? sa kilikiyApradeshIya eko jana iti j nAtvA kathitavAn,
35 tavApavAdakagaNa Agate tava kathAM shroShyAmi| herodrAjagR^ihe taM sthApayitum AdiShTavAn|
