< preritAH 17 >
1 paulasIlau AmphipalyApalloniyAnagarAbhyAM gatvA yatra yihUdIyAnAM bhajanabhavanamekam Aste tatra thiSalanIkInagara upasthitau|
2 tadA paulaH svAcArAnusAreNa teSAM samIpaM gatvA vizrAmavAratraye taiH sArddhaM dharmmapustakIyakathAyA vicAraM kRtavAn|
3 phalataH khrISTena duHkhabhogaH karttavyaH zmazAnadutthAnaJca karttavyaM yuSmAkaM sannidhau yasya yIzoH prastAvaM karomi sa IzvareNAbhiSiktaH sa etAH kathAH prakAzya pramANaM datvA sthirIkRtavAn|
4 tasmAt teSAM katipayajanA anyadezIyA bahavo bhaktalokA bahyaH pradhAnanAryyazca vizvasya paulasIlayoH pazcAdgAmino jAtAH|
5 kintu vizvAsahInA yihUdIyalokA IrSyayA paripUrNAH santo haTaTsya katinayalampaTalokAn saGginaH kRtvA janatayA nagaramadhye mahAkalahaM kRtvA yAsono gRham Akramya preritAn dhRtvA lokanivahasya samIpam AnetuM ceSTitavantaH|
6 teSAmuddezam aprApya ca yAsonaM katipayAn bhrAtRMzca dhRtvA nagarAdhipatInAM nikaTamAnIya proccaiH kathitavanto ye manuSyA jagadudvATitavantaste 'trApyupasthitAH santi,
7 eSa yAson AtithyaM kRtvA tAn gRhItavAn| yIzunAmaka eko rAjastIti kathayantaste kaisarasyAjJAviruddhaM karmma kurvvati|
8 teSAM kathAmimAM zrutvA lokanivaho nagarAdhipatayazca samudvignA abhavan|
9 tadA yAsonastadanyeSAJca dhanadaNDaM gRhItvA tAn parityaktavantaH|
10 tataH paraM bhrAtRgaNo rajanyAM paulasIlau zIghraM birayAnagaraM preSitavAn tau tatropasthAya yihUdIyAnAM bhajanabhavanaM gatavantau|
11 tatrasthA lokAH thiSalanIkIsthalokebhyo mahAtmAna Asan yata itthaM bhavati na veti jJAtuM dine dine dharmmagranthasyAlocanAM kRtvA svairaM kathAm agRhlan|
12 tasmAd aneke yihUdIyA anyadezIyAnAM mAnyA striyaH puruSAzcAneke vyazvasan|
13 kintu birayAnagare paulenezvarIyA kathA pracAryyata iti thiSalanIkIsthA yihUdIyA jJAtvA tatsthAnamapyAgatya lokAnAM kupravRttim ajanayan|
14 ataeva tasmAt sthAnAt samudreNa yAntIti darzayitvA bhrAtaraH kSipraM paulaM prAhiNvan kintu sIlatImathiyau tatra sthitavantau|
15 tataH paraM paulasya mArgadarzakAstam AthInInagara upasthApayan pazcAd yuvAM tUrNam etat sthAnaM AgamiSyathaH sIlatImathiyau pratImAm AjJAM prApya te pratyAgatAH|
16 paula AthInInagare tAvapekSya tiSThan tannagaraM pratimAbhiH paripUrNaM dRSTvA santaptahRdayo 'bhavat|
17 tataH sa bhajanabhavane yAn yihUdIyAn bhaktalokAMzca haTTe ca yAn apazyat taiH saha pratidinaM vicAritavAn|
18 kintvipikUrIyamatagrahiNaH stoyikIyamatagrAhiNazca kiyanto janAstena sArddhaM vyavadanta| tatra kecid akathayan eSa vAcAlaH kiM vaktum icchati? apare kecid eSa janaH keSAJcid videzIyadevAnAM pracAraka ityanumIyate yataH sa yIzum utthitiJca pracArayat|
19 te tam areyapAganAma vicArasthAnam AnIya prAvocan idaM yannavInaM mataM tvaM prAcIkaza idaM kIdRzaM etad asmAn zrAvaya;
20 yAmimAm asambhavakathAm asmAkaM karNagocarIkRtavAn asyA bhAvArthaH ka iti vayaM jJAtum icchAmaH|
21 tadAthInInivAsinastannagarapravAsinazca kevalaM kasyAzcana navInakathAyAH zravaNena pracAraNena ca kAlam ayApayan|
22 paulo'reyapAgasya madhye tiSThan etAM kathAM pracAritavAn, he AthInIyalokA yUyaM sarvvathA devapUjAyAm AsaktA ityaha pratyakSaM pazyAmi|
23 yataH paryyaTanakAle yuSmAkaM pUjanIyAni pazyan ‘avijJAtezvarAya` etallipiyuktAM yajJavedImekAM dRSTavAn; ato na viditvA yaM pUjayadhve tasyaiva tatvaM yuSmAn prati pracArayAmi|
24 jagato jagatsthAnAM sarvvavastUnAJca sraSTA ya IzvaraH sa svargapRthivyorekAdhipatiH san karanirmmitamandireSu na nivasati;
25 sa eva sarvvebhyo jIvanaM prANAn sarvvasAmagrIzca pradadAti; ataeva sa kasyAzcit sAmagyrA abhAvaheto rmanuSyANAM hastaiH sevito bhavatIti na|
26 sa bhUmaNDale nivAsArtham ekasmAt zoNitAt sarvvAn manuSyAn sRSTvA teSAM pUrvvanirUpitasamayaM vasatisImAJca niracinot;
27 tasmAt lokaiH kenApi prakAreNa mRgayitvA paramezvarasya tatvaM prAptuM tasya gaveSaNaM karaNIyam|
28 kintu so'smAkaM kasmAccidapi dUre tiSThatIti nahi, vayaM tena nizvasanaprazvasanagamanAgamanaprANadhAraNAni kurmmaH, punazca yuSmAkameva katipayAH kavayaH kathayanti ‘tasya vaMzA vayaM smo hi` iti|
29 ataeva yadi vayam Izvarasya vaMzA bhavAmastarhi manuSyai rvidyayA kauzalena ca takSitaM svarNaM rUpyaM dRSad vaiteSAmIzvaratvam asmAbhi rna jJAtavyaM|
30 teSAM pUrvvIyalokAnAm ajJAnatAM pratIzvaro yadyapi nAvAdhatta tathApIdAnIM sarvvatra sarvvAn manaH parivarttayitum AjJApayati,
31 yataH svaniyuktena puruSeNa yadA sa pRthivIsthAnAM sarvvalokAnAM vicAraM kariSyati taddinaM nyarUpayat; tasya zmazAnotthApanena tasmin sarvvebhyaH pramANaM prAdAt|
32 tadA zmazAnAd utthAnasya kathAM zrutvA kecid upAhaman, kecidavadan enAM kathAM punarapi tvattaH zroSyAmaH|
33 tataH paulasteSAM samIpAt prasthitavAn|
34 tathApi kecillokAstena sArddhaM militvA vyazvasan teSAM madhye 'reyapAgIyadiyanusiyo dAmArInAmA kAcinnArI kiyanto narAzcAsan|
