< preritAH 17 >
1 paulasIlau AmphipalyApalloniyAnagarAbhyAM gatvA yatra yihUdIyAnAM bhajanabhavanamekam Aste tatra thiShalanIkInagara upasthitau|
2 tadA paulaH svAchArAnusAreNa teShAM samIpaM gatvA vishrAmavAratraye taiH sArddhaM dharmmapustakIyakathAyA vichAraM kR^itavAn|
3 phalataH khrIShTena duHkhabhogaH karttavyaH shmashAnadutthAna ncha karttavyaM yuShmAkaM sannidhau yasya yIshoH prastAvaM karomi sa IshvareNAbhiShiktaH sa etAH kathAH prakAshya pramANaM datvA sthirIkR^itavAn|
4 tasmAt teShAM katipayajanA anyadeshIyA bahavo bhaktalokA bahyaH pradhAnanAryyashcha vishvasya paulasIlayoH pashchAdgAmino jAtAH|
5 kintu vishvAsahInA yihUdIyalokA IrShyayA paripUrNAH santo haTaTsya katinayalampaTalokAn sa NginaH kR^itvA janatayA nagaramadhye mahAkalahaM kR^itvA yAsono gR^iham Akramya preritAn dhR^itvA lokanivahasya samIpam AnetuM cheShTitavantaH|
6 teShAmuddesham aprApya cha yAsonaM katipayAn bhrAtR^iMshcha dhR^itvA nagarAdhipatInAM nikaTamAnIya prochchaiH kathitavanto ye manuShyA jagadudvATitavantaste. atrApyupasthitAH santi,
7 eSha yAson AtithyaM kR^itvA tAn gR^ihItavAn| yIshunAmaka eko rAjastIti kathayantaste kaisarasyAj nAviruddhaM karmma kurvvati|
8 teShAM kathAmimAM shrutvA lokanivaho nagarAdhipatayashcha samudvignA abhavan|
9 tadA yAsonastadanyeShA ncha dhanadaNDaM gR^ihItvA tAn parityaktavantaH|
10 tataH paraM bhrAtR^igaNo rajanyAM paulasIlau shIghraM birayAnagaraM preShitavAn tau tatropasthAya yihUdIyAnAM bhajanabhavanaM gatavantau|
11 tatrasthA lokAH thiShalanIkIsthalokebhyo mahAtmAna Asan yata itthaM bhavati na veti j nAtuM dine dine dharmmagranthasyAlochanAM kR^itvA svairaM kathAm agR^ihlan|
12 tasmAd aneke yihUdIyA anyadeshIyAnAM mAnyA striyaH puruShAshchAneke vyashvasan|
13 kintu birayAnagare pauleneshvarIyA kathA prachAryyata iti thiShalanIkIsthA yihUdIyA j nAtvA tatsthAnamapyAgatya lokAnAM kupravR^ittim ajanayan|
14 ataeva tasmAt sthAnAt samudreNa yAntIti darshayitvA bhrAtaraH kShipraM paulaM prAhiNvan kintu sIlatImathiyau tatra sthitavantau|
15 tataH paraM paulasya mArgadarshakAstam AthInInagara upasthApayan pashchAd yuvAM tUrNam etat sthAnaM AgamiShyathaH sIlatImathiyau pratImAm Aj nAM prApya te pratyAgatAH|
16 paula AthInInagare tAvapekShya tiShThan tannagaraM pratimAbhiH paripUrNaM dR^iShTvA santaptahR^idayo. abhavat|
17 tataH sa bhajanabhavane yAn yihUdIyAn bhaktalokAMshcha haTTe cha yAn apashyat taiH saha pratidinaM vichAritavAn|
18 kintvipikUrIyamatagrahiNaH stoyikIyamatagrAhiNashcha kiyanto janAstena sArddhaM vyavadanta| tatra kechid akathayan eSha vAchAlaH kiM vaktum ichChati? apare kechid eSha janaH keShA nchid videshIyadevAnAM prachAraka ityanumIyate yataH sa yIshum utthiti ncha prachArayat|
19 te tam areyapAganAma vichArasthAnam AnIya prAvochan idaM yannavInaM mataM tvaM prAchIkasha idaM kIdR^ishaM etad asmAn shrAvaya;
20 yAmimAm asambhavakathAm asmAkaM karNagocharIkR^itavAn asyA bhAvArthaH ka iti vayaM j nAtum ichChAmaH|
21 tadAthInInivAsinastannagarapravAsinashcha kevalaM kasyAshchana navInakathAyAH shravaNena prachAraNena cha kAlam ayApayan|
22 paulo. areyapAgasya madhye tiShThan etAM kathAM prachAritavAn, he AthInIyalokA yUyaM sarvvathA devapUjAyAm AsaktA ityaha pratyakShaM pashyAmi|
23 yataH paryyaTanakAle yuShmAkaM pUjanIyAni pashyan ‘avij nAteshvarAya` etallipiyuktAM yaj navedImekAM dR^iShTavAn; ato na viditvA yaM pUjayadhve tasyaiva tatvaM yuShmAn prati prachArayAmi|
24 jagato jagatsthAnAM sarvvavastUnA ncha sraShTA ya IshvaraH sa svargapR^ithivyorekAdhipatiH san karanirmmitamandireShu na nivasati;
25 sa eva sarvvebhyo jIvanaM prANAn sarvvasAmagrIshcha pradadAti; ataeva sa kasyAshchit sAmagyrA abhAvaheto rmanuShyANAM hastaiH sevito bhavatIti na|
26 sa bhUmaNDale nivAsArtham ekasmAt shoNitAt sarvvAn manuShyAn sR^iShTvA teShAM pUrvvanirUpitasamayaM vasatisImA ncha nirachinot;
27 tasmAt lokaiH kenApi prakAreNa mR^igayitvA parameshvarasya tatvaM prAptuM tasya gaveShaNaM karaNIyam|
28 kintu so. asmAkaM kasmAchchidapi dUre tiShThatIti nahi, vayaM tena nishvasanaprashvasanagamanAgamanaprANadhAraNAni kurmmaH, punashcha yuShmAkameva katipayAH kavayaH kathayanti ‘tasya vaMshA vayaM smo hi` iti|
29 ataeva yadi vayam Ishvarasya vaMshA bhavAmastarhi manuShyai rvidyayA kaushalena cha takShitaM svarNaM rUpyaM dR^iShad vaiteShAmIshvaratvam asmAbhi rna j nAtavyaM|
30 teShAM pUrvvIyalokAnAm aj nAnatAM pratIshvaro yadyapi nAvAdhatta tathApIdAnIM sarvvatra sarvvAn manaH parivarttayitum Aj nApayati,
31 yataH svaniyuktena puruSheNa yadA sa pR^ithivIsthAnAM sarvvalokAnAM vichAraM kariShyati taddinaM nyarUpayat; tasya shmashAnotthApanena tasmin sarvvebhyaH pramANaM prAdAt|
32 tadA shmashAnAd utthAnasya kathAM shrutvA kechid upAhaman, kechidavadan enAM kathAM punarapi tvattaH shroShyAmaH|
33 tataH paulasteShAM samIpAt prasthitavAn|
34 tathApi kechillokAstena sArddhaM militvA vyashvasan teShAM madhye. areyapAgIyadiyanusiyo dAmArInAmA kAchinnArI kiyanto narAshchAsan|