Approaching her lord at a time when no one was
with him, the queen, endued with great strength of mind, fearlessly and
in wrath, told him these words fraught with reason: 'Why hast thou
adopted a life of mendicancy, abandoning thy kingdom full of wealth and
corn? A handful of fallen off barley cannot be proper for thee. Thy
resolution tallies not with thy acts,[54] since abandoning thy large
kingdom thou covetest, O king, a handful of grain! With this handful of
barley, O king, wilt thou succeed in gratifying thy guests, gods. Rishis
and Pitris? This thy labour, therefore, is bootless. Alas, abandoned by
all these, viz., gods, guest and Pitris, thou leadest a life, of
wandering mendicancy, O king, having cast off all action. Thou wert,
before this, the supporter of thousands of Brahmanas versed in the three
Vedas and of many more besides. How canst thou desire to beg of them thy
own food today? Abandoning thy blazing prosperity, thou castest thy eyes
around like a dog (for his food). Thy mother hath today been made sonless
by thee, and thy spouse, the princess of Kosala, a widow. These helpless
Kshatriyas, expectant of fruit and religious merit, wait upon thee,
placing all their hopes on thee. By killing those hopes of theirs, to
what regions shalt thou go, O king, especially when salvation is doubtful
and creatures are dependent on actions?[55] Sinful as thou art, thou hast
neither this world nor the other, since thou wishest to live, having cast
off thy wedded wife?[56] Why, indeed, dost thou lead a life of wandering
mendicancy, abstaining from all actions, after having abandoned garlands
and perfumes and ornaments and robes of diverse kinds? Having been, as it
were, a large and sacred take unto all creatures, having been a mighty
tree worthy of adoration and granting its shelter unto all, alas, how
canst thou wait upon and worship others? If even an elephant desists from
all work, carnivorous creatures coming in packs and innumerable worms
would eat it up.
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