Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच पितामह महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद शरणं पालयानस्य यो धर्मस्तं वदस्व मे
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said O grandfather, O you of great wisdom, O you who are a master of scriptures, tell me what the merit is of one who supports a person seeking his protection.
भीष्म उवाच महान्धर्मो महाराज शरणागतपालने अर्हः प्रष्टुं भवांश्चैव प्रश्नं भरतसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Great is the merit, O king, in supporting a suppliant. It is worthy of you, O best of the Bharatas, to ask such a question.
नृगप्रभृतयो राजन्राजानः शरणागतान् परिपाल्य महाराज संसिद्धिं परमां गताः
M. N. Dutt: Those great kings of yore, viz., Shivi and others, o king, acquired supreme heavenly bliss by having supported suppliants.
श्रूयते हि कपोतेन शत्रुः शरणमागतः पूजितश्च यथान्यायं स्वैश्च मांसैर्निमन्त्रितः
M. N. Dutt: We have heard that a pigeon received reverentially a suppliant enemy according to due rites and even fed him with his own flesh.'
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं कपोतेन पुरा शत्रुः शरणमागतः स्वमांसैर्भोजितः कां च गतिं लेभे स भारत
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said How, indeed, did a pigeon in days of yore feed a suppliant enemy with his own flesh? What end, O Bharata, did he win by such conduct.
भीष्म उवाच शृणु राजन्कथां दिव्यां सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् नृपतेर्मुचुकुन्दस्य कथितां भार्गवेण ह
M. N. Dutt: Listen, O king, to this most Beautiful story which cleanses the hearer of every sin, and which Bhrigu's son (Rama) had recited to king Muchukunda.
इममर्थं पुरा पार्थ मुचुकुन्दो नराधिपः भार्गवं परिपप्रच्छ प्रणतो भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: This very question, O son of Pritha, had been put humbly to Bhrigu's son by Muchukunda.
तस्मै शुश्रूषमाणाय भार्गवोऽकथयत्कथाम् इयं यथा कपोतेन सिद्धिः प्राप्ता नराधिप
M. N. Dutt: The son of Bhrigu described this story to him of how a pigeon, O king, won success.
धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्तां कामार्थसहितां कथाम् शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्गदतो मे महाभुज
M. N. Dutt: The sage said O mighty-armed king, listen to me as I describe to you this story containing lessons of Virtue, profit, and Desire.
कश्चित्क्षुद्रसमाचारः पृथिव्यां कालसंमतः चचार पृथिवीं पापो घोरः शकुनिलुब्धकः
M. N. Dutt: A wicked and dreadful fowler, resembling the Destroyer himself, used in days of yore to wander through the great wilderness.
काकोल इव कृष्णाङ्गो रूक्षः पापसमाहितः यवमध्यः कृशग्रीवो ह्रस्वपादो महाहनुः
M. N. Dutt: He was black as a raven and his eyes were blood red. He looked like Yama himself. He had long legs, short feet, large mouth, and protruding cheeks.
नैव तस्य सुहृत्कश्चिन्न संबन्धी न बान्धवः स हि तैः संपरित्यक्तस्तेन घोरेण कर्मणा
M. N. Dutt: He had no friend, no relative, no kinsman. He had been discarded by them all for the exceedingly cruel life he led.
Supplementary Passages:
12.141.12 After 12, K3.5 V1 B Da Dn1.n3 D2.3.5.8 ins.: *361 नरः पापसमाचारस्त्यक्तव्यो दूरतो बुधैः आत्मानं योऽभिसंधत्ते सोऽन्यस्य स्यात्कथं हितः ये नृशंसा दुरात्मानः प्राणिप्राणहरा नराः उद्वेजनीया भूतानां व्याला इव भवन्ति ते
स वै क्षारकमादाय द्विजान्हत्वा वने सदा चकार विक्रयं तेषां पतंगानां नराधिप
M. N. Dutt: Taking his nets with him, and killing birds in the forests, he used to sell the meat, О king.
एवं तु वर्तमानस्य तस्य वृत्तिं दुरात्मनः अगमत्सुमहान्कालो न चाधर्ममबुध्यत
M. N. Dutt: Thus working, the wicked wretch lived for many long years without ever understanding the sinfulness of his life.
तस्य भार्यासहायस्य रममाणस्य शाश्वतम् दैवयोगविमूढस्य नान्या वृत्तिररोचत
M. N. Dutt: He was in the habit of sporting with his wife in the forest for many long years in the pursuit of this profession, and stupefied by destiny, he liked no other profession.
ततः कदाचित्तस्याथ वनस्थस्य समुद्गतः पातयन्निव वृक्षांस्तान्सुमहान्वातसंभ्रमः
M. N. Dutt: One day as he was wandering through the forest carrying on his business a great storm took place that shook the trees, almost uprooting them.
मेघसंकुलमाकाशं विद्युन्मण्डलमण्डितम् संछन्नं सुमुहूर्तेन नौस्थानेनेव सागरः
M. N. Dutt: In a moment dense masses of clouds set in the sky, accompanied with lightning and presenting the view of a sea covered with merchant boats and vessels.
वारिधारासमूहैश्च संप्रहृष्टः शतक्रतुः क्षणेन पूरयामास सलिलेन वसुंधराम्
M. N. Dutt: The god of a hundred sacrifices having entered the clouds with a profuse supply of rain, the Earth became flooded with water in a moment.
ततो धाराकुले लोके संभ्रमन्नष्टचेतनः शीतार्तस्तद्वनं सर्वमाकुलेनान्तरात्मना
M. N. Dutt: While the rain fell in torrents, the flower lost his sense from fear. Trembling with cold and stricken with fear, he roamed through the forest.
नैव निम्नं स्थलं वापि सोऽविन्दत विहंगहा पूरितो हि जलौघेन मार्गस्तस्य वनस्य वै
M. N. Dutt: He could not find any elevated spot (which was not under water). The paths of the forest were all under water.
पक्षिणो वातवेगेन हता लीनास्तदाभवन् मृगाः सिंहा वराहाश्च स्थलान्याश्रित्य तस्थिरे
M. N. Dutt: For the force of the rain, many birds dropped down dead on the ground. Securing some elevated spots they had found, lions and bears and to her animals lay down to rest.
महता वातवर्षेण त्रासितास्ते वनौकसः भयार्ताश्च क्षुधार्ताश्च बभ्रमुः सहिता वने
M. N. Dutt: All the dwellers of the forest were stricken with fear for that dreadful storm and rain. Terrified and hungry, they roved through the forest in small and large packs.
स तु शीतहतैर्गात्रैर्जगामैव न तस्थिवान् सोऽपश्यद्वनषण्डेषु मेघनीलं वनस्पतिम्
AI Translation: His body was numbed by the cold, and he went on, not stopping. He saw a tree in the forest, dark like a cloud,
Supplementary Passages:
12.141.23 After 23ab, K5 V1 (marg.) B2.4 Dn1.n3 D2.3.8 ins.: *362 ददर्श पतितां भूमौ कपोतीं शीतविह्वलाम् दृष्ट्वार्तोऽपि हि पापात्मा स तां पञ्जरकेऽक्षिपत् स्वयं दुःखाभिभूतोऽपि दुःखमेवाकरोत्परे पापात्मा पापकारित्वात्पापमेव चकार सः After 23, K5 V1 B Da Dn1.n3 (after 362*) D2.3.5.8 ins.: *363 सेव्यमानं विहंगौघैश्छायावासफलार्थिभिः धात्रा परोपकाराय स साधुरिव निर्मितः अथाभवत्क्षणेनैव वियद्विमलतारकम् महत्सर इवोत्फुल्लं कुमुदच्छुरितोदकम्
ताराढ्यं कुमुदाकारमाकाशं निर्मलं च ह मेघैर्मुक्तं नभो दृष्ट्वा लुब्धकः शीतविह्वलः
AI Translation: The sky was adorned with stars, had the shape of a lotus, was pure, and free from clouds. Seeing the sky free from clouds, the hunter, shivering with cold,
दिशोऽवलोकयामास वेलां चैव दुरात्मवान् दूरे ग्रामनिवेशश्च तस्माद्देशादिति प्रभो कृतबुद्धिर्वने तस्मिन्वस्तुं तां रजनीं तदा
AI Translation: He looked in all directions and at the time, the evil-minded one "The village settlement was far from that place, O Lord, " So he made up his mind to stay in the forest that night.
सोऽञ्जलिं प्रयतः कृत्वा वाक्यमाह वनस्पतिम् शरणं यामि यान्यस्मिन्दैवतानीह भारत
M. N. Dutt: Bowing down to it with clasped hands, he addressed that king of the forest, saying,-I seek refuge with all the gods who have this tree for their resting place.
स शिलायां शिरः कृत्वा पर्णान्यास्तीर्य भूतले दुःखेन महताविष्टस्ततः सुष्वाप पक्षिहा
M. N. Dutt: Having said so, he spread some leaves for a bed, and laid himself down on it, placing his head on a stone. In spite of his being overwhelmed with affliction, the man soon fell asleep.