Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच विमानस्थौ तु तौ राजँल्लुब्धको वै ददर्श ह दृष्ट्वा तौ दंपती दुःखादचिन्तयत सद्गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said lt so chanced that the fowler, O king, saw that pair while seated on their celestial car. Seeing the couple he became filled with sorrow and began to think of the means of acquiring the same end.
कीदृशेनेह तपसा गच्छेयं परमां गतिम् इति बुद्ध्या विनिश्चित्य गमनायोपचक्रमे
M. N. Dutt: And he said to himself,-I must, by austerities like those of the pigeon, acquire such a high end!—Having made this resolution, the fowler, who had lived by the destruction of birds, started on an unreturning journey.
महाप्रस्थानमाश्रित्य लुब्धकः पक्षिजीवनः निश्चेष्टो मारुताहारो निर्ममः स्वर्गकाङ्क्षया
M. N. Dutt: Without any attempt (for getting food) and living upon air alone, he renounced all other desires for acquiring heaven.
ततोऽपश्यत्सुविस्तीर्णं हृद्यं पद्मविभूषितम् नानाद्विजगणाकीर्णं सरः शीतजलं शुभम् पिपासार्तोऽपि तद्दृष्ट्वा तृप्तः स्यान्नात्र संशयः
AI Translation: Then he saw a very wide, pleasant lake adorned with lotuses, Filled with flocks of various birds, with cool water, and auspicious. Even one afflicted by thirst, on seeing it, would be satisfied. There is no doubt about this.
उपवासकृशोऽत्यर्थं स तु पार्थिव लुब्धकः उपसर्पत संहृष्टः श्वापदाध्युषितं वनम्
AI Translation: That hunter, O king, was emaciated by fasting. He approached the forest inhabited by beasts with joy.
महान्तं निश्चयं कृत्वा लुब्धकः प्रविवेश ह प्रविशन्नेव च वनं निगृहीतः स कण्टकैः
AI Translation: Having made a great resolve, the hunter entered. And as he entered the forest, he was caught by thorns.
स कण्टकविभुग्नाङ्गो लोहितार्द्रीकृतच्छविः बभ्राम तस्मिन्विजने नानामृगसमाकुले
M. N. Dutt: Cut and torn by prickles, and bathed in blood, he began to wander in that forest, shorn of men but abounding with animals of various species.
ततो द्रुमाणां महतां पवनेन वने तदा उदतिष्ठत संघर्षात्सुमहान्हव्यवाहनः
M. N. Dutt: Sometime after, on account of the friction of some huge trees caused by a strong wind, a wide spread forest-fire arose.
तद्वनं वृक्षसंकीर्णं लताविटपसंकुलम् ददाह पावकः क्रुद्धो युगान्ताग्निसमप्रभः
M. N. Dutt: The raging element, appearing like the fire at the end of the Cycle, the powerful fire began to consume that large forest abounding with tall trees and thick bushes and creepers.
सज्वालैः पवनोद्धूतैर्विस्फुलिङ्गैः समन्वितः ददाह तद्वनं घोरं मृगपक्षिसमाकुलम्
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, with flames fanned by the wind and numberless sparks flying about in all directions, the all-consuming god began to consume that dense forest teeming with birds and beasts.
ततः स देहमोक्षार्थं संप्रहृष्टेन चेतसा अभ्यधावत संवृद्धं पावकं लुब्धकस्तदा
M. N. Dutt: The fowler, desirous of renouncing his body, ran with a delighted heart towards that spreading fire.
ततस्तेनाग्निना दग्धो लुब्धको नष्टकिल्बिषः जगाम परमां सिद्धिं तदा भरतसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Consumed by that fire the fowler became purged of all his sins and acquired, O best of the Bharatas, high success.
ततः स्वर्गस्थमात्मानं सोऽपश्यद्विगतज्वरः यक्षगन्धर्वसिद्धानां मध्ये भ्राजन्तमिन्द्रवत्
M. N. Dutt: The anxiety of his mind gone, he at last saw himself in heaven, shining like Indra in midst of Yakshas and Gandharvas and persons endued with ascetic success.
एवं खलु कपोतश्च कपोती च पतिव्रता लुब्धकेन सह स्वर्गं गताः पुण्येन कर्मणा
M. N. Dutt: Thus the pigeon and his devoted wife, with the fowler, went to heaven for their meritorious acts.
यापि चैवंविधा नारी भर्तारमनुवर्तते विराजते हि सा क्षिप्रं कपोतीव दिवि स्थिता
M. N. Dutt: The woman who thus follows her husband speedily ascends to heaven and shines there like the she-pigeon of whom I have spoken.
एवमेतत्पुरा वृत्तं लुब्धकस्य महात्मनः कपोतस्य च धर्मिष्ठा गतिः पुण्येन कर्मणा
M. N. Dutt: This is the ancient history of the great fowler and the pigeon. Thus did they acquire highly meritorious end by their righteous acts.
यश्चेदं शृणुयान्नित्यं यश्चेदं परिकीर्तयेत् नाशुभं विद्यते तस्य मनसापि प्रमाद्यतः
M. N. Dutt: No evil overtakes the person who listens every day to this story or who recites it every day, even if error possesses his mind.
युधिष्ठिर महानेष धर्मो धर्मभृतां वर गोघ्नेष्वपि भवेदस्मिन्निष्कृतिः पापकर्मणः निष्कृतिर्न भवेत्तस्मिन्यो हन्याच्छरणागतम्
M. N. Dutt: O Yudhishthira, O foremost of all righteous persons, the protection of a suppliant is, indeed, a great act of merit. By following this duty, even the killer of a cow may be cleansed of sin.
Supplementary Passages:
12.145.18 After 18, N (except D7; Dn2 D6 absent) M ins.: *377 इतिहासमिमं पुत्र श्रुत्वा पापविनाशनम् न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति After line 1, M ins.: *378 आर्ता गृहागताः पूज्यास्तथैव शरणागताः