Critical Edition
श्येन उवाच धर्मात्मानं त्वाहुरेकं सर्वे राजन्महीक्षितः स वै धर्मविरुद्धं त्वं कस्मात्कर्म चिकीर्षसि
M. N. Dutt: The Hawk said: All the kings of earth call you virtuous. Therefore why do you perform an act which is not in accordance with Dharma?
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.1 Before the ref., Dc ins.: *641 शृणु त्वं तत्र वै राजञ्श्येनो यदभिभाषत
विहितं भक्षणं राजन्पीड्यमानस्य मे क्षुधा मा भाङ्क्षीर्धर्मलोभेन धर्ममुत्सृष्टवानसि
M. N. Dutt: O king, I am oppressed by hunger; do not withhold from me my ordained food on the belief that you are thus gaining virtue, whereas you are not.
राजोवाच संत्रस्तरूपस्त्राणार्थी त्वत्तो भीतो महाद्विज मत्सकाशमनुप्राप्तः प्राणगृध्नुरयं द्विजः
M. N. Dutt: The King said: O great bird, this one is afflicted with the fear of you; and desirous of escaping from you it has come in a fury to me for protection.
एवमभ्यागतस्येह कपोतस्याभयार्थिनः अप्रदाने परोऽधर्मः किं त्वं श्येन प्रपश्यसि
M. N. Dutt: O hawk, why do you not see that it is a great virtue for me not to give up this pigeon which has thus come to me?
प्रस्पन्दमानः संभ्रान्तः कपोतः श्येन लक्ष्यते मत्सकाशं जीवितार्थी तस्य त्यागो विगर्हितः
M. N. Dutt: O hawk, this pigeon is seen to tremble with fear; it is agitated, it has come to me for protection of its life. It is not proper for me to forsake it.
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.5 After 5, K1.2 B Dc Dn D4.6 G3 ins.: *642 यो हि कश्चिद्द्विजान्हन्याद्गां वा लोकस्य मातरम् शरणागतं च त्यजते तुल्यं तेषां हि पातकम् Dc2 Dn2 G3 cont.: D1 ins. after 5: *643 एकतः क्रतवः सर्वे समाप्तवरदक्षिणाः एकतो भयभीतस्य प्राणिनः प्राणधारणम्
श्येन उवाच आहारात्सर्वभूतानि संभवन्ति महीपते आहारेण विवर्धन्ते तेन जीवन्ति जन्तवः
M. N. Dutt: The Hawk said : O ruler of earth, all creatures exist on food. The animals are nourished and sustained by food.
शक्यते दुस्त्यजेऽप्यर्थे चिररात्राय जीवितुम् न तु भोजनमुत्सृज्य शक्यं वर्तयितुं चिरम्
M. N. Dutt: A man can live many days even after forsaking his dear ones, but be cannot live long after abstaining from food.
भक्ष्याद्विलोपितस्याद्य मम प्राणा विशां पते विसृज्य कायमेष्यन्ति पन्थानमपुनर्भवम्
M. N. Dutt: O king, my life will depart today if deprived of food. Leaving my body it would fearlessly go away to other ways.
प्रमृते मयि धर्मात्मन्पुत्रदारं नशिष्यति रक्षमाणः कपोतं त्वं बहून्प्राणान्नशिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: O virtuous-minded one, at my death my wife and children will perish. By protecting the pigeon you do not (at all) protect many lives.
धर्मं यो बाधते धर्मो न स धर्मः कुधर्म तत् अविरोधी तु यो धर्मः स धर्मः सत्यविक्रम
M. N. Dutt: The virtue, that stands in the way of another virtue, is (really) unrighteousness. O truthful king, that virtue true virtue which is not conflicting.
विरोधिषु महीपाल निश्चित्य गुरुलाघवम् न बाधा विद्यते यत्र तं धर्मं समुदाचरेत्
AI Translation: Having determined the heaviness and lightness of the opposing factors, O king, one should practice that dharma where there is no hindrance.
गुरुलाघवमाज्ञाय धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये यतो भूयांस्ततो राजन्कुरु धर्मविनिश्चयम्
AI Translation: Having understood the lightness and heaviness in determining Dharma and non-Dharma, O king, from whatever is greater, make the determination of Dharma.
राजोवाच बहुकल्याणसंयुक्तं भाषसे विहगोत्तम सुपर्णः पक्षिराट्किं त्वं धर्मज्ञश्चास्यसंशयम् तथा हि धर्मसंयुक्तं बहु चित्रं प्रभाषसे
M. N. Dutt: The King said : O excellent bird, as you speak words fraught with good, (may I ask) are you the king of birds, Suparna (Garuda)? I have not the least doubt that you are learned in all the precepts of virtue.
न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिदिति त्वा लक्षयाम्यहम् शरणैषिणः परित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे
AI Translation: I know you have no ignorance. I know you. How can you think it is right to abandon those who seek refuge?
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.14 After 14, M1 ins.: *644 ह्रियमाणं तथाहारमुत्पन्नं क्षुधितस्य वै
आहारार्थं समारम्भस्तव चायं विहंगम शक्यश्चाप्यन्यथा कर्तुमाहारोऽप्यधिकस्त्वया
AI Translation: This your effort, O bird, is for the sake of food. And food can be had in other ways also. You can have more food.
गोवृषो वा वराहो वा मृगो वा महिषोऽपि वा त्वदर्थमद्य क्रियतां यद्वान्यदभिकाङ्क्षसे
M. N. Dutt: You can appease you hunger with some other food which would be more plentiful. I am perfectly willing to procure for you any sort of food that would be palatable to you, whether it be an ox or a boar or a deer or a buffalo.
श्येन उवाच न वराहं न चोक्षाणं न मृगान्विविधांस्तथा भक्षयामि महाराज किमन्नाद्येन तेन मे
M. N. Dutt: The Hawk said: O great king, I am not desirous of eating a boar or an ox or any other kind of beasts. What have I to do with any other food?
यस्तु मे दैवविहितो भक्षः क्षत्रियपुंगव तमुत्सृज महीपाल कपोतमिममेव मे
M. N. Dutt: O ruler of earth, O best of Kshatriyas, give me therefore this pigeon which is the food ordained to me by the celestials.
श्येनाः कपोतान्खादन्ति स्थितिरेषा सनातनी मा राजन्मार्गमाज्ञाय कदलीस्कन्धमारुह
M. N. Dutt: O king, that the hawks eat the pigeons, is an eternal law. Do not get on a plantain tree not knowing its want of strength (to support you).
राजोवाच राज्यं शिबीनामृद्धं वै शाधि पक्षिगणार्चित यद्वा कामयसे किंचिच्छ्येन सर्वं ददानि ते विनेमं पक्षिणं श्येन शरणार्थिनमागतम्
AI Translation: The king said: "O hawk, rule over the prosperous kingdom of the Śibis, worshipped by flocks of birds. Or whatever you desire, I will give you everything." "O
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.20 After 20ab, S ins.: *645 कृत्स्नमेतन्मया दत्तं राजवद्विहगोत्तम
येनेमं वर्जयेथास्त्वं कर्मणा पक्षिसत्तम तदाचक्ष्व करिष्यामि न हि दास्ये कपोतकम्
M. N. Dutt: O hawk, O excellent bird, with the exception of giving up this pigeon which has come to me for protection. Tell me what I shall have to do for the deliverance of this bird, I shall not give you this pigeon.
श्येन उवाच उशीनर कपोते ते यदि स्नेहो नराधिप आत्मनो मांसमुत्कृत्य कपोततुलया धृतम्
M. N. Dutt: The Hawk said : O Ushinara, O ruler of men, if you have so much affection for the pigeon, then cut a portion of your flesh and weigh it against this pigeon.
यदा समं कपोतेन तव मांसं भवेन्नृप तदा प्रदेयं तन्मह्यं सा मे तुष्टिर्भविष्यति
M. N. Dutt: O excellent king, when you flesh would be equal in weight with this pigeon, give it then to me and I shall be then satisfied.
राजोवाच अनुग्रहमिमं मन्ये श्येन यन्माभियाचसे तस्मात्तेऽद्य प्रदास्यामि स्वमांसं तुलया धृतम्
M. N. Dutt: The King said : O hawk, I consider your this request as a favour. I shall give you my own flesh weighing it against the pigeon.
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.24 After the ref., K4 ins.: *646 यदि प्राण्युपकाराय देहोऽयं नोपयुज्यते ततः किमुपचारोऽस्य प्रत्यहे क्रियते वृथा
लोमश उवाच अथोत्कृत्य स्वमांसं तु राजा परमधर्मवित् तुलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन सहाभिभो
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said: O son of Kunti, O lord, cutting off his own flesh, that virtuous king weighed it against the pigeon.
ध्रियमाणस्तु तुलया कपोतो व्यतिरिच्यते पुनश्चोत्कृत्य मांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनरः
M. N. Dutt: But when he found that the pigeon was more heavy than this flesh (thus cut and placed in the scale), the king Ushinara again cut (some more) flesh (from his body) and placed it (in the scale).
न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन समं धृतम् तत उत्कृत्तमांसोऽसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम्
M. N. Dutt: When portion after portion of his flesh had been added to weigh against the pigeon and no more flesh was left on his body, he then himself mounted on the scale.
श्येन उवाच इन्द्रोऽहमस्मि धर्मज्ञ कपोतो हव्यवाडयम् जिज्ञासमानौ धर्मे त्वां यज्ञवाटमुपागतौ
M. N. Dutt: The Hawk said : O virtuous king, I am Indra. The pigeon is the carrier of the sacrificial Ghee (Agni). In order to test your virtuous merit, we came to your sacrificial grounds,
यत्ते मांसानि गात्रेभ्य उत्कृत्तानि विशां पते एषा ते भास्वरी कीर्तिर्लोकानभिभविष्यति
M. N. Dutt: O king, as you have cut off your flesh from your body, your glory will be resplendent.
यावल्लोके मनुष्यास्त्वां कथयिष्यन्ति पार्थिव तावत्कीर्तिश्च लोकाश्च स्थास्यन्ति तव शाश्वताः
M. N. Dutt: O king, as long as men will speak of you on earth, so long will your glory endure and eternal region would be reserved for you.
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.30 After 30, K1.2 B D (except D1-3.5) ins.: *647 इत्येवमुक्त्वा राजानमारुरोह दिवं पुनः उशीनरोऽपि धर्मात्मा धर्मेणावृत्य रोदसी विभ्राजमानो वपुषाप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम्
लोमश उवाच तत्पाण्डवेय सदनं राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः पश्यस्वैतन्मया सार्धं पुण्यं पापप्रमोचनम्
AI Translation: Lomasha said: That is the abode of the great-souled king, O son of Pandu. See it with me, this meritorious place that frees one from sin.
Supplementary Passages:
3.131.31 D2.3 ins. after the ref.: D1, after 30: *648 इत्युक्त्वा तं दानपतिमिन्द्राग्नी तौ तदा नृप पूर्णदेहं स्वकं कृत्वा जग्मतुस्त्रिदशालयम्
अत्र वै सततं देवा मुनयश्च सनातनाः दृश्यन्ते ब्राह्मणै राजन्पुण्यवद्भिर्महात्मभिः
M. N. Dutt: Behold it which is holy and capable of cleansing sins. O king, here are always seen the celestials and eternal Rishis and also virtuous and high-souled Brahmanas.