Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 146

MBh 7 146.1

भीष्म उवाच स पल्या वचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मयुक्तिसमन्वितम्। हर्षेण महता युक्तो वाक्यं व्याकुललोचनः॥

bhīṣma uvāca sa palyā vacanaṃ śrutvā dharmayuktisamanvitam| harṣeṇa mahatā yukto vākyaṃ vyākulalocanaḥ||

Bhishma said Hearing these words of morality and reason spoken by his wife, the pigeon was filled with great delight and his eyes were bathed in tears of joy.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.2

तं वै शाकुनिकं दृष्ट्वा विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा। स पक्षी पूजयामास यत्नात् तं पक्षिजीविनम्॥

taṃ vai śākunikaṃ dṛṣṭvā vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā| sa pakṣī pūjayāmāsa yatnāt taṃ pakṣijīvinam||

Seeing that fowler whose profession was to kill birds, the pigeon honoured him scrupulously according to scriptural rites.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.3

उवाच स्वागतं तेऽद्य ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते। संतापश्च न कर्तव्यः स्वगृहे वर्तते भवान्॥

uvāca svāgataṃ te'dya brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te| saṃtāpaśca na kartavyaḥ svagṛhe vartate bhavān||

Addressing him, he said,-You are welcome to-day. Tell me what I shall do for you. You should not repent. This is your home.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.4

तद् ब्रवीतु भवान् क्षिप्रं किं करोमि किमिच्छसि। प्रणयेन ब्रवीमि त्वां त्वं हि नः शरणागतः॥

tad bravītu bhavān kṣipraṃ kiṃ karomi kimicchasi| praṇayena bravīmi tvāṃ tvaṃ hi naḥ śaraṇāgataḥ||

Tell me quickly what I am to do and what is your pleasure. I ask you this in good spirit, for you have sought protection of us.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.5

अरावप्युचितं कार्यमातिथ्यं गृहमागते। छेत्तुमप्यागते छायां नोपसंहरते दुमः॥

arāvapyucitaṃ kāryamātithyaṃ gṛhamāgate| chettumapyāgate chāyāṃ nopasaṃharate dumaḥ||

Hospitality should be shown to even one's enemy when the latter comes to his house. The tree does not withdraw its shade from even the person who comes for cutting it down.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.6

शरणागतस्य कर्तव्यमातिथ्यं हि प्रयत्नतः। पञ्चयज्ञप्रवृत्तेन गृहस्थेन विशेषतः॥

śaraṇāgatasya kartavyamātithyaṃ hi prayatnataḥ| pañcayajñapravṛttena gṛhasthena viśeṣataḥ||

One should, with diligence do the duties of hospitality towards a person who seeks shelter. Indeed, one is particularly bound to do so if he leads the life of a house-holder that consists of the five sacrifices.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.7

पञ्चयज्ञांस्तु यो मोहान्न करोति गृहाश्रमे। तस्य नायं न च परो लोको भवति धर्मतः॥

pañcayajñāṃstu yo mohānna karoti gṛhāśrame| tasya nāyaṃ na ca paro loko bhavati dharmataḥ||

If one, while living like a house-holder, does, not from want of judgement, celebrate the five sacrifices, one loses, as laid down in the scriptures, both this and the next world.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.8

तद् ब्रूहि मां सुविश्रब्धो यत् त्वं वाचा वदिष्यसि! तत् करिष्याम्यहं सर्वं मा त्वं शोके मनः कृथाः॥

tad brūhi māṃ suviśrabdho yat tvaṃ vācā vadiṣyasi! tat kariṣyāmyahaṃ sarvaṃ mā tvaṃ śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ||

Tell me then clearly and confidently what your wishes are. I will accomplish them all. Do not think of grieving.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.9

तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा शकुनेर्लुब्धकोऽब्रवीत्। वाधते खलु मे शीतं संत्राणं हि विधीयताम्॥

tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā śakunerlubdhako'bravīt| vādhate khalu me śītaṃ saṃtrāṇaṃ hi vidhīyatām||

Hearing these words of the bird, the fowler replied to him, saying,-I am benumbed with cold. Just make arrangements for warming me.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.10

एवमुक्तस्तत: पक्षी पर्णान्यास्तीर्य भूतले। यथाशक्त्या हि पर्णेन ज्वलनार्थं दुतं ययौ॥

evamuktastata: pakṣī parṇānyāstīrya bhūtale| yathāśaktyā hi parṇena jvalanārthaṃ dutaṃ yayau||

Thus addressed, the bird collected a number of dry leaves on the ground, and taking a leaf in his beaks quickly went away for fetching fire.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.11

स गत्वाङ्गारकर्मान्तं गृहीत्वाग्निमथागतम्। स संदीप्तं महत् कृत्वा तमाह शरणागतम्। प्रतापय सुविश्रब्धः स्वगात्राण्यकुतोभयः॥ ततः शुष्केषु पर्णेषु पावकं सोऽप्यदीपयत्॥

sa gatvāṅgārakarmāntaṃ gṛhītvāgnimathāgatam| sa saṃdīptaṃ mahat kṛtvā tamāha śaraṇāgatam| pratāpaya suviśrabdhaḥ svagātrāṇyakutobhayaḥ|| tataḥ śuṣkeṣu parṇeṣu pāvakaṃ so'pyadīpayat||

Going where fire is kept, he got a little fire and returned. He then set fire to those dry leaves, and when they blazed up into a powerful fire, he said to his guest, Do you with confidence and fearlessness warm your limbs.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.12

स तथोक्त स्तथेत्युक्त्वा लुब्धो गात्राण्यतापयत्। अग्निं प्रत्यागतप्राणस्ततः प्राह विहङ्गमम्॥ हर्षेण महताऽऽविष्टो वाक्यं व्याकुललोचनः। तथेमं शकुनिं दृष्ट्वा विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा॥ दत्तमाहारमिच्छामि त्वया क्षुद् बाधते हि माम्। स तद्वचः प्रतिश्रुत्य वाक्यमाह विहङ्गमः॥ न मेऽस्ति विभवो येन नाशयेयं क्षुधां तव। उत्पन्नेन हि जीवामो वयं नित्यं वनौकसः॥

sa tathokta stathetyuktvā lubdho gātrāṇyatāpayat| agniṃ pratyāgataprāṇastataḥ prāha vihaṅgamam|| harṣeṇa mahatā''viṣṭo vākyaṃ vyākulalocanaḥ| tathemaṃ śakuniṃ dṛṣṭvā vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā|| dattamāhāramicchāmi tvayā kṣud bādhate hi mām| sa tadvacaḥ pratiśrutya vākyamāha vihaṅgamaḥ|| na me'sti vibhavo yena nāśayeyaṃ kṣudhāṃ tava| utpannena hi jīvāmo vayaṃ nityaṃ vanaukasaḥ||

Thus addressed, the fowler said-So be it:-and began to warm his stiffened limbs. Regaining as if his life, the fowler said to his host,-Hunger is distressing me. I wish you to give me some food! — Hearing his words the bird said,-I have nothing in store by which you may satisfy your hunger. We, dwellers of the forest, always live upon what we get every day.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.13

संचयो नास्ति चास्माकं मुनीनामिव भोजने। इत्युक्त्वा तं तदा तत्र विवर्णवदनोऽभवत्॥

saṃcayo nāsti cāsmākaṃ munīnāmiva bhojane| ityuktvā taṃ tadā tatra vivarṇavadano'bhavat||

Like the ascetics of the forest we never amass for the morrow!-Having said so, the bird's face grew pale.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.14

कथं न खलु कर्तव्यमिति चिन्तापरस्तदा। बभूव भरतश्रेष्ठ गर्हयन् वृत्तिमात्मनः॥

kathaṃ na khalu kartavyamiti cintāparastadā| babhūva bharataśreṣṭha garhayan vṛttimātmanaḥ||

He began to think aside as to what he should do and mentally blamed his own mode of living.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.15

मुहूर्ताल्लब्धसंज्ञस्तु स पक्षी पक्षिघातिनम्। उवाच तर्पयिष्ये त्वां मुहूर्त प्रतिपालय॥

muhūrtāllabdhasaṃjñastu sa pakṣī pakṣighātinam| uvāca tarpayiṣye tvāṃ muhūrta pratipālaya||

Soon, however, his mind became clear. Addressing the destroyer of birds, he said,-I shall please you!-Wait for a moment!

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.16

इत्युक्त्वा शुष्कपर्णस्तु समुज्ज्वाल्य हुताशनम्। हर्षेण महताऽऽविष्टः स पक्षी वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ ऋषीणां देवतानां च पितृणां च महात्मनाम्। श्रुतः पूर्वं मया धर्मो महानतिथिपूजने॥

ityuktvā śuṣkaparṇastu samujjvālya hutāśanam| harṣeṇa mahatā''viṣṭaḥ sa pakṣī vākyamabravīt|| ṛṣīṇāṃ devatānāṃ ca pitṛṇāṃ ca mahātmanām| śrutaḥ pūrvaṃ mayā dharmo mahānatithipūjane||

Saying these words he lighted up a fire with the help of some dry leaves, and filled with joy, said,-I heard formerly from great Rishis, gods and Pitris that there is great merit in honouring a guest.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.17

कुरुष्वानुग्रहं सौम्य सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते। निश्चिता खलु मे बुद्धिरतिथिप्रतिपूजने॥

kuruṣvānugrahaṃ saumya satyametad bravīmi te| niścitā khalu me buddhiratithipratipūjane||

O amiable one, be kind to me. To tell you the truth my heart is bent upon honouring you my guest.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.18

ततः कृतप्रतिज्ञो वै स पक्षी प्रहसनिव) तमग्निं त्रि:परिक्रम्य प्रविवेश महामतिः॥

tataḥ kṛtapratijño vai sa pakṣī prahasaniva) tamagniṃ tri:parikramya praviveśa mahāmatiḥ||

Having thus made up his mind, the great bird, with a smiling face, thrice went round that fire and then entered its flames.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.19

अग्निमध्ये प्रविष्टं तु लुब्धो दृष्ट्वा तु पक्षिणम्। चिन्तयामास मनसा किमिदं वे मया कृतम्॥

agnimadhye praviṣṭaṃ tu lubdho dṛṣṭvā tu pakṣiṇam| cintayāmāsa manasā kimidaṃ ve mayā kṛtam||

Seeing the bird enter that fire, the fowler began to think! and asked himself,-What have I done.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.20

अहो मम नृशंसस्य गर्हितस्य स्वकर्मणा। अधर्मः सुमहान् घोरो भविष्यति न संशयः॥

aho mama nṛśaṃsasya garhitasya svakarmaṇā| adharmaḥ sumahān ghoro bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ||

Alas, dreadful will be the sin, the outcome of my own acts. I am highly ruthless and blameable.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.21

एवं बहुविधं भूरि विललाप स लुब्धकः। गार्हयन् स्वानि कर्माणि द्विजं दृष्ट्वा तथागतम्॥

evaṃ bahuvidhaṃ bhūri vilalāpa sa lubdhakaḥ| gārhayan svāni karmāṇi dvijaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatam||

Indeed, seeing the bird lay down his life, the fowler, considering his own acts, began to bewail thus piteously.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 146.22

एवं बहुविधं भूरि विललाप स लुब्धकः। गार्हयन् स्वानि कर्माणि द्विजं दृष्ट्वा तथागतम्॥

evaṃ bahuvidhaṃ bhūri vilalāpa sa lubdhakaḥ| gārhayan svāni karmāṇi dvijaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatam||

Indeed, seeing the bird lay down his life, the fowler, considering his own acts, began to bewail thus piteously.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)