03.131
śyena uvāca॥
The hawk said.
dharmātmānaṁ tv āhur ekaṁ sarve rājan mahīkṣitaḥ। sa vai dharma-viruddhaṁ tvaṁ kasmāt karma cikīrṣasi॥03-131-1॥
O king, all the rulers of the earth say that you alone are of righteous soul. Why then do you intend to perform an action that is contrary to dharma? (03-131-1)
vihitaṃ bhakṣaṇaṃ rājan pīḍyamānasya me kṣudhā। mā bhāṅkṣīr dharmalobhena dharmam utsṛṣṭavān asi॥03-131-2॥
O king, food is prescribed for one tormented by my hunger; do not eat out of greed for righteousness, for you have abandoned righteousness.
rājovāca॥
The king said.
santrastarūpastrāṇārthī tvatto bhīto mahādvija। matsakāśamanuprāptaḥ prāṇagṛdhnurayaṃ dvijaḥ ॥03-131-3॥
O great Brāhmaṇa, this twice-born, appearing terrified, seeking protection and afraid of you, has come to my presence, craving for his life. (03-131-3)
evam abhyāgatasya iha kapotasya abhayārthinaḥ। apradāne paraḥ adharmaḥ kiṁ tvaṁ śyena prapaśyasi॥03-131-4॥
Thus, for the pigeon who has come here seeking protection, withholding it is the greatest unrighteousness; why do you see it otherwise, O hawk? (03-131-4)
praspendamānaḥ sambhrāntaḥ kapotaḥ śyena lakṣyate। matsakāśaṃ jīvitārthī tasya tyāgo vigarhitaḥ ॥03-131-5॥
When the quivering and agitated pigeon is seen by the hawk, he comes to me seeking to preserve his life; to abandon him now would be blameworthy. (03-131-5)
śyena uvāca॥
The hawk said.
āhārātsarvabhūtāni sambhavanti mahīpate। āhāreṇa vivardhante tena jīvanti jantavaḥ॥03-131-6॥
O king, all beings originate from food. Through food, they grow, and by that, living creatures exist. (03-131-6)
śakyate dustyaje'pyarthe cirarātrāya jīvitum। na tu bhojanam utsṛjya śakyaṃ vartayituṃ ciram॥03-131-7॥
One may live for a long time even for the sake of something difficult to abandon; but, having abandoned food, it is not possible to survive for long. (03-131-7)
bhakṣyād-vilopitasya-adya mama prāṇā viśāṃ pate। visṛjya kāyam eṣyanti panthānam apunarbhavam ॥03-131-8॥
O lord of people, today my life-forces, deprived of food, will leave my body and take the path of no return. (03-131-8)
pramṛte mayi dharmātman putradāraṃ naśiṣyati। rakṣamāṇaḥ kapotaṃ tvaṃ bahūn prāṇān naśiṣyasi॥03-131-9॥
If I am killed, O righteous one, my son and wife will perish. By protecting the dove, you will cause many lives to perish. (03-131-9)
dharmaṃ yo bādhate dharmo na sa dharmaḥ kudharma tat. avirodhī tu yo dharmaḥ sa dharmaḥ satyavikrama ॥03-131-10॥
That which harms righteousness is not true dharma; it is false dharma. Only that which does not conflict with righteousness is actually dharma, O truthful hero. (03-131-10)
virodhiṣu mahīpāla niścitya gurulāghavam। na bādhā vidyate yatra taṃ dharmaṃ samudācaret ॥03-131-11॥
O king, among adversaries, having considered the relative gravity and lightness (of actions), he should perform that duty where no obstacle exists. (03-131-11)
gurulāghavamājñāya dharmādharmaviniścaye। yato bhūyāṃstato rājan kuru dharmaviniścayam॥03-131-12॥
O king, having perceived the respective importance in discerning dharma and adharma, base your decision of dharma upon that which has the greater merit. (03-131-12)
rājo'vāc ॥
The king said.
bahukalyāṇasaṁyuktaṁ bhāṣase vihagottama. suparṇaḥ pakṣirāṭ kiṁ tvaṁ dharmajñaś cāsya saṁśayam ॥ tathā hi dharmasaṁyuktaṁ bahu citraṁ prabhāṣase ॥03-131-13॥
You speak with much auspiciousness, O best of birds. Suparṇa, king of birds, are you a knower of dharma and of this doubt? For thus, indeed, you utter many wonderful words imbued with dharma. (03-131-13)
na te’sty aviditaṁ kiñcid iti tvā lakṣayāmy aham। śaraṇa-iṣiṇaḥ parityāgaṁ kathaṁ sādhv iti manyase ॥03-131-14॥
I perceive that nothing is unknown to you. How do you consider the abandonment of one seeking refuge to be right? (03-131-14)
āhārārthaṃ samārambhas tava ca ayaṃ vihaṅgama। śakyaś ca api anyathā kartum āhāraḥ api adhikaḥ tvayā ॥03-131-15॥
Your effort for the sake of food and this bird—another way is also possible to gain food, even more, by you. (03-131-15)
govṛṣo vā varāho vā mṛgo vā mahiṣo'pi vā। tvadarthamadya kriyatāṃ yad vā anyad abhikāṅkṣase ॥03-131-16॥
Whether it is a bull, a boar, a deer, or even a buffalo, let that be done today for your sake, or anything else you desire. (03-131-16)
śyena uvāca॥
The falcon said;
na varāhaṁ na c okṣāṇaṁ na mṛgān vividhāṁs tathā। bhakṣayāmi mahārāja kim annādhyena tena me॥03-131-17॥
O great king, I do not eat boar, nor oxen, nor various kinds of deer; what will food or eating such things do for me? (03-131-17)
yastu me daivavihito bhakṣaḥ kṣatriyapuṅgava। tamutsṛja mahīpāla kapotamimameva me ॥03-131-18॥
O best of Kṣatriyas, that which is ordained by fate as food for me—release that, O king, and give me only this pigeon. (03-131-18)
śyenāḥ kapotān khādanti sthitir eṣā sanātanī। mā rājan mārgam ājñāya kadalī-skandham āruha ॥03-131-19॥
Hawks eat pigeons—this is the eternal order. O king, do not, having known the path, ascend the (frail) banana trunk. (03-131-19)
rājovāca॥
The king said.
rājyaṃ śibīnām ṛddhaṃ vai śādhi pakṣigaṇārcita। yadvā kāmayase kiñcit śyena sarvaṃ dadāni te॥ vinemaṃ pakṣiṇaṃ śyena śaraṇārthinam āgatam॥03-131-20॥
Rule the prosperous kingdom of the Śibis, honored by flocks of birds. Or, O hawk, I will give you whatever you desire; anything at all. Except for this bird, O hawk, who has come seeking refuge. (03-131-20)
yenemaṃ varjayethāstvaṃ karmaṇā pakṣisattama। tadācakṣva kariṣyāmi na hi dāsye kapotakam ॥03-131-21॥
O best among birds, by what act you would release this (pigeon), tell (me) that; I will do it, but indeed I will not give up the pigeon. (03-131-21)
śyena uvāca॥
The hawk said.
uśīnara kapote te yadi snehaḥ narādhipa। ātmano māṃsam utkṛtya kapota-tulayā dhṛtam ॥03-131-22॥
O King Uśīnara, if you truly have affection for the pigeon, then cut flesh from your own body and place it with the same weight as the pigeon. (03-131-22)
yadā samaṃ kapotena tava māṃsaṃ bhaven nṛpa। tadā pradeyaṃ tan mahyaṃ sā me tuṣṭir bhaviṣyati॥03-131-23॥
O king, when your flesh becomes equal to that of the pigeon, then that should be given to me; that will be my satisfaction. (03-131-23)
rājovāca॥
The king said.
anugraham imaṃ manye śyena yan mābhiyācase। tasmāt te 'dya pradāsyāmi sva-māṃsaṃ tulayā dhṛtam॥03-131-24॥
O hawk, I regard this as a favor that you request from me; therefore, today I will give you my own flesh, weighed on a scale. (03-131-24)
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
athotkṛtya svamāṃsaṃ tu rājā paramadharmavit। tulayāmāsa kaunteya kapotena sahābhibho ॥03-131-25॥
Then, the king, who knew the highest dharma, cut off his own flesh and weighed it together with the pigeon, O son of Kunti, O mighty one. (03-131-25)
dhriyamāṇas tu tulayā kapoto vyatiricyate. punaś cotkṛtya māṃsāni rājā prādād uśīnaraḥ ॥03-131-26॥
When weighed in the balance, the pigeon was found to be heavier. Then, having cut off pieces of flesh, King Uśīnara gave them. (03-131-26)
na vidyate yadā māṁsaṁ kapotena samaṁ dhṛtam। tata utkṛttamāṁso'sāv āruroha svayaṁ tulām ॥03-131-27॥
When there was no meat placed by the pigeon equal to (his own weight), then he, having cut off his own flesh, himself ascended the scale. (03-131-27)
śyena uvāca॥
The hawk said.
indro'hamasmi dharmajña kapoto havyavāḍayam। jijñāsamānau dharme tvāṃ yajñavāṭamupāgatau ॥03-131-28॥
I am Indra, O knower of dharma; this pigeon is the receiver of oblations. We both have come to you at the sacrificial altar, wishing to inquire about dharma. (03-131-28)
yat te māṁsāni gātrebhya utkṛttāni viśāṁ pate. eṣā te bhāsvarī kīrtir lokān abhibhaviṣyati ॥03-131-29॥
O Lord of men, the fact that your flesh was cut off from your limbs—this shining fame of yours will surpass the worlds. (03-131-29)
yāvalloke manuṣyāstvāṃ kathayiṣyanti pārthiva। tāvatkīrtiśca lokāśca sthāsyanti tava śāśvatāḥ॥03-131-30॥
O king, as long as people speak of you in the world, your eternal fame and worlds will endure. (03-131-30)
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
tat-pāṇḍaveya sadanaṃ rājñas tasya mahātmanaḥ। paśyasvaitan-mayā sārdhaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpapramocanam ॥03-131-31॥
That is the house of the Pāṇḍava king, the great-souled one. See this together with me — it is holy and frees from sin. (03-131-31)
atra vai satataṃ devā munayaś ca sanātanāḥ। dṛśyante brāhmaṇai rājan puṇyavadbhir mahātmabhiḥ॥03-131-32॥
O king, here the gods, sages, and eternal ones are always seen by Brāhmaṇas who are virtuous and great souls. (03-131-32)
