12.117
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। nidarśanakaraṃ loke sajjanācaritaṃ sadā ॥12-117-1॥
Here too, they narrate this ancient story, which is always cited in the world as an example of the conduct of good people.
asyaivārthasya sadṛśaṃ yacchrutaṃ me tapovane। jāmadagnyasya rāmasya yaduktamṛṣisattamaiḥ ॥12-117-2॥
What I heard in the forest of austerities, similar to this very meaning, was what the best of sages spoke to Rāma, the son of Jamadagni.
vane mahati kasmiṃścid amanuṣya-niṣevite। ṛṣir mūla-phala-āhāraḥ niyataḥ niyatendriyaḥ ॥12-117-3॥
In a vast forest, in a certain place uninhabited by humans, there lived a sage who sustained himself on roots and fruits, disciplined and with his senses under control.
dīkṣā-dama-paraḥ śāntaḥ svādhyāya-paramaḥ śuciḥ। upavāsa-viśuddhātmā satataṃ satpathe sthitaḥ ॥12-117-4॥
He who holds initiation and self-restraint as supreme, is peaceful, values self-study above all, is pure, whose self is purified by fasting, and who is always steadfast on the path of righteousness.
tasya sandṛśya sadbhāvam upaviṣṭasya dhīmataḥ। sarvasattvāḥ samīpasthā bhavanti vanacāriṇaḥ ॥12-117-5॥
When they see the good nature of the wise man sitting there, all the nearby creatures of the forest gather around him.
siṃhavyāghrāḥ saśarabhā mattāścaiva mahāgajāḥ। dvīpinaḥ khaḍgabhallūkā ye cānye bhīmadarśanāḥ ॥12-117-6॥
Lions, tigers, sharabhas, intoxicated great elephants, panthers, rhinoceroses, bears, and other fearsome-looking creatures.
te sukha-praśna-dāḥ sarve bhavanti kṣataja-aśanāḥ। tasya ṛṣeḥ śiṣya-vat ca eva nyagbhūtāḥ priyakāriṇaḥ ॥12-117-7॥
They all, who give pleasing answers, become eaters of blood. They are like disciples of that sage, submissive and doers of what is dear to him.
dattvā ca te sukhapraśnaṃ sarve yānti yathāgatam। grāmyastvekaḥ paśustatra nājahācchvā mahāmunim ॥12-117-8॥
After greeting you pleasantly, all departed as they had come. However, one domestic animal—the dog—did not leave the great sage.
bhakto'nuraktaḥ satatam-upavāsa-kṛśo' balaḥ। phala-mūlotkarāhāraḥ śāntaḥ śiṣṭākṛtir yathā ॥12-117-9॥
He is devoted, attached, always emaciated by fasting, weak, living on heaps of fruits and roots, peaceful, and of noble conduct, as described.
tasya ṛṣer upaviṣṭasya pādamūle mahāmuneḥ। manuṣyavad gato bhāvaḥ snehabaddho 'bhavad bhṛśam॥12-117-10॥
As he sat at the feet of the great sage, his feelings became intensely bound by affection, like those of a human.
tato'bhyayān mahāvīryo dvīpī kṣataja-bhojanaḥ। śvārtham atyanta-saṃduṣṭaḥ krūraḥ kāla iva antakaḥ॥12-117-11॥
Then, the mighty tiger, blood-eating and utterly corrupted by selfishness, cruel like Death the destroyer, approached.
lelihyamānas tṛṣitaḥ pucchāsphoṭanatattparaḥ। vyāditāsyaḥ kṣudhābhagnaḥ prārthayānas tadāmiṣam ॥12-117-12॥
Being licked and thirsty, intent on shaking its tail, with its mouth wide open, weakened by hunger, it was begging for that meat.
taṃ dṛṣṭvā krūram āyāntaṃ jīvitārthī narādhipa। provāca śvā muniṃ tatra yat tac chṛṇu mahāmate ॥12-117-13॥
O great-minded one, hear what the dog said there to the sage, when the king, seeking his life, saw the cruel one approaching.
śvaśatrur bhagavan atra dvīpī māṃ hantum icchati। tvatprasādād bhayaṃ na syāt tasmān mama mahāmune ॥12-117-14॥
O revered one, here the tiger wants to kill me. If you show your grace, I will have no fear, O great sage.
muniruvāca॥
The sage said.
na bhayaṃ dvīpinaḥ kāryaṃ mṛtyutas te kathaṃcana। eṣa śvarūparahito dvīpī bhavasi putraka ॥12-117-15॥
You need not fear death from the tiger in any way. This tiger, lacking its own form, is what you become, O son.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
tataḥ śvā dvīpitāṃ nīto jāmbūnadanibhākṛtiḥ। citrāṅgo visphuran hṛṣṭo vane vasati nirbhayaḥ ॥12-117-16॥
Then Citrāṅga, the dog with the appearance of Jāmbūnada gold, having been led to the island, lives joyfully and fearlessly in the forest, quivering with delight.
tato'bhyayān-mahāraudro vyāditāsyaḥ kṣudhānvitaḥ। dvīpinaṃ lelihadvaktro vyāghro rudhiralālasaḥ ॥12-117-17॥
Then the very fierce, hungry tiger with its mouth wide open and licking its lips, longing for blood, approached the leopard.
vyāghraṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhābhagnaṃ daṃṣṭriṇaṃ vanagocarām। dvīpī jīvitarakṣārtham ṛṣiṃ śaraṇam eyivān ॥12-117-18॥
Seeing the tiger, fierce with hunger and fangs, roaming the forest, the leopard sought refuge with the sage to save his life.
tataḥ saṃvāsajaṃ sneham ṛṣiṇā kurvatā sadā। sa dvīpī vyāghratāṃ nīto ripubhir balavattaraḥ॥ tato dṛṣṭvā sa śārdūlo nābhyahaṃstaṃ viśāṃ pate॥12-117-19॥
Then, as the sage always showed affection arising from their association, that tiger, made stronger, was led to the state of a tiger by his enemies. Then, seeing him, the tiger did not attack him, O lord of men.
sa tu śvā vyāghratāṃ prāpya balavān piśitāśanaḥ। na mūlaphalabhogeṣu spṛhām apy akarot tadā ॥12-117-20॥
But he, the dog, having become a strong, flesh-eating tiger, then did not even have any desire for the enjoyment of roots and fruits.
yathā mṛgapatir nityaṃ prakāṅkṣati vanaukasaḥ। tathaiva sa mahārāja vyāghraḥ samabhavat tadā ॥12-117-21॥
Just as the king of beasts always longs for the forest-dwellers, so at that time, O great king, he became a tiger.
vyāghras tūṭajamūlasthas tṛptaḥ supto hatair mṛgaiḥ। nāgaś cāgāt tamuddeśaṃ matto megha ivotthitaḥ॥12-117-22॥
The tiger, having eaten its fill, lay asleep at the base of the Tūṭaja tree among the slain deer; then an intoxicated elephant, like a rising cloud, came to that spot.
prabhinnakaraṭaḥ prāṃśuḥ padmī vitatamastakaḥ। suviṣāṇo mahākāyo meghagambhīranisvanaḥ ॥12-117-23॥
He was broken-tusked, tall, lotus-bearing, broad-headed, with fine tusks, a massive body, and a voice deep as thunder.
taṃ dṛṣṭvā kuñjaraṃ mattam āyāntaṃ madagarvitam। vyāghraḥ hastibhayāt trastas tam ṛṣiṃ śaraṇaṃ yayau॥12-117-24॥
When the tiger saw the intoxicated, proud elephant approaching, frightened by the elephant, he went to the sage for refuge.
tato' nayat kuñjaratāṃ taṃ vyāghram ṛṣisattamaḥ। mahāmeghopamaṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ sa bhīto 'bhavad gajaḥ॥12-117-25॥
Then the best of sages led the tiger to become an elephant; seeing him like a great cloud, the elephant became afraid.
tataḥ kamalaṣaṇḍāni śallakīgahanāni ca। vyacaratsa mudā yuktaḥ padmareṇuvibhūṣitaḥ ॥12-117-26॥
Then he, adorned with lotus-dust and filled with joy, wandered through the lotus thickets and the dense śallakī groves.
kadācidramamāṇasya hastinaḥ sumukhaṃ tadā। ṛṣestasyoṭajasthasya kālo'gacchanniśāniśam ॥12-117-27॥
Once, as the elephant Sumukha was enjoying himself, time passed night after night for the sage who was living in his hut.
athājagāma taṃ deśaṃ kesarī kesarāruṇaḥ। girikandarajo bhīmaḥ siṃho nāgakulāntakaḥ ॥12-117-28॥
Then Kesarī, the tawny-maned lion born in a mountain cave, formidable and the destroyer of the serpent race, came to that place.
taṃ dṛṣṭvā siṃham āyāntaṃ nāgaḥ siṃha-bhayākulaḥ। ṛṣiṃ śaraṇam āpede vepamāno bhayāturaḥ॥12-117-29॥
Seeing the lion coming near, the serpent, terrified and trembling with fear, sought refuge with the sage.
tataḥ sa siṃhatāṃ nīto nāgendro muninā tadā। vanyaṃ nāgaṇayat siṃhaṃ tulyajātisamanvayāt ॥12-117-30॥
Then, at that time, the sage transformed the king of serpents into a lion. The wild lion was not distinguished because of the similarity in species and association.
dṛṣṭvā ca so'naśatsiṃho vanyo bhīsannavāgbalaḥ। sa cāśrame'vasatsiṃhastasminneva vane sukhī ॥12-117-31॥
Having seen this, the wild lion, frightened and speechless, did not eat. That lion also dwelt happily in that very forest hermitage.
na tv anye kṣudrapaśavas tapovana-nivāsinaḥ। vyadṛśyanta bhayatrastā jīvitākāṅkṣiṇaḥ sadā ॥12-117-32॥
But the other small animals living in the forest of austerities were always seen, stricken by fear and longing for life.
kadācit kālayogena sarvaprāṇivihiṃsakaḥ। balavān kṣatajāhāro nānāsattvabhayaṅkaraḥ ॥12-117-33॥
At a certain time, due to the influence of time, he became a powerful destroyer of all living beings, a blood-eater, and a terror to many creatures.
aṣṭapādūrdhvacaraṇaḥ śarabho vanagocaraḥ। taṃ siṃhaṃ hantumāgacchanmunestasya niveśanam ॥12-117-34॥
The eight-footed, upward-footed śarabha, a forest-dwelling beast, came to the sage's dwelling to kill the lion.
taṃ muniḥ śarabhaṃ cakre balotkaṭamariṃdama। tataḥ sa śarabho vanyo muneḥ śarabhamagrataḥ ॥ dṛṣṭvā balinamatyugraṃ drutaṃ samprādravadbhayāt ॥12-117-35॥
The sage transformed him into a Śarabha, a mighty destroyer of enemies. Then that wild Śarabha stood before the sage's Śarabha. Seeing the extremely powerful and fierce being, he quickly fled in fear.
sa evaṃ śarabhasthāne nyasto vai muninā tadā। muneḥ pārśvagato nityaṃ śārabhyaṃ sukhamāptavān ॥12-117-36॥
Thus, he was placed by the sage in the position of Śarabha; always remaining at the sage's side, he attained the happiness belonging to Śarabha.
tataḥ śarabha-santrastāḥ sarve mṛga-gaṇā vanāt। diśaḥ samprādravan rājan bhayāt jīvitakāṅkṣiṇaḥ॥12-117-37॥
Then, O king, all the groups of deer, terrified by the śarabha, fled from the forest in all directions, seeking to save their lives out of fear.
śarabho'pyatisanduṣṭo nityaṃ prāṇivadhe rataḥ। phalamūlāśanaṃ śāntaṃ naicchatsa piśitāśanaḥ ॥12-117-38॥
The deer, too, being extremely enraged, was always intent on killing living beings; he, as a flesh-eater, did not wish for calmness or to eat fruits and roots.
tato rudhiratarṣeṇa balinā śarabho'nvitaḥ। iyeṣa taṃ muniṃ hantum akṛtajñaḥ śvayonijaḥ॥12-117-39॥
Then, driven by blood-thirst and accompanied by the powerful Śarabha, the ungrateful one born of a canine womb sought to kill the sage.
tatastena tapaḥśaktyā vidito jñānacakṣuṣā। vijñāya ca mahāprājño muniḥ śvānaṃ tamuktavān ॥12-117-40॥
Then, by the power of his austerity and with the eye of knowledge, the great wise sage understood and spoke to the dog.
śvā tvaṃ dvīpitvam-āpanno dvīpī vyāghratvam-āgataḥ। vyāghro nāgo mada-paṭur-nāgaḥ siṃhatvam-āptavān ॥12-117-41॥
You, the dog, attained the nature of a leopard; the leopard attained the nature of a tiger. The tiger became an intoxicated and strong elephant; the elephant attained the nature of a lion.
siṃho'tibalasamyukto bhūyaḥ śarabhatāṃ gataḥ। mayā snehaparītena na vimṛṣṭaḥ kulānvayaḥ ॥12-117-42॥
The lion, though greatly powerful, again turned into a śarabha. Because I was overwhelmed by affection, I did not examine the family lineage.
yasmādevaṁ apāpaṁ māṁ pāpa hiṁsitum icchasi। tasmāt svayonim āpannaḥ śvaiva tvaṁ hi bhaviṣyasi ॥12-117-43॥
Because you wish to harm me, who am sinless, therefore, having attained your own species, you will indeed become a dog.
tato munijanadveṣād duṣṭātmā śvākṛto'budhaḥ। ṛṣiṇā śarabhaḥ śaptaḥ svaṃ rūpaṃ punar āptavān॥ 12-117-44॥
Then, due to his hatred of the sages, the wicked and ignorant Śarabha, who had been turned into a dog and cursed by the sage, regained his original form.
