12.145
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
vimānasthau tu tau rājanlubdhako vai dadarśa ha। dṛṣṭvā tau dampatī duḥkhādacintayata sadgatim ॥12-145-1॥
O king, the hunter saw those two in the aerial car. Seeing them, the couple, out of sorrow, thought about their good state (liberation).
kīdṛśeneha tapasā gaccheyaṃ paramāṃ gatim। iti buddhyā viniścitya gamanāyopacakrame ॥12-145-2॥
Having determined with my intellect, "By what kind of austerity here might I attain the supreme goal?", I began my journey.
mahāprasthānam āśritya lubdhakaḥ pakṣijīvanaḥ। niśceṣṭo mārutāhāro nirmamaḥ svargakāṅkṣayā ॥12-145-3॥
Having undertaken the great departure, the hunter who lived on birds remained motionless, subsisting only on air, free from all possessiveness, desiring heaven.
tato'paśyat suvistīrṇaṃ hṛdyaṃ padmavibhūṣitam। nānā-dvija-gaṇa-ākīrṇaṃ saraḥ śītajalaṃ śubham॥ pipāsārto'pi tad dṛṣṭvā tṛptaḥ syān nātra saṃśayaḥ॥12-145-4॥
Then he saw a vast and delightful lake adorned with lotuses, teeming with many kinds of birds, its water cool and auspicious. Even someone tormented by thirst would be satisfied just by seeing it; there is no doubt about this.
upavāsakṛśo'tyarthaṃ sa tu pārthiva lubdhakaḥ। upasarpata saṃhṛṣṭaḥ śvāpadādhyuṣitaṃ vanam ॥12-145-5॥
But the hunter, emaciated from excessive fasting, gladdened, approached the forest inhabited by wild animals, O king.
mahāntaṃ niścayaṃ kṛtvā lubdhakaḥ praviveśa ha। praviśanneva ca vanaṃ nigṛhītaḥ sa kaṇṭakaiḥ ॥12-145-6॥
The hunter, having firmly resolved, entered; and as he was entering the forest, he was caught by thorns.
sa kaṇṭaka-vibhugna-aṅgaḥ lohita-ārdra-īkṛta-cchaviḥ। babhrāma tasmin vijane nānā-mṛga-samākule ॥12-145-7॥
He, his body bent and wounded by thorns, his appearance reddened and wet, wandered in that lonely wilderness teeming with many kinds of animals.
tato drumāṇāṃ mahatāṃ pavanena vane tadā। udatiṣṭhata saṅgharṣātsumahānhavyavāhanaḥ ॥12-145-8॥
Then, at that time in the forest, a very great fire (Agni) arose from the friction of the great trees due to the wind.
tad vanaṃ vṛkṣasaṅkīrṇaṃ latāviṭapasaṅkulam। dadāha pāvakaḥ kruddho yugāntāgnisamaprabhaḥ ॥12-145-9॥
The angry fire, blazing like the fire at the end of an age, burned that forest, which was filled with trees and thick with creepers and branches.
sajvālaiḥ pavanoddhūtairvisphuliṅgaiḥ samanvitaḥ। dadāha tadvanaṃ ghoraṃ mṛgapakṣisamākulam ॥12-145-10॥
The fire, blazing and wind-driven, with sparks, consumed that dreadful forest teeming with animals and birds.
tataḥ sa dehamokṣārthaṃ samprahṛṣṭena cetasā। abhyadhāvata saṃvṛddhaṃ pāvakaṃ lubdhakastadā ॥12-145-11॥
Then, the hunter, seeking liberation from his body, joyfully ran towards the blazing fire.
tatastenāgninā dagdho lubdhako naṣṭakilbiṣaḥ। jagāma paramāṃ siddhiṃ tadā bharatasattama ॥12-145-12॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, by that fire, the hunter, with his sins destroyed, attained the highest perfection.
tataḥ svargastham ātmānaṃ saḥ apaśyat vigata-jvaraḥ। yakṣa-gandharva-siddhānām madhye bhrājantam indra-vat ॥12-145-13॥
Then, freed from his fever, he saw himself in heaven, shining among the Yakṣas, Gandharvas, and Siddhas, like Indra.
evaṃ khalu kapotaś ca kapotī ca pativratā। lubdhakena saha svargaṃ gatāḥ puṇyena karmaṇā ॥12-145-14॥
Thus, the male dove and the devoted female dove, along with the hunter, attained heaven through virtuous deeds.
yāpi caivaṃvidhā nārī bhartāramanuvartate। virājate hi sā kṣipraṃ kapotīva divi sthitā ॥12-145-15॥
A woman who is of such a kind and follows her husband, she indeed quickly shines, like a female pigeon situated in the sky.
evam etat purā vṛttaṃ lubdhakasya mahātmanaḥ। kapotasya ca dharmiṣṭhā gatiḥ puṇyena karmaṇā ॥12-145-16॥
Thus, this is what happened in the past: the story of the great-souled hunter and the most righteous pigeon, whose course was determined by virtuous action.
yaś cedaṃ śṛṇuyān nityaṃ yaś cedaṃ parikīrtayet। nāśubhaṃ vidyate tasya manasāpi pramādyataḥ ॥12-145-17॥
Whoever always listens to this and whoever recites this, for him, even if negligent, there is no inauspiciousness, not even in thought.
yudhiṣṭhira mahāneṣa dharmo dharmabhṛtāṃ vara। goghṇeṣvapi bhavedasminniṣkṛtiḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ ॥ niṣkṛtirna bhavettasminyo hanyāccharaṇāgatam ॥12-145-18॥
O Yudhishthira, this is the supreme righteousness, O best among the upholders of dharma. Even for those who kill cows, atonement is possible for their sinful acts. But there is no atonement for one who kills someone who has sought refuge.
