Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.143
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12.143.1
पितामह महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद ।
शरणागतं पालयतो यो धर्मस्तं ब्रवीहि मे ॥ १२.१४३.१ ॥
Grandfather, of great wisdom, expert in all the scriptures! Tell me the dharma of one who protects those who have come for refuge.
12.143.2
महान्धर्मो महाराज शरणागतपालने ।
अर्हः प्रष्टुं भवांश्चैनं प्रश्नं भरतसत्तम ॥ १२.१४३.२ ॥
Great king, great is the dharma in protecting those who seek refuge. Best of the Bharatas, you are worthy to ask this question.
12.143.3
शिबिप्रभृतयो राजन्राजानः शरणं गतान् ।
परिपाल्य महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥ १२.१४३.३ ॥
O king, kings beginning with Śibi, having protected those who came for refuge, became great souls and attained the supreme perfection.
12.143.4
श्रूयते च कपोतेन शत्रुः शरणमागतः ।
पूजितश्च यथान्यायं स्वैश्च मांसैर्निमन्त्रितः ॥ १२.१४३.४ ॥
It is heard that an enemy came for refuge to a pigeon; he was duly honoured and invited to a meal with its own flesh.
12.143.5
कथं कपोतेन पुरा शत्रुः शरणमागतः ।
स्वमांसं भोजितः कां च गतिं लेभे स भारत ॥ १२.१४३.५ ॥
O Bhārata, how formerly did an enemy come for refuge to a pigeon, how was he fed with its own flesh, and what destiny did he obtain?
12.143.6
शृणु राजन्कथां दिव्यां सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् ।
नृपतेर्मुचुकुन्दस्य कथितां भार्गवेण वै ॥ १२.१४३.६ ॥
Listen, O king, to the divine tale that destroys all sins, recounted by the Bhārgava concerning King Mucukunda.
12.143.7
इममर्थं पुरा पार्थ मुचुकुन्दो नराधिपः ।
भार्गवं परिपप्रच्छ प्रणतः पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १२.१४३.७ ॥
Son of Pṛthā, bull among men, long ago King Mucukunda, bowing humbly, asked Bhārgava about this matter.
12.143.8
तस्मै शुश्रूषमाणाय भार्गवोऽकथयत्कथाम् ।
इमां यथा कपोतेन सिद्धिः प्राप्ता नराधिप ॥ १२.१४३.८ ॥
To him, eager to listen, Bhārgava told this story of how success was attained through the pigeon, lord of men.
12.143.9
धर्मिश्चयसंयुक्तां कामार्थसहितां कथाम् ।
शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्गदतो मे महाभुजः ॥ १२.१४३.९ ॥
Listen attentively, O king, to this story joined to dharma and accompanied by desire and wealth, as I speak it, O mighty-armed one.
12.143.10
कश्चित्क्षुद्रसमाचारः पृथिव्यां कालसंमितः ।
चचार पृथिवीपाल घोरः शकुनिलुब्धकः ॥ १२.१४३.१० ॥
On the earth roamed a certain bird-hunter of base conduct, like Death, cruel, O protector of the earth.
12.143.11
काकोल इव कृष्णाङ्गो रूक्षः पापसमाहितः ।
यवमध्यः कृशग्रीवो ह्रस्वपादो महाहनुः ॥ १२.१४३.११ ॥
Black-limbed like a crow, harsh, intent on sin, barley-waisted, thin-necked, short-footed, and large-jawed.
12.143.12
नैव तस्य सुहृत्कश्चिन्न संबन्धी न बान्धवाः ।
बान्धवैः संपरित्यक्तस्तेन रौद्रेण कर्मणा ॥ १२.१४३.१२ ॥
He had no friend, no relative by marriage, and no kinsmen; utterly abandoned by his kin because of that cruel deed.
12.143.13
नरः पापसमाचारस्त्यक्तव्यो दूरतो बुधैः ।
आत्मानं यो न संधत्ते सोन्यस्य स्यात्कथं हितः ॥ १२.१४३.१३ ॥
A man of evil conduct should be shunned from afar by the wise. How can one who does not restrain himself be a benefactor to another?
12.143.14
ये नृशंसा दुरात्मानः प्राणिप्राणहरा नराः ।
उद्वेजनीया भूतानां व्याला इव भवन्ति ते ॥ १२.१४३.१४ ॥
Men who are cruel and evil-minded, who rob creatures of their life, become to beings like venomous snakes, to be dreaded.
12.143.15
स वै क्षारकमादाय वने हत्वा च पक्षिणः ।
चकार विक्रयं तेषां पतङ्गानां जनाधिपः ॥ १२.१४३.१५ ॥
That king, taking caustic alkali in the forest and slaying birds, also carried on a trade in those winged creatures.
12.143.16
एवं तु वर्तमानस्य तस्य वृत्तिं दुरात्मनः ।
अगमत्सुमहान्कालो न चाधर्ममबुध्यत ॥ १२.१४३.१६ ॥
While he continued in this way of life, so evil-minded, a very long time passed, and he did not perceive his unrighteousness.
12.143.17
तस्य भार्यासहायस्य रममाणस्य शाश्वतम् ।
दैवयोगविमूढस्य नान्या वृत्तिररोचत ॥ १२.१४३.१७ ॥
To him, who always delighted with his wife as companion and was deluded by the workings of fate, no other way of life appealed.
12.143.18
ततः कदाचित्तस्याथ वनस्थस्य समन्ततः ।
पातयन्निव वृक्षांस्तान्सुमहान्वातसंभ्रमः ॥ १२.१४३.१८ ॥
Then once, while he dwelt in the forest, a tremendous storm of wind arose all around him, as if uprooting the trees.
12.143.19
मेघसंकुलमाकाशं विद्युन्मण्डलमण्डितम् ।
संछन्नस्तु मुहूर्तेन नौसार्थैरिव सागरः ॥ १२.१४३.१९ ॥
The sky, crowded with clouds and adorned with rings of lightning, was in a moment covered as the ocean is by fleets of ships.
12.143.20
वारिधारासमूहेन संप्रहृष्टः शतक्रतुः ।
क्षणेन पूरयामास सलिलेन वसुंधराम् ॥ १२.१४३.२० ॥
Delighted by the mass of streams of water, Śatakratu (Indra) in an instant filled the earth with water.
12.143.21
ततो धाराकुले लोके संभ्रमन्नष्टचेतनः ।
शीतार्तस्तद्वनं सर्वमाकुलेनान्तरात्मना ॥ १२.१४३.२१ ॥
Then, in a world overflowing with streams of rain, bewildered and senseless, tormented by cold, with a troubled inner self, he wandered through that entire forest.
12.143.22
नैव निम्नं स्थलं वाऽपि सोऽविन्दत विहंगहा ।
पूरितो हि जलौघेनन तस्य मार्गो वनस्य तु ॥ १२.१४३.२२ ॥
That bird-slayer found neither low ground nor high ground; filled with the flood of water, the path of the forest was no longer his.
12.143.23
पक्षिणं वर्षवेगेन हता लीनास्तु पादपात् ।
मृगसिहवराहाश्च ये चान्ये तत्र पक्षिणः ॥ १२.१४३.२३ ॥
By the force of the rain the birds were struck down, and those clinging to the trees; deer, lions and boars, and the other birds there as well.
12.143.24
महता वातवर्षेण त्रासितास्ते वनौकसः ।
भयार्ताश्च क्षुधार्ताश्च बभ्रमुः सहिता वने ॥ १२.१४३.२४ ॥
Terrified by the great wind and rain, those forest-dwellers, tormented by fear and by hunger, wandered together in the forest.
12.143.25
स तु शीतहतैर्गात्रैर्जगामैव न तस्थिवान् ।
ददर्श पतितां भूमौ कपोतीं शीतविह्वलाम् ॥ १२.१४३.२५ ॥
Struck by the cold in his limbs, he went on and did not stop. He saw a female dove fallen on the ground, overcome with cold.
12.143.26
दृष्टवाऽऽर्तोपि हि पापात्मा स तां पञ्जरकेऽक्षिपत् ।
स्वयं दुःखाभिभूतोऽपि दुःखमेवाकरोत्परे ॥ १२.१४३.२६ ॥
Though he saw her and was himself afflicted, that sinful man put her into a cage. Though himself overwhelmed by suffering, he caused suffering to another.
12.143.27
पापात्मा पापकारित्वत्पापमेव चकार सः ।
सोऽपश्यत्तरुषण्डेषु मेघनीलं वनस्पतिम् ॥ १२.१४३.२७ ॥
Because of his sinful nature he did only wrong. Then he saw, amid the clusters of trees, a great tree dark blue like a cloud.
12.143.28
सेव्यमानं विहंगौघैश्छायावासफलार्थिभिः ।
धात्रा परोपकाराय स साधुरिव निर्मितः ॥ १२.१४३.२८ ॥
Flocks of birds seeking shade, shelter and fruit resorted to it; it seemed as if the Creator had made it like a good man, for the good of others.
12.143.29
अथाभवत्क्षणेनैव वियद्विमलतारकम् ।
महत्सर इवोत्फुल्लं कुमुदच्छुरितोदकम्।
कुसुमाकारताराढ्यमाकाशं निर्मलं बहु ॥ १२.१४३.२९ ॥
In an instant the sky became full of clear stars, like a great lake in bloom with water strewn with lotuses; the sky, rich with stars shaped like flowers, was very clear.
12.143.30
घनैर्मुक्तं नभो दृष्ट्वा लुब्धकः शीतविह्वलः ।
दिशो विलोकयामास वेलां च सुदुरात्मवान् ॥ १२.१४३.३० ॥
Seeing the sky freed of clouds, the hunter, overcome with cold, looked about in all directions and at the hour; he was a very wicked soul.
12.143.31
दूरे ग्रामनिवेशश्च तस्मात्स्थानादिति प्रभो ।
कृतबुद्धिर्द्रुमे तस्मिन्वस्तुं तां रजनीं ततः ॥ १२.१४३.३१ ॥
O lord, the village settlement was far from that place; so, resolved, he decided to spend that night in that very tree.
12.143.32
साञ्जलिः प्रणतिं कृत्वा वाक्यमाह वनस्पतिम् ।
शरणं यामि यान्यस्मिन्दैवतानीति भारत ॥ १२.१४३.३२ ॥
With folded hands, bowing, he spoke these words to the tree: "O Bhārata, I go for refuge to whatever deities dwell in this."
12.143.33
स शिलायां शिरः कृत्वा पर्णान्यास्तीर्य भूतले ।
दुःखेन महताऽऽविष्टस्ततः सुष्वाप पक्षिहा ॥ १२.१४३.३३ ॥
He laid his head on a stone, spread leaves upon the ground, and, overcome by great sorrow, the bird-slayer then fell asleep.