Ushinara, the Hawk and the Dove

Verse 1 (3.133.1)

धर्मात्मानं त्वाहुरेकं सर्वे राजन्महीक्षितः । स वै धर्मविरुद्धं त्वं कस्मात्कर्म चिकीर्षसि ॥

dharmātmānaṃ tvāhurekaṃ sarve rājanmahīkṣitaḥ | sa vai dharmaviruddhaṃ tvaṃ kasmātkarma cikīrṣasi

"All the kings of the earth, O king, call you the one righteous soul among them. Why then do you seek to do a deed that goes against dharma?

Verse 2 (3.133.2)

विहितं भक्षणं राजन्पीड्यमानस्य मे क्षुधा । माहिंसीर्धर्मलोभेन धर्ममुत्सृज्य मा नशः ॥

vihitaṃ bhakṣaṇaṃ rājanpīḍyamānasya me kṣudhā | māhiṃsīrdharmalobhena dharmamutsṛjya mā naśaḥ

"This food has been ordained for me, O king, and I am tormented by hunger. Do no harm out of greed for merit; do not abandon dharma and be destroyed."

Verse 3 (3.133.3)

संत्रस्तरूपस्त्राणार्थी त्वत्तो भीतो महाद्विज । मत्सकाशमनुप्राप्तः प्राणगृध्नुरयं द्विजः ॥

saṃtrastarūpastrāṇārthī tvatto bhīto mahādvija | matsakāśamanuprāptaḥ prāṇagṛdhnurayaṃ dvijaḥ

"This bird has come to me, great bird, trembling with fear and seeking protection, afraid of you and clinging to life.

Note on the text: Corrected अनुप्रप्तः → अनुप्राप्तः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ā-sign; the critical edition reads anuprāptaḥ).

Verse 4 (3.133.4)

एवमभ्यागतस्येह कपोतस्याभयार्थिनः । अप्रदाने परो धर्मः किं त्वं श्येनेह पश्यसि ॥

evamabhyāgatasyeha kapotasyābhayārthinaḥ | apradāne paro dharmaḥ kiṃ tvaṃ śyeneha paśyasi

"When a dove has come here like this, asking for safety, the highest dharma lies in not giving it up. What is it you see here, hawk?

Verse 5 (3.133.5)

प्रस्पन्दमानः संभ्रान्तः कपोतः श्येन लक्ष्यते । मत्सकाशं जीवितार्थी तस्य त्यागो विगर्हितः ॥

praspandamānaḥ saṃbhrāntaḥ kapotaḥ śyena lakṣyate | matsakāśaṃ jīvitārthī tasya tyāgo vigarhitaḥ

"The dove is plainly trembling and bewildered, hawk; it came to me for its life. To abandon it would be shameful.

Verse 6 (3.133.6)

यो हि कश्चिद्द्विजान्हन्याद्गां वा लोकस्य मातरम् । शरणागतं च त्यजते तुल्यं तेषां हि पातकम् ॥

yo hi kaściddvijānhanyādgāṃ vā lokasya mātaram | śaraṇāgataṃ ca tyajate tulyaṃ teṣāṃ hi pātakam

"Whoever kills brahmins, or kills a cow, the mother of the world, or abandons one who has come for refuge: their sins are equal."

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets with which Wikisource sets off this verse. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.131.5d*0642.

Verse 7 (3.133.7)

आहारात्सर्वभूतानि संभवन्ति महीपते । आहारेण विवर्धन्ते तेन जीवन्ति जन्तवः ॥

āhārātsarvabhūtāni saṃbhavanti mahīpate | āhāreṇa vivardhante tena jīvanti jantavaḥ

"From food all beings come into being, lord of the earth; by food they grow, and by food creatures live.

Note on the text: Corrected आहारत् → आहारात् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ā-sign of the ablative; the critical edition reads āhārāt).

Verse 8 (3.133.8)

शक्यते दुस्त्यजेऽप्यर्थे चिररात्राय जीवितुम् । न तु भोजनमुत्सृज्य शक्यं वर्तयितुं चिरम् ॥

śakyate dustyaje'pyarthe cirarātrāya jīvitum | na tu bhojanamutsṛjya śakyaṃ vartayituṃ ciram

"A man can live long even after giving up something very hard to give up; but no one can live long after giving up food.

Verse 9 (3.133.9)

भक्ष्याद्विलोपितस्याद्य मम प्राणा विशांपते । विसृज्यकायमेष्यन्ति पन्थानमपुनर्भवम् ॥

bhakṣyādvilopitasyādya mama prāṇā viśāṃpate | visṛjyakāyameṣyanti panthānamapunarbhavam

"Robbed of my food today, lord of the people, my life-breaths will leave my body and go the way from which there is no return.

Verse 10 (3.133.10)

प्रमृते मयि धर्मात्मन्पुत्रदारादि नङ्क्ष्यति । रक्षमाणः कपोतं त्वं बहून्प्राणान्न रक्षसि ॥

pramṛte mayi dharmātmanputradārādi naṅkṣyati | rakṣamāṇaḥ kapotaṃ tvaṃ bahūnprāṇānna rakṣasi

"And when I am dead, righteous one, my wife, my young and the rest will perish too. In protecting the dove you fail to protect many lives.

Verse 11 (3.133.11)

बहून्यो बाधते धर्मो न स धर्मः कुवर्त्म तत् । अविरोधी तु यो धर्मः स धर्मः सत्यविक्रम ॥

bahūnyo bādhate dharmo na sa dharmaḥ kuvartma tat | avirodhī tu yo dharmaḥ sa dharmaḥ satyavikrama

"A dharma that harms many is not dharma; it is a crooked path. Only a dharma that harms no one is dharma, you whose valour is truth.

Verse 12 (3.133.12)

विरोधिषु महीपाल निश्चित्य गुरुलाघवम् । न बाधा विद्यते यत्र तं धर्मं समुपाचरेत् ॥

virodhiṣu mahīpāla niścitya gurulāghavam | na bādhā vidyate yatra taṃ dharmaṃ samupācaret

"When duties conflict, protector of the earth, one should weigh which is heavier and which lighter, and follow the dharma that does no harm.

Verse 13 (3.133.13)

गुरुलाघवमाज्ञाय धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये । यतो भूयांस्ततो राजन्कुरु धर्मविनिश्चयम् ॥

gurulāghavamājñāya dharmādharmaviniścaye | yato bhūyāṃstato rājankuru dharmaviniścayam

"Weigh the greater against the lesser when you decide between dharma and adharma, O king, and settle on dharma where the greater good lies."

Verse 14 (3.133.14)

बहुकल्याणसंयुक्तं भाषसे विहगोत्तम । सुपर्णः पक्षिराट् किं त्वं धर्मं ज्ञात्वाऽभिभाषसे ॥

bahukalyāṇasaṃyuktaṃ bhāṣase vihagottama | suparṇaḥ pakṣirāṭ kiṃ tvaṃ dharmaṃ jñātvā'bhibhāṣase

"You speak words full of much good, best of birds. Are you Suparna, king of birds, that you speak with such knowledge of dharma?

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.131.13a; the second line is a recension variant of CE 3.131.13c (धर्मं ज्ञात्वाऽभिभाषसे for dharmajñaś cāsy asaṃśayam).

Verse 15 (3.133.15)

तथाहि धर्मसंयुक्तं बहुचित्रं च भाषसे । न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिदिति त्वां लक्षयाम्यहम् । शरणैषिपरित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे ॥

tathāhi dharmasaṃyuktaṃ bahucitraṃ ca bhāṣase | na te'styaviditaṃ kiṃciditi tvāṃ lakṣayāmyaham | śaraṇaiṣiparityāgaṃ kathaṃ sādhviti manyase

"For you speak in many striking ways, all in keeping with dharma, and I see that there is nothing you do not know. How then can you think it right to abandon one who seeks refuge?

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.131.13e; the second and third lines are CE 3.131.14a and 14c.

Verse 16 (3.133.16)

आहारार्थं समारम्भस्तव चायं विहंगम । शक्यश्चाप्यन्यथा कर्तुमाहारोऽप्यधिकस्त्वया ॥

āhārārthaṃ samārambhastava cāyaṃ vihaṃgama | śakyaścāpyanyathā kartumāhāro'pyadhikastvayā

"All this effort of yours, bird, is for the sake of food; but food can be had another way, and more of it.

Verse 17 (3.133.17)

गोवृषो वा वराहो वा मृगो वा महिषोपि वा । त्वदर्थमद्य क्रियतां यच्चान्यदिह काङ्क्षसि ॥

govṛṣo vā varāho vā mṛgo vā mahiṣopi vā | tvadarthamadya kriyatāṃ yaccānyadiha kāṅkṣasi

"Let a bull, a boar, a deer or a buffalo be made ready for you today, or anything else you desire here."

Verse 18 (3.133.18)

न वराहं न चोक्षाणं न मृगान्विविधांस्तथा । भक्षयामि महाराज किं ममान्येन केनचित् ॥

na varāhaṃ na cokṣāṇaṃ na mṛgānvividhāṃstathā | bhakṣayāmi mahārāja kiṃ mamānyena kenacit

"I do not eat boar or ox or deer of any kind, great king. What is any other food to me?

Note on the text: Corrected केचचित् → केनचित् (misprint in Wikisource; च for न; "with any other [food]"). The critical edition has a different reading here (kim annādyena tena me).

Verse 19 (3.133.19)

यस्तु मे दैवविहितो भक्षः क्षत्रियपुङ्गव । तमुत्सृज महीपाल कपोतमिममेव मे ॥

yastu me daivavihito bhakṣaḥ kṣatriyapuṅgava | tamutsṛja mahīpāla kapotamimameva me

"Give up to me, bull among kshatriyas, protector of the earth, the food that fate has ordained for me: this very dove.

Verse 20 (3.133.20)

श्येनाः कपोतान्स्वादन्ति श्रुतिरेषा सनातनी । मा राजन्सारमज्ञात्वा कदलीस्कन्धमासज ॥

śyenāḥ kapotānsvādanti śrutireṣā sanātanī | mā rājansāramajñātvā kadalīskandhamāsaja

"Hawks eat doves: that is the age-old teaching. Do not, O king, cling to a hollow plantain stem without knowing where the substance lies."

Verse 21 (3.133.21)

राष्ट्रं शिवीनामृद्धं वै शाधि पक्षिभिरर्चितः । कृत्स्नमेतन्मया दत्तं राजवद्विहगोत्तम ॥

rāṣṭraṃ śivīnāmṛddhaṃ vai śādhi pakṣibhirarcitaḥ | kṛtsnametanmayā dattaṃ rājavadvihagottama

"Rule the prosperous kingdom of the Shibis, honoured by the birds. I give it all to you, best of birds, to rule as a king.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.131.20a (राष्ट्रं for rājyaṃ, पक्षिभिरर्चितः for pakṣigaṇārcita); the second line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; star passage 3.131.20b*0645 in its apparatus).

Verse 22 (3.133.22)

यं वा कामयसे कामं श्येन सर्वं ददानि ते । विनेमं पक्षिणं श्येन शरणार्थिनमागतम् ॥

yaṃ vā kāmayase kāmaṃ śyena sarvaṃ dadāni te | vinemaṃ pakṣiṇaṃ śyena śaraṇārthinamāgatam

"Or whatever you desire, hawk, I will give you all of it, except this bird who has come to me seeking refuge.

Note on the text: Corrected श्यन → श्येन (misprint in Wikisource; dropped e-sign; the critical edition reads śyena). This verse is CE 3.131.20c and 20e.

Verse 23 (3.133.23)

येनेमं स्थापयेथास्त्वं कर्मणा पक्षिसत्तम । तदाचक्ष्व करिष्यामि न हि दास्ये कपोतकम् ॥

yenemaṃ sthāpayethāstvaṃ karmaṇā pakṣisattama | tadācakṣva kariṣyāmi na hi dāsye kapotakam

"Tell me by what deed of mine you would let him be, best of birds, and I will do it; but I will not give up the little dove."

Verse 24 (3.133.24)

उशीनर कपोते ते यदि स्नेहो नराधिप । आत्मनो मांसमुत्कृत्य कपोततुलया धृतम् ॥

uśīnara kapote te yadi sneho narādhipa | ātmano māṃsamutkṛtya kapotatulayā dhṛtam

"Ushinara, lord of men, if you love the dove so, cut flesh from your own body and weigh it on a scale against the dove.

Verse 25 (3.133.25)

यदा समं कपोतेन तव मांसं नृपोत्तम । त्वया प्रदेयं तन्मह्यं सा मे तुष्टिर्भविष्यति ॥

yadā samaṃ kapotena tava māṃsaṃ nṛpottama | tvayā pradeyaṃ tanmahyaṃ sā me tuṣṭirbhaviṣyati

"When your flesh weighs the same as the dove, best of kings, you must give it to me; that will satisfy me."

Verse 26 (3.133.26)

अनुग्रहमिमं मन्ये श्येन यन्माभियाचसे । तस्मात्तेऽद्य प्रदास्यामि स्वमांसं तुलया धृतम् ॥

anugrahamimaṃ manye śyena yanmābhiyācase | tasmātte'dya pradāsyāmi svamāṃsaṃ tulayā dhṛtam

"I count it a kindness, hawk, that you ask this of me. So today I shall give you my own flesh, weighed on the scale."

Verse 27 (3.133.27)

अथोत्कृत्य स्वमांसं तु राजा परमधर्मवित् । तुलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन समं विभो ॥

athotkṛtya svamāṃsaṃ tu rājā paramadharmavit | tulayāmāsa kaunteya kapotena samaṃ vibho

Then the king, who knew the highest dharma, cut flesh from his own body, son of Kunti, and weighed it against the dove, my lord.

Note on the text: Speaker heading corrected from लेमश to लोमश (misprint in the Wikisource heading).

Verse 28 (3.133.28)

ध्रियमाणः कपोतस्तु मांसेनात्यतिरिच्यते । पुनश्चोत्कृत्यमांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनरः ॥

dhriyamāṇaḥ kapotastu māṃsenātyatiricyate | punaścotkṛtyamāṃsāni rājā prādāduśīnaraḥ

But on the scale the dove outweighed the flesh. Again King Ushinara cut off flesh and added it.

Verse 29 (3.133.29)

न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन समं धृतम् । तत उत्कृत्तमांसोऽसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम् ॥

na vidyate yadā māṃsaṃ kapotena samaṃ dhṛtam | tata utkṛttamāṃso'sāvāruroha svayaṃ tulām

When no flesh was left to weigh the same as the dove, the king, his flesh all cut away, climbed onto the scale himself.

Verse 30 (3.133.30)

इन्द्रोऽहमस्मि धर्मज्ञ कपोतो हव्यवाडयम् । जिज्ञासमानौ धर्मे त्वां यज्ञवाटमुपागतौ ॥

indro'hamasmi dharmajña kapoto havyavāḍayam | jijñāsamānau dharme tvāṃ yajñavāṭamupāgatau

"I am Indra, knower of dharma, and this dove is Agni, the bearer of oblations. We came to your sacrificial ground to test you in dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्म → धर्मे (misprint in Wikisource; dropped e-sign of the locative, "to test you in dharma"; the critical edition reads dharme tvāṃ).

Verse 31 (3.133.31)

यत्ते मांसानि गात्रेभ्य उत्कृत्तानि विशांपते । एषा ते शाश्वती कीर्तिर्लोकानभिभविष्यति ॥

yatte māṃsāni gātrebhya utkṛttāni viśāṃpate | eṣā te śāśvatī kīrtirlokānabhibhaviṣyati

"Because you cut the flesh from your limbs, lord of the people, your fame shall be everlasting and shall prevail over all the worlds.

Note on the text: Corrected उक्तृत्तानि → उत्कृत्तानि (misprint in Wikisource; transposed conjuncts; the critical edition reads utkṛttāni).

Verse 32 (3.133.32)

यावल्लोके मनुष्यास्त्वां कथयिष्यन्ति पार्थिव । तावत्कीर्तिश्च लोकाश्च स्थास्यन्ति तव शाश्वताः ॥

yāvalloke manuṣyāstvāṃ kathayiṣyanti pārthiva | tāvatkīrtiśca lokāśca sthāsyanti tava śāśvatāḥ

"As long as people in the world tell of you, O king, so long will your fame and your worlds endure forever."

Verse 33 (3.133.33)

इत्युक्त्वा भूमिपतये तस्मै दत्त्वा यथेप्सितम् । प्रशस्य जग्मतू राजन्निन्द्राग्नी तुष्टमानसौ ॥

ityuktvā bhūmipataye tasmai dattvā yathepsitam | praśasya jagmatū rājannindrāgnī tuṣṭamānasau

Having said this to the lord of the earth and granted him what he wished, Indra and Agni praised him and departed, O king, content at heart.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from श्येन to लोमश: Indra's speech ends with verse 32 and this is narration (the critical edition prints "lomaśa uvāca" at this point). Corrected इन्द्राग्री → इन्द्राग्नी (misprint in Wikisource; र for न). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the apparatus has a related but different couplet as 3.131.31*0648.

Verse 34 (3.133.34)

उशीनरोऽपिधर्मात्मा धर्मेणावृत्यरोदसी । विभ्राजमानो वपुषाऽप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम् ॥

uśīnaro'pidharmātmā dharmeṇāvṛtyarodasī | vibhrājamāno vapuṣā'pyāruroha triviṣṭapam

And the righteous Ushinara, having filled heaven and earth with his dharma, ascended to heaven, shining in his body.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from श्येन to लोमश (narration). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.131.30d*0647, lines 2–3.

Verse 35 (3.133.35)

तदेतत्सदनं राजन्राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः । पश्यस्वैतन्मया सार्धं पुण्यं पापप्रमोचनम् ॥

tadetatsadanaṃ rājanrājñastasya mahātmanaḥ | paśyasvaitanmayā sārdhaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpapramocanam

This is the dwelling of that great-souled king, O king. Look upon it with me: it is holy and frees from sin.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from श्येन to लोमश: Lomasha is addressing Yudhishthira (the critical edition prints "lomaśa uvāca" before this verse).

Verse 36 (3.133.36)

तत्र वै सततं देवा मुनयश्च सनातनाः । दृश्यन्ते ब्राह्मणै राजन्पुण्यवद्भिर्महात्मभिः ॥

tatra vai satataṃ devā munayaśca sanātanāḥ | dṛśyante brāhmaṇai rājanpuṇyavadbhirmahātmabhiḥ

Here the gods and the eternal sages are always to be seen, O king, by holy and great-souled brahmins.

Note on the text: Speaker changed from श्येन to लोमश (continuation of Lomasha's words to Yudhishthira).