The Sage Turns the Dog into a Leopard and a Tiger

Verse 1 (12.116.1)

न सन्ति कुलजा यत्र सहायाः पार्थिवस्य तु । अकुलीनाश्च कर्तव्या न वा भरतसत्तम ॥

na santi kulajā yatra sahāyāḥ pārthivasya tu | akulīnāśca kartavyā na vā bharatasattama

Where a king has no well-born helpers, should low-born ones be appointed, or not, O best of the Bharatas?

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the heading युधिष्ठिर उवाच (page row 12-116-1x) inside this verse with a stray backtick and closing quote; made it the speaker and removed the marks and the doubled danda. Corrected भरतसत्तम् → भरतसत्तम (misprint in Wikisource; a stray virama; the critical edition reads bharatasattama). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: it is the CE star passage 12.117.0*0268_01-02 (na santi kulajā yatra sahāyāḥ pārthivasya tu / akulīnāś ca kartavyā na vā bharatasattama), which the alignment did not match.

Verse 2 (12.116.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । निदर्शनं परं लोके सज्जनाचरितं सदा ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | nidarśanaṃ paraṃ loke sajjanācaritaṃ sadā

On this they tell an ancient tale, a supreme illustration in the world of how the good have always acted.

Verse 3 (12.116.3)

अस्यैवार्थस्य सदृशं यच्छ्रुतं मे तपोवने । जामदग्न्यस्य रामस्य यदुक्तमृषिसत्तमैः ॥

asyaivārthasya sadṛśaṃ yacchrutaṃ me tapovane | jāmadagnyasya rāmasya yaduktamṛṣisattamaiḥ

It fits this very matter. I heard it in the forest of austerities, told by the best of sages about Rama, son of Jamadagni.

Verse 4 (12.116.4)

वने महति कस्मिंश्चिदमनुष्यनिषेविते । ऋषिर्मूलफलाहारो नियतो नियतेन्द्रियः ॥

vane mahati kasmiṃścidamanuṣyaniṣevite | ṛṣirmūlaphalāhāro niyato niyatendriyaḥ

In a certain great forest, where no human came, lived a sage who ate roots and fruit, disciplined, with his senses controlled.

Verse 5 (12.116.5)

दीक्षादमपरिश्रान्तः स्वाध्यायपरमः शुचिः । उपवासविशुद्धात्मा सततं सत्पथे स्थितः ॥

dīkṣādamapariśrāntaḥ svādhyāyaparamaḥ śuciḥ | upavāsaviśuddhātmā satataṃ satpathe sthitaḥ

Never tired of vows and self-restraint, devoted above all to Vedic study, pure, his soul cleansed by fasting, he stood always on the good path.

Verse 6 (12.116.6)

तस्य संदृश्य सद्भावमुपविष्टस्य धीमतः । सर्वे सत्वाः समीपस्था भवन्ति वनचारिणः ॥

tasya saṃdṛśya sadbhāvamupaviṣṭasya dhīmataḥ | sarve satvāḥ samīpasthā bhavanti vanacāriṇaḥ

Seeing the goodness of that wise man as he sat, all the creatures that roam the forest would gather near him.

Verse 7 (12.116.7)

सिंहा व्याघ्राः सशरभा मत्ताश्चैव महागजाः । द्वीपिनः खड्गभल्लूका ये चान्ये भीमदर्शनाः ॥

siṃhā vyāghrāḥ saśarabhā mattāścaiva mahāgajāḥ | dvīpinaḥ khaḍgabhallūkā ye cānye bhīmadarśanāḥ

Lions, tigers, sharabhas, great elephants in rut, leopards, rhinoceroses, bears, and others of fearsome look.

Note on the text: Corrected खङ्गभल्लूका → खड्गभल्लूका (misprint in Wikisource; ङ् for ड्; the critical edition reads khaḍgabhallūkā).

Verse 8 (12.116.8)

ते सुखप्रश्नदाः सर्वे भवन्ति क्षतजाशनाः । तस्यर्षेः शिष्यवच्चैव चित्तज्ञाः प्रियकारिणः ॥

te sukhapraśnadāḥ sarve bhavanti kṣatajāśanāḥ | tasyarṣeḥ śiṣyavaccaiva cittajñāḥ priyakāriṇaḥ

All of them, though they feed on blood, would offer him their greeting of well-being, and, like pupils who knew his mind, would do what pleased that sage.

Verse 9 (12.116.9)

उक्त्वा च ते सुखप्रश्नं सर्वे यान्ति यथासुखम् । ग्राम्यस्त्वेकः पशुस्तत्र नाजहात्स महामुनिम् ॥

uktvā ca te sukhapraśnaṃ sarve yānti yathāsukham | grāmyastvekaḥ paśustatra nājahātsa mahāmunim

Having given their greeting, they all went off as they pleased; but one domestic animal never left the great sage.

Verse 10 (12.116.10)

भक्तोऽनुरक्तः सततमुपवासकृशोऽबलः । फलमूलोत्तराहारः शान्तः शिष्टाकृतिर्यथा ॥

bhakto'nuraktaḥ satatamupavāsakṛśo'balaḥ | phalamūlottarāhāraḥ śāntaḥ śiṣṭākṛtiryathā

Devoted and attached to him, weak from fasting along with him, living on fruits and roots, calm, he had the look of a well-behaved disciple.

Verse 11 (12.116.11)

तस्यर्षेरुपविष्टस्य पादमूले महामतेः । मनुष्यवद्गतो भावं स्नेहबद्धोऽभवद्भृशम् ॥

tasyarṣerupaviṣṭasya pādamūle mahāmateḥ | manuṣyavadgato bhāvaṃ snehabaddho'bhavadbhṛśam

Sitting at the feet of the wise sage as he sat, the animal took on a human feeling and became deeply bound by affection.

Verse 12 (12.116.12)

ततोऽभ्ययान्महारौद्रो द्वीपी क्षतजभोजनः । श्वार्थमत्यर्थमुद्धुष्टः क्रूरः काल इवान्तकः ॥

tato'bhyayānmahāraudro dvīpī kṣatajabhojanaḥ | śvārthamatyarthamuddhuṣṭaḥ krūraḥ kāla ivāntakaḥ

Then there came a leopard, most fearsome, feeding on blood, roaring loudly on account of the dog, cruel like Death the ender.

Note on the text: Inserted the missing space: कालइवान्तकः → काल इवान्तकः (the critical edition reads kāla ivāntakaḥ).

Verse 13 (12.116.13)

लेलिह्यमानस्तृषितः पुच्छास्फोटनतत्परः । व्यादितास्यः क्षुधाभुग्नः प्रार्थयानस्तदामिषम् ॥

lelihyamānastṛṣitaḥ pucchāsphoṭanatatparaḥ | vyāditāsyaḥ kṣudhābhugnaḥ prārthayānastadāmiṣam

Licking his lips, thirsty, lashing his tail, mouth wide open, bent double with hunger, he craved that meat.

Note on the text: Corrected क्षुधाः भुग्नः → क्षुधाभुग्नः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray visarga and space; the critical edition reads kṣudhābhagnaḥ, and the page's note cites क्षुधामत्तः as a variant).

Verse 14 (12.116.14)

दृष्ट्वा तं क्रूरमायान्तं जीवितार्थी नराधिप । प्रोवाच श्वा मुनिं तत्र तच्छृणुष्व विशांपते ॥

dṛṣṭvā taṃ krūramāyāntaṃ jīvitārthī narādhipa | provāca śvā muniṃ tatra tacchṛṇuṣva viśāṃpate

Seeing that cruel one approach, the dog, wishing to save his life, spoke to the sage there. Listen to it, O lord of men.

Verse 15 (12.116.15)

श्वशत्रुर्भगवन्नेष द्वीपी मां हन्तुमिच्छति । त्वत्प्रसादाद्भयं न स्यादस्मान्मम महामुने । तथा कुरु महाबाहो सर्वज्ञस्त्वं न संशयः ॥

śvaśatrurbhagavanneṣa dvīpī māṃ hantumicchati | tvatprasādādbhayaṃ na syādasmānmama mahāmune | tathā kuru mahābāho sarvajñastvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

"Venerable sir, this leopard, the dog's enemy, wants to kill me. By your grace let there be no fear for me from him, great sage. Do so, mighty-armed one; you know all, there is no doubt."

Note on the text: Removed the opening square bracket Wikisource prints before line 3 (the closing bracket falls at the end of verse 16). Lines 1-2 = CE 12.117.14a, 12.117.14c; line 3 is the CE star passage 12.117.14d*0269_01 (tathā kuru mahābāho sarvajñas tvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ). Wikisource अस्मान्मम for CE tasmān mama is kept as a variant. Speaker: the input gave Bhishma; the dog speaks (unheaded on the page).

Verse 16 (12.116.16)

स मुनिस्तस्य विज्ञाय भावज्ञो भयकारणम् । रुतज्ञः सर्वसत्वानां तमैश्वर्यसमन्वितः ॥

sa munistasya vijñāya bhāvajño bhayakāraṇam | rutajñaḥ sarvasatvānāṃ tamaiśvaryasamanvitaḥ

The sage, who read minds, understood the dog and the cause of his fear; he knew the cries of all creatures and was endowed with sovereign power.

Note on the text: Removed the closing square bracket and the stray doubled danda Wikisource prints at the end of this verse. Lines 1-2 are the CE star passage 12.117.14d*0270_01-02 (sa munis tasya vijñāya bhāvajño bhayakāraṇam / rutajñaḥ sarvasattvānāṃ tam aiśvaryasamanvitaḥ), which the alignment did not match.

Verse 17 (12.116.17)

न भयं द्वीपिनः कार्यं मृत्युतस्ते कथंचन । एष श्वरूपरहितो द्वीपी भवसि पुत्रक ॥

na bhayaṃ dvīpinaḥ kāryaṃ mṛtyutaste kathaṃcana | eṣa śvarūparahito dvīpī bhavasi putraka

"You need have no fear of death from the leopard, in any way. Child, you, rid of your dog's form, become a leopard."

Verse 18 (12.116.18)

ततः श्वा द्वीपितां नीतो जाम्बूनदनिभाकृतिः । चित्राङ्गो विस्फुरद्दंष्ट्रो वने वसति निर्भयः ॥

tataḥ śvā dvīpitāṃ nīto jāmbūnadanibhākṛtiḥ | citrāṅgo visphuraddaṃṣṭro vane vasati nirbhayaḥ

So the dog was turned into a leopard, golden-bright in body, with speckled limbs and gleaming fangs, and he lived fearless in the forest.

Note on the text: Corrected जाम्बूनदनिभाकृति → जाम्बूनदनिभाकृतिः (misprint in Wikisource; final visarga dropped; the critical edition reads jāmbūnadanibhākṛtiḥ; Wikisource वने वसति for CE visphuran hṛṣṭo is a separate variant in line 2, kept). Speaker: the input carried the sage over from verse 17; his speech ends there (page heading 12-116-17x), and verses 18-24 are Bhishma's narration.

Verse 19 (12.116.19)

तं दृष्ट्वा संमुखे द्वीपी आत्मनः सदृशं पशुम् । अविरुद्धस्ततस्तस्य क्षणेन समपद्यत ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃmukhe dvīpī ātmanaḥ sadṛśaṃ paśum | aviruddhastatastasya kṣaṇena samapadyata

The other leopard, seeing before him a beast like himself, became in a moment free of hostility toward him.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. This verse is the CE star passage 12.117.16d*0271_01-02 (taṃ dṛṣṭvā sa punar dvīpī ātmanaḥ sadṛśaṃ śubham / aviruddhas tatas tasya kṣaṇena samapadyata); Wikisource तं दृष्ट्वा संमुखे द्वीपी आत्मनः सदृशं पशुम् is a variant of line 1.

Verse 20 (12.116.20)

ततोऽभ्ययान्महारौद्रो व्यादितास्यः क्षुधान्वितः । द्वीपिनं लेलिहन्वक्रं व्याघ्रो रुधिरलालसः ॥

tato'bhyayānmahāraudro vyāditāsyaḥ kṣudhānvitaḥ | dvīpinaṃ lelihanvakraṃ vyāghro rudhiralālasaḥ

Then came a most fearsome tiger, mouth gaping and filled with hunger, craving blood, licking its jaws, toward the leopard.

Note on the text: Corrected क्षुधान्विः → क्षुधान्वितः (misprint in Wikisource; letters dropped; the critical edition reads kṣudhānvitaḥ).

Verse 21 (12.116.21)

व्याघ्रं दृष्ट्वा क्षुधा भुग्नं दंष्ट्रिणं वनचारिणम् । द्वीपी जीवितरक्षार्थमृषिं शरणमेयिवान् ॥

vyāghraṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhā bhugnaṃ daṃṣṭriṇaṃ vanacāriṇam | dvīpī jīvitarakṣārthamṛṣiṃ śaraṇameyivān

Seeing the tiger, tusked, roaming the forest, bent with hunger, the leopard took refuge with the sage to save his life.

Note on the text: Corrected द्वीपि → द्वीपी (misprint in Wikisource; final long ī dropped; the critical edition reads dvīpī).

Verse 22 (12.116.22)

ततः संवासजं स्नेहमृषिणा कुर्वता तदा । स द्वीपी व्याघ्रतां नीतो रिपुभ्यो बलवत्तरः ॥

tataḥ saṃvāsajaṃ snehamṛṣiṇā kurvatā tadā | sa dvīpī vyāghratāṃ nīto ripubhyo balavattaraḥ

Then the sage, showing him the affection that comes of living together, made that leopard a tiger, stronger than his foes.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Lines 1-2 = CE 12.117.19a, 12.117.19c (tataḥ saṃvāsajaṃ sneham ṛṣiṇā kurvatā sadā / sa dvīpī vyāghratāṃ nīto ripubhir balavattaraḥ).

Verse 23 (12.116.23)

ततो दृष्ट्वा स शार्दूलो नाभ्यघ्नत्तं विशांपते । स तु श्वा व्याघ्रतां प्राप्य बलवान्पिशिताशनः ॥

tato dṛṣṭvā sa śārdūlo nābhyaghnattaṃ viśāṃpate | sa tu śvā vyāghratāṃ prāpya balavānpiśitāśanaḥ

Then, seeing him, that tiger did not attack him, O lord of men; and the dog, having become a strong, flesh-eating tiger,

Note on the text: Corrected ततोऽदृष्ट्वा → ततो दृष्ट्वा (misprint in Wikisource; a stray avagraha that reverses the sense; the critical edition reads tato dṛṣṭvā) and श्चा → श्वा (misprint; the critical edition reads śvā). The alignment found no match: line 1 = CE 12.117.19e (tato dṛṣṭvā sa śārdūlo nābhyahaṃs taṃ viśāṃ pate; Wikisource नाभ्यघ्नत् is kept), line 2 = CE 12.117.20a.

Verse 24 (12.116.24)

न मूलफलभोगेषु स्पृहामप्यकरोत्तदा । यथा मृगपतिर्नित्यं प्रकाङ्क्षति वनौकसः । तथैव स महाराज व्याघ्रः समभवत्तदा ॥

na mūlaphalabhogeṣu spṛhāmapyakarottadā | yathā mṛgapatirnityaṃ prakāṅkṣati vanaukasaḥ | tathaiva sa mahārāja vyāghraḥ samabhavattadā

no longer had any wish for a diet of roots and fruit. As the lord of beasts always craves the creatures of the forest, so, great king, did that tiger become then.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Line 1 = CE 12.117.20c; lines 2-3 = CE 12.117.21a and 12.117.21c.