The Fowler Resolves to Fast and Frees the Dove

Verse 1 (12.146.1)

ततः स लुब्धकः पश्यन्क्षुधयाऽपि परिप्लुतः । कपोतमग्निपतितं वाक्यं पुनरुवाच ह ॥

tataḥ sa lubdhakaḥ paśyankṣudhayā'pi pariplutaḥ | kapotamagnipatitaṃ vākyaṃ punaruvāca ha

Then the fowler, gazing at the dove fallen into the fire, though overwhelmed by hunger as well, spoke once more.

Note on the text: Line 1 differs from CE 12.143.1ab (tatas taṃ lubdhakaḥ paśyan kṛpayābhipariplutaḥ, "overcome with compassion"); WS reads क्षुधयाऽपि ("by hunger too"), a recension variant kept as printed.

Verse 2 (12.146.2)

किमीदृशं नृशंसेन मया कृतमबुद्धिना । भविष्यति हि मे नित्यं पातकं भुवि जीवतः । स विनिन्दंस्तथाऽऽत्मानं पुनः पुनरुवाच ह ॥

kimīdṛśaṃ nṛśaṃsena mayā kṛtamabuddhinā | bhaviṣyati hi me nityaṃ pātakaṃ bhuvi jīvataḥ | sa vinindaṃstathā''tmānaṃ punaḥ punaruvāca ha

“What is this that I, cruel and senseless, have done! For as long as I live on earth, this sin will be mine.” Reproaching himself thus, he spoke again and again.

Note on the text: The input found no critical-edition match. A three-line verse in Wikisource: lines 1–2 = CE 12.143.2 (WS भुवि जीवतः, CE hṛdi jīvataḥ — recension variant, kept); line 3 = CE 12.143.3a (sa vinindann athātmānaṃ punaḥ punar uvāca ha). The verse mixes the fowler's words with narration and stays with the narrator.

Verse 3 (12.146.3)

धिङ्मामस्तु सुदुर्बुद्धिं सदा निकृतिनिश्चयम् । शुभं कर्म परित्यज्य सोऽहं शकुनिलुब्धकः ॥

dhiṅmāmastu sudurbuddhiṃ sadā nikṛtiniścayam | śubhaṃ karma parityajya so'haṃ śakunilubdhakaḥ

“Shame on me, of foul understanding, always set on cheating! Having given up good deeds, I am still that same fowler of birds.”

Note on the text: Corrected धिङ्भामस्तु → धिङ्मामस्तु (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म gives a non-word; CE 12.143.3c dhiṅ mām astu). The input found no critical-edition match; the verse = CE 12.143.3cd–ef. Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 4 (12.146.4)

नृशंसस्य ममाद्यायं प्रत्यादेशो न संशयः । दत्तः स्वमांसं दहता कपोतेन महात्मना ॥

nṛśaṃsasya mamādyāyaṃ pratyādeśo na saṃśayaḥ | dattaḥ svamāṃsaṃ dahatā kapotena mahātmanā

“This is surely a rebuke given me today, cruel as I am, by the great-souled dove who burned his own flesh.”

Note on the text: WS दहता ("burning") differs from CE dadatā ("giving"); a recension variant, kept as printed. Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 5 (12.146.5)

सोऽहं त्यक्ष्ये प्रियान्प्राणान्पुत्रान्दारान्विसृज्य च । उपदिष्टो हि मे धर्मः कपोतेनात्र धर्मिणा ॥

so'haṃ tyakṣye priyānprāṇānputrāndārānvisṛjya ca | upadiṣṭo hi me dharmaḥ kapotenātra dharmiṇā

“So I shall give up my dear life, leaving behind my sons and wives. For the dove, a righteous creature, has taught me dharma here.”

Note on the text: Corrected सोहं → सोऽहं (misprint in Wikisource; avagraha dropped; CE so 'haṃ). WS पुत्रान्दारान्, कपोतेनात्र धर्मिणा differ from the CE (putradāraṃ, kapotenātidharmiṇā); recension variants, kept. Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 6 (12.146.6)

अद्यप्रभृति देहं स्वं सर्वभोगैर्विवर्जितम् । यथा स्वल्पं सरो ग्रीष्मे शोषयिष्याम्यहं तथा ॥

adyaprabhṛti dehaṃ svaṃ sarvabhogairvivarjitam | yathā svalpaṃ saro grīṣme śoṣayiṣyāmyahaṃ tathā

“From today I shall dry up my body, stripped of every pleasure, as a small pool dries in the summer heat.”

Note on the text: Corrected अद्यप्रभुति → अद्यप्रभृति (misprint in Wikisource; ऋ for उ; CE adya prabhṛti) and शोषयिष्याम्महं → शोषयिष्याम्यहं (misprint; म्म for म्य; CE śoṣayiṣyāmy ahaṃ). WS सरः where the CE has jalam (recension variant, kept). Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 7 (12.146.7)

क्षुत्पिपासातपसहः कृशो धमनिसन्ततः । उपवासैर्बहुविधैश्चरिष्ये पारलौकिकम् ॥

kṣutpipāsātapasahaḥ kṛśo dhamanisantataḥ | upavāsairbahuvidhaiścariṣye pāralaukikam

“Enduring hunger, thirst and heat, lean, with my veins standing out, I shall perform, through many kinds of fasting, the rites for the world beyond.”

Note on the text: Corrected ध्रमनि → धमनि (misprint in Wikisource; stray र in the conjunct; CE dhamani). Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 8 (12.146.8)

अहो देहप्रदानेन दर्शिताऽतिथिपूजना । तस्माद्धर्मं चरिष्यामि धर्मो हि परमा गतिः ॥

aho dehapradānena darśitā'tithipūjanā | tasmāddharmaṃ cariṣyāmi dharmo hi paramā gatiḥ

“Ah, by giving up his body he has shown how a guest is to be honoured. Therefore I shall practise dharma, for dharma is the highest goal.”

Note on the text: The input found no critical-edition match; the verse = CE 12.143.8ab–cd (aho dehapradānena darśitātithipūjanā / tasmād dharmaṃ cariṣyāmi dharmo hi paramā gatiḥ). Speaker supplied: the fowler's own speech, with no printed heading (the page's only heading is Bhishma's).

Verse 9 (12.146.9)

दृष्टो धर्मो हि धर्मिष्ठे यादृशो विहगोत्तमे । एवमुक्त्वा विनिश्चित्य रौद्रकर्मा स लुब्धकः ॥

dṛṣṭo dharmo hi dharmiṣṭhe yādṛśo vihagottame | evamuktvā viniścitya raudrakarmā sa lubdhakaḥ

“Dharma has been seen, such as it is in that most righteous of birds.” So saying and so resolving, that fowler of cruel deeds …

Note on the text: The input found no critical-edition match; line 1 = CE 12.143.8e (dṛṣṭo hi dharmo dharmiṣṭhair yādṛśo vihagottame; WS reads dharmiṣṭhe) and line 2 = CE 12.143.9a. The sentence is completed by the next, one-line verse. The verse mixes the fowler's words with narration and stays with the narrator.

Verse 10 (12.146.10)

महाप्रस्थानमाश्रित्य प्रययौ संशितव्रतः ॥

mahāprasthānamāśritya prayayau saṃśitavrataḥ

… set out on the great departure, firm in his vows.

Note on the text: A single line in Wikisource (printed as 12-146-10a only), completing the sentence begun in the previous verse; = CE 12.143.9cd (mahāprasthānam āśritya prayayau saṃśitavrataḥ). The input found no critical-edition match.

Verse 11 (12.146.11)

ततो यष्टिं शलाकां च क्षारकं पञ्जरं तथा । तां च बद्धां कपोतीं स प्रमुच्य विससर्ज ह ॥

tato yaṣṭiṃ śalākāṃ ca kṣārakaṃ pañjaraṃ tathā | tāṃ ca baddhāṃ kapotīṃ sa pramucya visasarja ha

Then he let go the staff, the rods, the snare and the cage, and, freeing the bound dove, he released her.

Note on the text: Corrected धारकं → क्षारकं (probable misprint in Wikisource; "carrier" makes no sense in a list of the fowler's gear, and the CE 12.143.10 has kṣārakam, the "snare", the same word the page uses at 12-143-15 as क्षारक). Line 2 differs from the CE (tāṃś ca baddhā kapotān sa saṃpramucyotsasarja ha); a recension variant, kept as printed.