The Birds on Jajali's Head and the Power of Faith

Verse 1 (12.270.1)

सद्भिर्वा यदि वाऽसद्भिः पन्थानमिममाश्रितः । प्रत्यक्षं क्रियतां साधु ततो ज्ञास्यसि तद्यथा ॥

sadbhirvā yadi vā'sadbhiḥ panthānamimamāśritaḥ | pratyakṣaṃ kriyatāṃ sādhu tato jñāsyasi tadyathā

"Whether this path has been taken up by good men or by bad, let it be made plain before your eyes; then you will know how it stands."

Verse 2 (12.270.2)

एते शकुन्ता बहवः समन्ताद्विचरन्ति ह । तवोत्तमाङ्गे संभूताः श्येनाश्चान्याश्च जातयः ॥

ete śakuntā bahavaḥ samantādvicaranti ha | tavottamāṅge saṃbhūtāḥ śyenāścānyāśca jātayaḥ

"Here are many birds moving about on every side, born on the crown of your head: hawks and other kinds."

Verse 3 (12.270.3)

आहूयैनान्महाब्रह्मन्विशमानांस्ततस्ततः । पश्येमान्हस्तपादैश्च श्लिष्टान्देहेषु सर्वशः ॥

āhūyainānmahābrahmanviśamānāṃstatastataḥ | paśyemānhastapādaiśca śliṣṭāndeheṣu sarvaśaḥ

"Call them, great brahmin, as they enter their nests here and there, and see them with their limbs drawn in, clinging on every side."

Verse 4 (12.270.4)

संभावयन्ति पितरं त्वया संभाविताः स्वगाः । असंशयं पिता वै त्वं पुत्रानाह्वय जाजले ॥

saṃbhāvayanti pitaraṃ tvayā saṃbhāvitāḥ svagāḥ | asaṃśayaṃ pitā vai tvaṃ putrānāhvaya jājale

"Honoured by you, the birds honour their father. Without doubt you are their father: call your sons, Jajali."

Verse 5 (12.270.5)

ततो जाजलिना तेन समाहूताः पतत्रिणः । वाचमुच्चारयन्ति स्म धर्मस्य वचनात्किल ॥

tato jājalinā tena samāhūtāḥ patatriṇaḥ | vācamuccārayanti sma dharmasya vacanātkila

Then, called by Jajali, the birds uttered speech, it is said at the word of Dharma.

Verse 6 (12.270.6)

अहिंसादि कृतं कर्म इह चैव परत्र च । श्रद्धां निहन्ति वै ब्रह्मन्सा हता हन्ति तं नरम् ॥

ahiṃsādi kṛtaṃ karma iha caiva paratra ca | śraddhāṃ nihanti vai brahmansā hatā hanti taṃ naram

"An action that begins in violence, here and in the next world, kills faith, O brahmin; and faith, once killed, kills that man."

Note on the text: Speaker kept as headed on the page (Tuladhara); in the story the words are spoken by the birds (verse 5), and the CE gives no separate heading. Wikisource reads अहिंसादि … श्रद्धां where CE reads अहिंसादि … स्पर्धा; the page's own commentary takes the sense "action that begins in violence kills faith", which the translation follows.

Verse 7 (12.270.7)

समानां श्रद्दधानानां संयतानां सुचेतसाम् । कुर्वतां यज्ञ इत्येव न यज्ञो जातु नेष्यते ॥

samānāṃ śraddadhānānāṃ saṃyatānāṃ sucetasām | kurvatāṃ yajña ityeva na yajño jātu neṣyate

"For those who are even-minded, full of faith, restrained and pure of heart, who act thinking only 'this is sacrifice', no sacrifice is ever left unaccepted."

Note on the text: Identical to CE 12.256.20 (placed at the end of the CE adhyaya).

Verse 8 (12.270.8)

श्रद्धा वै सात्विकी देवी सूर्यस्य दुहिता द्विज । सावित्री प्रसवित्री च हविर्वाङ्मनसी ततः ॥

śraddhā vai sātvikī devī sūryasya duhitā dvija | sāvitrī prasavitrī ca havirvāṅmanasī tataḥ

"Faith, O brahmin, is the goddess of sattva, the daughter of the Sun; she is Savitri and the Bringer-forth, and after her come the oblation, speech and mind."

Note on the text: Corrected वाङ्भनसी → वाङ्मनसी (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म). Variant of CE 12.256.21.

Verse 9 (12.270.9)

वाग्वृद्धं त्रायते श्रद्धा मनोवृद्धं च जाजले । श्रद्धावृद्धं वाङ्मनसी न यज्ञस्त्रातुमर्हति ॥

vāgvṛddhaṃ trāyate śraddhā manovṛddhaṃ ca jājale | śraddhāvṛddhaṃ vāṅmanasī na yajñastrātumarhati

"Faith protects what speech has marred and what mind has marred, Jajali; but a sacrifice cannot save speech and mind that are marred in faith."

Note on the text: Corrected वाङ्भनसी → वाङ्मनसी (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म). Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.256.22a (भारत for जाजले); line 2 = CE 12.256.7a.

Verse 10 (12.270.10)

अत्र गाथा ब्रह्मगीताः कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः । शुचेरश्रद्दधानस्य श्रद्दधानस्य चाशुचेः ॥

atra gāthā brahmagītāḥ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | śuceraśraddadhānasya śraddadhānasya cāśuceḥ

"On this point those who know the old tales recite verses sung by Brahma, concerning a man who is pure but without faith, and one who has faith but is impure."

Note on the text: Corrected श्रद्दधानस्यर → श्रद्दधानस्य (misprint in Wikisource; stray र, CE 12.256.8a reads श्रद्दधानस्य). Line 1 = CE 12.256.7c; line 2 = CE 12.256.8a.

Verse 11 (12.270.11)

देवा वित्तममन्यन्त सदृशं यज्ञकर्मणि । श्रोत्रियस्य कदर्यस्य वदान्यस्य च वार्धुषेः ॥

devā vittamamanyanta sadṛśaṃ yajñakarmaṇi | śrotriyasya kadaryasya vadānyasya ca vārdhuṣeḥ

"For the work of sacrifice the gods deemed the wealth of the two alike: of a learned brahmin who is a miser, and of a generous man who is a usurer."

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.256.8c (वित्तम् for चित्तम्); line 2 = CE 12.256.9a.

Verse 12 (12.270.12)

मीमांसित्वोभयं देवाः सममन्नमकल्पयन् । प्रजापतिस्तानुवाच विषमं कृतमित्युत ॥

mīmāṃsitvobhayaṃ devāḥ samamannamakalpayan | prajāpatistānuvāca viṣamaṃ kṛtamityuta

"Having weighed both, the gods made their food equal. Prajapati said to them, 'What you have made is uneven.'"

Note on the text: = CE 12.256.9c, 10a.

Verse 13 (12.270.13)

श्रद्धापूतं वदान्यस्य हतमश्रद्धयेतरत् । भोज्यमन्नं वदान्यस्य कदर्यस्य न वार्धुषेः ॥

śraddhāpūtaṃ vadānyasya hatamaśraddhayetarat | bhojyamannaṃ vadānyasya kadaryasya na vārdhuṣeḥ

"The food of the generous man is purified by faith; the other's is destroyed by the lack of it. The food of the generous man is fit to eat, but not that of the miser or the usurer."

Note on the text: = CE 12.256.10c, 10e.

Verse 14 (12.270.14)

अश्रद्दधान एवैको देवानां नार्हते हविः । तस्यैवान्नं न भोक्तव्यमिति धर्मविदो विदुः ॥

aśraddadhāna evaiko devānāṃ nārhate haviḥ | tasyaivānnaṃ na bhoktavyamiti dharmavido viduḥ

"The faithless man alone is unfit to give the gods an offering, and his food is not to be eaten: so those who know dharma say."

Verse 15 (12.270.15)

अश्रद्धा परमं पापं श्रद्धा पापप्रमोचनी । जहाति पापं श्रद्धावान्सर्पो जीर्णामिव त्वचम् ॥

aśraddhā paramaṃ pāpaṃ śraddhā pāpapramocanī | jahāti pāpaṃ śraddhāvānsarpo jīrṇāmiva tvacam

"Lack of faith is the greatest sin; faith frees from sin. The man of faith sheds his sin as a snake sheds its old skin."

Verse 16 (12.270.16)

ज्यायसी या पवित्राणां निवृत्तिः श्रद्धया सह । निवृत्तशीलदोषो यः श्रद्धावान्पूत एव सः ॥

jyāyasī yā pavitrāṇāṃ nivṛttiḥ śraddhayā saha | nivṛttaśīladoṣo yaḥ śraddhāvānpūta eva saḥ

"Among purifiers the greatest is abstention joined with faith. One whose faults of conduct have ceased, and who has faith, is truly pure."

Verse 17 (12.270.17)

किं तस्य तपसा कार्यं किं वृत्तेन किमात्मना । श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥

kiṃ tasya tapasā kāryaṃ kiṃ vṛttena kimātmanā | śraddhāmayo'yaṃ puruṣo yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

"What need has he of austerity, of conduct, of the self? This person is made of faith; whatever one's faith is, that he is."

Verse 18 (12.270.18)

इति धर्मः समाख्यातः सद्भिर्धर्मार्थदर्शिभिः । वयं जिज्ञासमानास्तु संप्राप्ता धर्मदर्शनात् ॥

iti dharmaḥ samākhyātaḥ sadbhirdharmārthadarśibhiḥ | vayaṃ jijñāsamānāstu saṃprāptā dharmadarśanāt

"Thus dharma has been declared by the good, who see dharma and its aim; and we, wishing to know, have come here to see dharma."

Verse 19 (12.270.19)

श्रद्धां कुरु महाप्राज्ञ ततः प्राप्स्यसि यत्परम् ॥

śraddhāṃ kuru mahāprājña tataḥ prāpsyasi yatparam

"Have faith, O man of great wisdom; then you will reach the highest."

Note on the text: A single line on the page (12-270-19a only). It is a variant of CE 12.256.16a (स्पर्धां जहि for श्रद्धां कुरु); the CE's lines 16c and 16e appear in this Wikisource adhyaya as the third line of verse 21 and as verse 22, so nothing is lost here.

Verse 20 (12.270.20)

न वै मुनीनां शृणुमः स्म तत्वं । पृच्छामि ते वाणिज तत्वमेतत् । पूर्वे हि पूर्वेऽप्यनवेक्षमाणा । नातः परं ते ऋषयः स्थापयन्ति ॥

na vai munīnāṃ śṛṇumaḥ sma tatvaṃ | pṛcchāmi te vāṇija tatvametat | pūrve hi pūrve'pyanavekṣamāṇā | nātaḥ paraṃ te ṛṣayaḥ sthāpayanti

"Truly we have not heard this truth from the sages. I ask you about this, trader: those who came before did not look beyond it, and beyond this the seers set up nothing further."

Note on the text: Speaker heading "जाजलिरुवाच" slipped into the verse text (printed with a stray backtick); removed and made the speaker (the input had carried Tuladhara over). Corrected शृणुमश्च → शृणुमः स्म (misprint in Wikisource; compare 269.36 and CE 12.255.35a). Bracketed lines repeating 269.36 = CE 12.255.35; not in CE adhyaya 12.256.

Verse 21 (12.270.21)

यस्मिन्नेवानुतीर्थेन पशवः प्राप्नुयुः सुखम् । पत्नीव्रतेन विधिना प्रकरोति नियोजयन् । श्रद्धावाञ्श्रद्दधानश्च धर्मश्चैव हि वाणिज ॥

yasminnevānutīrthena paśavaḥ prāpnuyuḥ sukham | patnīvratena vidhinā prakaroti niyojayan | śraddhāvāñśraddadhānaśca dharmaścaiva hi vāṇija

"Where, by the way of the ford, animals would find happiness, he carries it out by the wife's vow and by rule, directing it. The man of faith, the believer, and dharma too, O trader."

Note on the text: Removed the stray closing quote mark after line 2. Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.255.36a (compare 269.37); line 2 = CE 12.255.38a (compare 269.39); line 3 = CE 12.256.16c. Speaker Jajali kept as headed on the page (heading 12-270-20x).

Verse 22 (12.270.22)

स्ववर्त्मनि स्थितश्चैव गरीयानेव जाजले ॥

svavartmani sthitaścaiva garīyāneva jājale

"Established on his own path, he is indeed the greater, Jajali."

Note on the text: A single line on the page (12-270-22a). = CE 12.256.16e (गरीयान् एष for गरीयानेव).

Verse 23 (12.270.23)

ततोऽचिरेण कालेन तुलाधारः स एव च । दिवं गत्वा महाप्राज्ञौ विहरेतां यथासुखम् । स्वंस्वं स्थानमुपागम्य स्वकर्मफलनिर्मितम् ॥

tato'cireṇa kālena tulādhāraḥ sa eva ca | divaṃ gatvā mahāprājñau viharetāṃ yathāsukham | svaṃsvaṃ sthānamupāgamya svakarmaphalanirmitam

Then, in no long time, Tuladhara and that other, both of great wisdom, went to heaven and lived at ease, each coming to his own abode made by the fruit of his own deeds.

Verse 24 (12.270.24)

एवं बहुविधार्थं च तुलाधारेण भाषितम् । सम्यक्चैवमुपालब्धो धर्मश्चोक्तः सनातनः ॥

evaṃ bahuvidhārthaṃ ca tulādhāreṇa bhāṣitam | samyakcaivamupālabdho dharmaścoktaḥ sanātanaḥ

So Tuladhara spoke on many matters, and in this way the eternal dharma was properly grasped and declared.

Note on the text: Corrected भापितम् → भाषितम् (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, CE 12.256.17a reads भाषितम्). Variant of CE 12.256.17 (बहुविधार्थम् for बहुमतार्थम्).

Verse 25 (12.270.25)

तस्य विख्यातवीर्यस्य श्रुत्वा वाक्यानि जाजलिः । तुलाधारस्य कौन्तेय शान्तिमेवान्वपद्यत ॥

tasya vikhyātavīryasya śrutvā vākyāni jājaliḥ | tulādhārasya kaunteya śāntimevānvapadyata

Hearing the words of the renowned and mighty Tuladhara, O son of Kunti, Jajali attained peace.

Verse 26 (12.270.26)

समानां श्रद्दधानानां युक्तानां च यथाबलम् । कुर्वतां यज्ञ इत्येव नायज्ञो जातु नेष्यते ॥

samānāṃ śraddadhānānāṃ yuktānāṃ ca yathābalam | kurvatāṃ yajña ityeva nāyajño jātu neṣyate

For those who are even-minded, full of faith and disciplined, each according to his strength, who act thinking only 'this is sacrifice', even what is not a sacrifice is never refused as one.

Note on the text: Removed the wiki quote marks and the stray "।।" printed with them. A bracketed variant of verse 7 (compare CE 12.256.20).

Verse 27 (12.270.27)

एवं बहुमतार्थं च तुलाधारेण भाषितम् । यथौपम्योपदेशेन किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥

evaṃ bahumatārthaṃ ca tulādhāreṇa bhāṣitam | yathaupamyopadeśena kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi

"So Tuladhara spoke, with much that is approved, by way of examples. What more do you wish to hear?"

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.256.17a; line 2 = CE 12.256.22c (यथौपम्योपदेशेन…).