The Gleaner's Sacrifice and the Deer

Verse 1 (12.278.1)

बहूनां यज्ञतपसामेकार्थानां पितामह । धर्मार्थं न सुखार्थार्थं कथं यज्ञः समाहितः ॥

bahūnāṃ yajñatapasāmekārthānāṃ pitāmaha | dharmārthaṃ na sukhārthārthaṃ kathaṃ yajñaḥ samāhitaḥ

Of many sacrifices and austerities that have a single purpose, grandfather, how is a sacrifice undertaken for dharma and not for the sake of pleasure?

Verse 2 (12.278.2)

अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि नारदेनानुकीर्तितम् । उञ्छवृत्तेः पुरावृत्तं यज्ञार्थे ब्राह्मणस्य च ॥

atra te vartayiṣyāmi nāradenānukīrtitam | uñchavṛtteḥ purāvṛttaṃ yajñārthe brāhmaṇasya ca

On this I shall tell you what Narada related: the old tale of a Brahmin who lived by gleaning, concerning sacrifice.

Verse 3 (12.278.3)

राष्ट्रे धर्मोत्तरे श्रेष्ठे विदर्भेष्वभवद्द्विजः । उञ्छवृत्तिर्ऋषिः कश्चिद्यज्ञं यष्टुं समादधे ॥

rāṣṭre dharmottare śreṣṭhe vidarbheṣvabhavaddvijaḥ | uñchavṛttirṛṣiḥ kaścidyajñaṃ yaṣṭuṃ samādadhe

In Vidarbha, a most excellent realm of great righteousness, there lived a twice-born, a certain sage who lived by gleaning, who undertook to perform a sacrifice.

Verse 4 (12.278.4)

श्यामाकमशनं तत्र सूर्यपर्णी सुवर्चला । तिक्तं च विरसं शाकं तपसा स्वादुतां गतम् ॥

śyāmākamaśanaṃ tatra sūryaparṇī suvarcalā | tiktaṃ ca virasaṃ śākaṃ tapasā svādutāṃ gatam

His food there was wild millet, with suryaparni and suvarchala plants; and the bitter, tasteless greens became sweet through his austerity.

Verse 5 (12.278.5)

उपगम्य वने पृथ्वीं सर्वभूताविहिंसया । अपि मूलफलैरिष्टो यज्ञः स्वर्ग्यः परंतप ॥

upagamya vane pṛthvīṃ sarvabhūtāvihiṃsayā | api mūlaphalairiṣṭo yajñaḥ svargyaḥ paraṃtapa

Resorting in the forest to the earth, with no harm to any being, a sacrifice performed even with roots and fruits leads to heaven, O scourge of foes.

Verse 6 (12.278.6)

तस्य भार्या व्रतकृशा शुचिः पुष्करमालिनी । यज्ञपत्नी समानीता सत्येनानुविधीयते ॥

tasya bhāryā vratakṛśā śuciḥ puṣkaramālinī | yajñapatnī samānītā satyenānuvidhīyate

His wife, thin from her vows, pure, wearing a garland of lotuses, was brought forward as the sacrificer's wife; she follows the rule of truth.

Note on the text: Not marked in the alignment. Lines 1-2 = CE 12.264.6a, 6c.

Verse 7 (12.278.7)

सा तु शापपरित्रस्ता तत्स्वभावानुवर्तिनी । मायूरजीर्णपर्णानां वस्त्रं तस्याश्च वर्णितम् ॥

sā tu śāpaparitrastā tatsvabhāvānuvartinī | māyūrajīrṇaparṇānāṃ vastraṃ tasyāśca varṇitam

Terrified of a curse, she followed his nature; and her garment, it is said, was made of old peacock feathers.

Note on the text: Corrected तत्स्वभावानुर्तिनी → तत्स्वभावानुवर्तिनी (misprint in Wikisource; व dropped; CE svabhāvānuvartinī). Not marked in the alignment. Line 1 = CE 12.264.6e (sā tu śāpaparitrastā na svabhāvānuvartinī; Wikisource तत्स्वभाव- for CE na svabhāva-, kept as a variant); line 2 = CE 12.264.7a.

Verse 8 (12.278.8)

अकामया कृतस्तत्र यज्ञो होत्रानुमार्गतः । शुक्रस्य पुनराजातिरवध्यानादधर्मवत् ॥

akāmayā kṛtastatra yajño hotrānumārgataḥ | śukrasya punarājātiravadhyānādadharmavat

The sacrifice there was performed by her unwillingly, following the course of the hotr rites. Shukra's rebirth came through neglect, as of one without dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected होत्रनुमार्गतः → होत्रानुमार्गतः (misprint in Wikisource; long ā dropped; CE hotrānumārgataḥ). Corrected शुकस्य → शुक्रस्य (misprint in Wikisource; conjunct dropped (शुक "parrot" makes no sense here); CE śukrasya). Not marked in the alignment. Line 1 = CE 12.264.7c (akāmāyāḥ kṛtaṃ tatra yajñe hotrānumārgataḥ); line 2 = CE 12.264.8a (śukrasya punar ājātir apadhyānād adharmavit; Wikisource अवध्यानात्/अधर्मवत् kept as printed).

Verse 9 (12.278.9)

तस्मिन्वने समीपस्थो मृगोऽभूत्सहचारिकः । वचोभिरब्रवीत्सत्यं त्वयेदं दुष्कृतं कृतम् ॥

tasminvane samīpastho mṛgo'bhūtsahacārikaḥ | vacobhirabravītsatyaṃ tvayedaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam

In that forest a deer, who lived near him as his companion, spoke words of truth: "This wrong has been done by you."

Note on the text: Not marked in the alignment. Line 1 = CE 12.264.8c; line 2 = CE 12.264.8e.

Verse 10 (12.278.10)

यदि मन्त्राङ्गहीनोऽयं यज्ञो भवति वैकृतः । मां भोः प्रक्षिप होत्रे त्वं गच्छ स्वर्गमतन्द्रितः ॥

yadi mantrāṅgahīno'yaṃ yajño bhavati vaikṛtaḥ | māṃ bhoḥ prakṣipa hotre tvaṃ gaccha svargamatandritaḥ

"If this sacrifice, lacking its mantras and limbs, is defective, then, sir, throw me into the oblation fire, and go to heaven without weariness."

Note on the text: Corrected मा भोःप्रक्षिप → मां भोः प्रक्षिप (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara dropped, so that the printed मा would be the prohibitive "do not", flipping the sense, and the visarga is run into the next word; CE māṃ bhoḥ prakṣipa). Speaker corrected: the verse is the deer's speech to the sage ("throw me into the oblation"), introduced by verse 9; the input carried over Narada.

Verse 11 (12.278.11)

ततस्तु यज्ञे सावित्री साक्षात्तं संन्यमन्त्रयत् । निमन्त्रयन्ती प्रत्युक्ता न हन्यां सहवासिनम् ॥

tatastu yajñe sāvitrī sākṣāttaṃ saṃnyamantrayat | nimantrayantī pratyuktā na hanyāṃ sahavāsinam

Then at the sacrifice Savitri herself, in person, invited him; as she invited, she was answered, "I will not kill one who lives with me."

Verse 12 (12.278.12)

एवमुक्त्वा निवृत्ता सा प्रवृत्ता यज्ञपावकात् । किंनु दुश्चरितं यज्ञे दिदृक्षुः सा रसातलम् ॥

evamuktvā nivṛttā sā pravṛttā yajñapāvakāt | kiṃnu duścaritaṃ yajñe didṛkṣuḥ sā rasātalam

Having spoken, she turned back and went forth from the sacrificial fire, eager to see the nether world: what misconduct could there be in the sacrifice?

Verse 13 (12.278.13)

स तु बद्धाञ्जलिं सत्यमयाचद्धरिणः पुनः । सत्येन स परिष्वज्य संदिष्टो गम्यतामिति ॥

sa tu baddhāñjaliṃ satyamayācaddhariṇaḥ punaḥ | satyena sa pariṣvajya saṃdiṣṭo gamyatāmiti

Again the deer begged, sincerely, of him who stood with palms joined; he embraced him in truth and said, "Go."

Verse 14 (12.278.14)

ततः स हरिणो गत्वा पदान्यष्टौ न्यवर्तत । साधु हिंसय मां सत्य हतो यास्यामि सद्गतिम् ॥

tataḥ sa hariṇo gatvā padānyaṣṭau nyavartata | sādhu hiṃsaya māṃ satya hato yāsyāmi sadgatim

Then the deer went eight steps and turned back: "Kill me, truthful one, do; slain, I shall go to a good state."

Note on the text: Corrected सद्गदितम् → सद्गतिम् (misprint in Wikisource; garbled; CE sadgatim ("a good state")).

Verse 15 (12.278.15)

पश्य ह्यप्सरसो दिव्या मया दत्तेन चक्षुषा । विमानानि विचित्राणि गन्धर्वाणां महात्मनाम् ॥

paśya hyapsaraso divyā mayā dattena cakṣuṣā | vimānāni vicitrāṇi gandharvāṇāṃ mahātmanām

"Look at the divine apsarases with the sight I have given you, and the wondrous celestial cars of the great Gandharvas."

Note on the text: Speaker corrected: the whole verse is the deer's speech to the sage ("behold the apsarases with the sight I have given you"); no heading is printed, and the input carried over Narada.

Verse 16 (12.278.16)

ततः स सुचिरं दृष्ट्वा स्पृहालग्नेन चक्षुषा । मृगमालोक्य हिंसायां स्वर्गवासं समर्थयत् ॥

tataḥ sa suciraṃ dṛṣṭvā spṛhālagnena cakṣuṣā | mṛgamālokya hiṃsāyāṃ svargavāsaṃ samarthayat

Then, after gazing long with an eye caught by longing, and looking at the deer, he persuaded himself that in violence lay a dwelling in heaven.

Verse 17 (12.278.17)

स तु धर्मो मृगो भूत्वा बहुवर्षोषितो वने । तस्य निष्कृतिमाधत्त न त्वसौ यज्ञसंविधिः ॥

sa tu dharmo mṛgo bhūtvā bahuvarṣoṣito vane | tasya niṣkṛtimādhatta na tvasau yajñasaṃvidhiḥ

That Dharma, having become a deer and lived many years in the forest, arranged atonement for him; for that was not the right procedure of sacrifice.

Verse 18 (12.278.18)

तस्य तेनानुभावेन मृगहिंसात्मनस्तदा । तपो महत्समुच्छिन्नं तस्माद्धिंसा न यज्ञिया ॥

tasya tenānubhāvena mṛgahiṃsātmanastadā | tapo mahatsamucchinnaṃ tasmāddhiṃsā na yajñiyā

Because of that disposition, his great austerity was cut off then, he whose mind was bent on killing the deer; therefore violence is not fit for sacrifice.

Verse 19 (12.278.19)

ततस्तं भगवान्धर्मो यज्ञं याजयत स्वयम् । समाधानं च भार्याया लेभे स तपसा परम् ॥

tatastaṃ bhagavāndharmo yajñaṃ yājayata svayam | samādhānaṃ ca bhāryāyā lebhe sa tapasā param

Then the Blessed Dharma himself made him perform the sacrifice, and through austerity he gained the utmost reconciliation with his wife.

Verse 20 (12.278.20)

अहिंसा परो धर्मो हिंसाधर्मस्तथा हितः । सत्यं तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि नो धर्मः सत्यवादिनाम् ॥

ahiṃsā paro dharmo hiṃsādharmastathā hitaḥ | satyaṃ te'haṃ pravakṣyāmi no dharmaḥ satyavādinām

Non-violence is the highest dharma, and the dharma of violence is likewise said to be beneficial. I shall tell you the truth: it is our dharma, the dharma of those who speak truthfully.