The Fowler and the Birds, the Honey and the Precipice

Verse 1 (5.64.1)

शकुनीनामिहार्थाय पाशं भूमावयोजयत् । कश्चिच्छाकुनिकस्तात पूर्वेषामिति शुश्रुम ॥

śakunīnāmihārthāya pāśaṃ bhūmāvayojayat | kaścicchākunikastāta pūrveṣāmiti śuśruma

We have heard, my dear, that long ago a certain fowler laid a net on the ground to catch birds.

Note on the text: Corrected शुश्रुम् → शुश्रुम (misprint in Wikisource; stray virama, critical edition śuśruma).

Verse 2 (5.64.2)

तस्मिंस्तौ शकुनौ बद्धौ युगपत्सहचारिणौ । तावुपादाय तं पाशं जग्मतुः खचरावुभौ ॥

tasmiṃstau śakunau baddhau yugapatsahacāriṇau | tāvupādāya taṃ pāśaṃ jagmatuḥ khacarāvubhau

Two birds that always flew together were caught in it at the same moment. Taking the net up with them, both those rovers of the sky flew away.

Verse 3 (5.64.3)

तौ विहायसमाक्रान्तौ दृष्ट्वा शाकुनिकस्तदा । अन्वधावदनिर्विण्णो येन येन स्म गच्छतः ॥

tau vihāyasamākrāntau dṛṣṭvā śākunikastadā | anvadhāvadanirviṇṇo yena yena sma gacchataḥ

Seeing them climb into the sky, the fowler ran after them untiringly, wherever they went.

Verse 4 (5.64.4)

तथा तमनुधावन्तमृगयुं शकुनार्थिनम् । आश्रमस्थो मुनिः कश्चिद्ददर्शाथ कृताह्निकः ॥

tathā tamanudhāvantamṛgayuṃ śakunārthinam | āśramastho muniḥ kaściddadarśātha kṛtāhnikaḥ

A sage who lived in a hermitage, and who had finished his daily rites, saw the hunter running after them in this way in hope of the birds.

Verse 5 (5.64.5)

तावन्तरिक्षगौ शीघ्रमनुयान्तं महीचरम् । श्लोकेनानेन कौरव्य पप्रच्छ स मुनिस्तदा ॥

tāvantarikṣagau śīghramanuyāntaṃ mahīcaram | ślokenānena kauravya papraccha sa munistadā

Seeing that earth-bound man swiftly following the two in the sky, O Kauravya, the sage then questioned him in this verse:

Note on the text: Corrected पप्च्छ → पप्रच्छ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र, critical edition papraccha).

Verse 6 (5.64.6)

विचित्रमिदमाश्चर्यं मृगहन्प्रतिभाति मे । प्लवमानौ हि खचरौ पदातिरनुधावसि ॥

vicitramidamāścaryaṃ mṛgahanpratibhāti me | plavamānau hi khacarau padātiranudhāvasi

This seems to me strange and wonderful, hunter: the two birds are flying, and you on foot are running after them!

Note on the text: Speaker: the sage's question is quoted within Vidura's story; no heading is printed, but the verse is wholly his words (introduced by verse 5), so it is given to the sage, as the page itself gives the fowler's reply to the fowler.

Verse 7 (5.64.7)

पाशमेकमुभावेतौ सहितौ हरतो मम । यत्र वै विवदिष्येते तत्र मे वशमेष्यतः ॥

pāśamekamubhāvetau sahitau harato mama | yatra vai vivadiṣyete tatra me vaśameṣyataḥ

These two together are carrying off my one net. Where they fall to quarrelling, there they will come into my power.

Verse 8 (5.64.8)

तौ विवादमनुप्राप्तौ शकुनौ मृत्युसन्धितौ । विगृह्य च सुदुर्बुद्धी पृथिव्यां संनिपेततुः ॥

tau vivādamanuprāptau śakunau mṛtyusandhitau | vigṛhya ca sudurbuddhī pṛthivyāṃ saṃnipetatuḥ

Those two birds, bound for death, fell to quarrelling; and grappling with each other, the foolish pair dropped to the ground.

Note on the text: Corrected स्रुदुर्बुद्धी → सुदुर्बुद्धी (misprint in Wikisource; स्रु for सु, critical edition sudurbuddhī).

Verse 9 (5.64.9)

तौ युध्यमानौ संरब्धौ मृत्युपाशवशानुगौ । उपसृत्य प्रमत्तौ तौ जग्राह मृगहा तदा ॥

tau yudhyamānau saṃrabdhau mṛtyupāśavaśānugau | upasṛtya pramattau tau jagrāha mṛgahā tadā

As they fought in fury, in thrall to the noose of death, the hunter crept up and seized the two heedless birds.

Verse 10 (5.64.10)

एवं ये ज्ञातयोऽर्थेषु मिथो गच्छन्ति विग्रहम् । ते मृत्युवशमायान्ति शकुनाविव विग्रहात् ॥

evaṃ ye jñātayo'rtheṣu mitho gacchanti vigraham | te mṛtyuvaśamāyānti śakunāviva vigrahāt

So too kinsmen who fall out with one another over wealth come into the power of death, like the two birds through their quarrel.

Verse 11 (5.64.11)

संभोजनं संकथनं संप्रश्नोऽथ समागमः । एतानि ज्ञातिकार्याणि न विरोधः कदाचन ॥

saṃbhojanaṃ saṃkathanaṃ saṃpraśno'tha samāgamaḥ | etāni jñātikāryāṇi na virodhaḥ kadācana

Eating together, talking together, asking after one another and meeting together — these are the business of kinsmen, never strife.

Verse 12 (5.64.12)

ये स्म काले सुमनसः सर्वे वृद्धानुपासते । सिंहगुप्तमिवारण्यमप्रधृष्या भवन्ति ते ॥

ye sma kāle sumanasaḥ sarve vṛddhānupāsate | siṃhaguptamivāraṇyamapradhṛṣyā bhavanti te

Those who, all of one mind, wait upon their elders in due season become unassailable, like a forest guarded by a lion.

Verse 13 (5.64.13)

येऽर्थं सन्ततमासाद्य दीना इव समासते । श्रियं ते संप्रयच्छन्ति द्विषद्भ्यो भरतर्षभ ॥

ye'rthaṃ santatamāsādya dīnā iva samāsate | śriyaṃ te saṃprayacchanti dviṣadbhyo bharatarṣabha

Those who, having gained lasting wealth, sit about like paupers, hand their fortune over to their enemies, O bull of the Bharatas.

Verse 14 (5.64.14)

धूमायन्ते व्यपेतानि ज्वलन्ति सहितानि च । धृतराष्ट्रोल्मुकानीव ज्ञातयो भरतर्षभ ॥

dhūmāyante vyapetāni jvalanti sahitāni ca | dhṛtarāṣṭrolmukānīva jñātayo bharatarṣabha

Kinsmen, Dhritarashtra, are like firebrands, O bull of the Bharatas: apart they only smoke; together they blaze.

Verse 15 (5.64.15)

इदमन्यत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा दृष्टं गिरौ मया । श्रुत्वा तदपि कौरव्य यथा श्रेयस्तथा कुरु ॥

idamanyatpravakṣyāmi yathā dṛṣṭaṃ girau mayā | śrutvā tadapi kauravya yathā śreyastathā kuru

I will tell you something else, as I saw it on a mountain. Hear this too, Kauravya, and then do what is best.

Verse 16 (5.64.16)

वयं किरातैः सहिता गच्छामो गिरिमुत्तरम् । ब्राह्मणैर्देवकल्पैश्च विद्याजम्भकवार्तिकैः ॥

vayaṃ kirātaiḥ sahitā gacchāmo girimuttaram | brāhmaṇairdevakalpaiśca vidyājambhakavārtikaiḥ

Together with Kiratas, and with godlike brahmins versed in spells and in the preparation of potent herbs, we went to the northern mountain,

Verse 17 (5.64.17)

कुञ्जभूतं गिरिं सर्वमभितो गन्धमादनम् । दीप्यमानौषधिगणं सिद्धगन्धर्वसेवितम् ॥

kuñjabhūtaṃ giriṃ sarvamabhito gandhamādanam | dīpyamānauṣadhigaṇaṃ siddhagandharvasevitam

Gandhamadana, the whole mountain like a bower of creepers on every side, its clusters of herbs glowing, the haunt of siddhas and gandharvas.

Note on the text: Corrected कुञ्चभूतं → कुञ्जभूतं (misprint in Wikisource; च for ज, critical edition kuñjabhūtaṃ; the page's own commentary reads कुञ्जभूतं).

Verse 18 (5.64.18)

तत्रापश्याम वै सर्वे मधु पीतकमाक्षिकम् । मरुप्रपाते विषमे निविष्टं कुम्भसंमितम् ॥

tatrāpaśyāma vai sarve madhu pītakamākṣikam | maruprapāte viṣame niviṣṭaṃ kumbhasaṃmitam

There we all saw yellow bee-honey, a full pot's measure, lodged on a perilous ledge above a sheer drop,

Verse 19 (5.64.19)

आशीविषै रक्ष्यमाणं कुबेरदयितं भृशम् । यत्प्राप्य पुरुषो मर्त्योऽप्यमरत्वं निगच्छति ॥

āśīviṣai rakṣyamāṇaṃ kuberadayitaṃ bhṛśam | yatprāpya puruṣo martyo'pyamaratvaṃ nigacchati

guarded by venomous serpents and dearly loved by Kubera. A mortal man who gains it attains immortality;

Note on the text: Corrected नियच्छति → निगच्छति (misprint in Wikisource; य for ग — नियच्छति "restrains" gives no sense with अमरत्वं; critical edition nigacchati). यत्प्राप्य (critical edition yat prāśya) is kept as a variant.

Verse 20 (5.64.20)

अचक्षुर्लभते चक्षुर्वृद्धो भवति वै युवा । इति ते कथयन्तिस्म ब्राह्मणा जम्भसाधकाः ॥

acakṣurlabhate cakṣurvṛddho bhavati vai yuvā | iti te kathayantisma brāhmaṇā jambhasādhakāḥ

the blind gain sight and the old become young — so the brahmins who prepared potions told us.

Verse 21 (5.64.21)

ततः किरातास्तद्दृष्ट्वा प्रार्थयन्तो महीपते । विनेशुर्विषमे तस्मिन्ससर्पे गिरिगह्वरे ॥

tataḥ kirātāstaddṛṣṭvā prārthayanto mahīpate | vineśurviṣame tasminsasarpe girigahvare

Then the Kiratas, seeing it, craved it, O lord of the earth, and perished in that perilous mountain chasm full of serpents.

Verse 22 (5.64.22)

तथैव तव पुत्रोऽयं पृथिवीमेक इच्छति । मधु पश्यति संमोहात्प्रपातं नानुपश्यति ॥

tathaiva tava putro'yaṃ pṛthivīmeka icchati | madhu paśyati saṃmohātprapātaṃ nānupaśyati

Just so this son of yours wants the earth for himself alone. In his delusion he sees the honey, but he does not see the fall.

Verse 23 (5.64.23)

दुर्योधनो योद्धुमनाः समरे सव्यसाचिना । न च पश्यामि तेजोऽस्य विक्रमं वा तथाविधम् ॥

duryodhano yoddhumanāḥ samare savyasācinā | na ca paśyāmi tejo'sya vikramaṃ vā tathāvidham

Duryodhana is eager to fight Savyasachin in battle, but I see no such energy or prowess in him.

Note on the text: Corrected तेजोस्य → तेजोऽस्य (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha, critical edition tejo 'sya).

Verse 24 (5.64.24)

एकेन रथमास्थाय पृथिवी येन निर्जिता । भीष्मद्रोणप्रभृतयः सन्त्रस्ताः साधुयायिनः ॥

ekena rathamāsthāya pṛthivī yena nirjitā | bhīṣmadroṇaprabhṛtayaḥ santrastāḥ sādhuyāyinaḥ

He who, mounted on a single chariot, conquered the earth — before him Bhishma, Drona and the rest, good fighters though they are, took fright

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 5.62.29ab; line 2 is its star passage 5.62.29b*0358, line 1 (not in the critical edition's text).

Verse 25 (5.64.25)

विराटनगरे भग्नाः किं तत्र तव दृश्यताम् । प्रतीक्षमाणो यो वीरः क्षमते वीक्षितं तव ॥

virāṭanagare bhagnāḥ kiṃ tatra tava dṛśyatām | pratīkṣamāṇo yo vīraḥ kṣamate vīkṣitaṃ tava

and were routed at Virata's city — what did you see in that? That hero is still waiting, bearing patiently with your intent.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's star passage 5.62.29b*0358, line 2 (not in its text); line 2 is 5.62.29cd.

Verse 26 (5.64.26)

द्रुपदो मत्स्यराजश्च सङ्क्रुद्धश्च धनञ्जयः । न शेषयेयुः समरे वायुयुक्ता इवाग्नयः ॥

drupado matsyarājaśca saṅkruddhaśca dhanañjayaḥ | na śeṣayeyuḥ samare vāyuyuktā ivāgnayaḥ

Drupada, the king of the Matsyas and Dhananjaya roused to fury would leave no one alive in battle, like fires driven by the wind.

Note on the text: Corrected सङ्कुद्धश्च → सङ्क्रुद्धश्च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र in the conjunct, critical edition saṃkruddhaś ca).

Verse 27 (5.64.27)

अङ्के कुरुष्व राजानं धृतराष्ट्र युधिष्ठिरम् । युध्यतोर्हि द्वयोर्युद्धे नैकान्तेन भवेज्जयः ॥

aṅke kuruṣva rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭra yudhiṣṭhiram | yudhyatorhi dvayoryuddhe naikāntena bhavejjayaḥ

Take King Yudhishthira to your lap, Dhritarashtra. When two sides fight a war, victory is never certain for either.

Note on the text: Corrected भवेञ्जयः → भवेज्जयः (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्ज for ज्ज, critical edition bhavej jayaḥ).