गुरुलाघवमाज्ञाय धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये। यतो भूयांस्ततो राजन्कुरु धर्मविनिश्चयम्
Knowing the relative weight of righteousness and unrighteousness, O King, wherever there is greater merit, there you should determine the course of dharma.
बहुकल्याणसंयुक्तं भाषसे विहगोत्तम। सुपर्णः पक्षिराट् किं त्वं धर्मं ज्ञात्वाऽभिभाषसे
You speak words filled with much goodness, O best among birds; are you, Suparna, king of birds, speaking thus having understood dharma?
तथाहि धर्मसंयुक्तं बहुचित्रं च भाषसे। न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिदिति त्वां लक्षयाम्यहम्। शरणैषिपरित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे
Indeed, you speak of dharma with much variety; I perceive that nothing is unknown to you. How then do you consider the abandonment of one seeking refuge as virtuous?
आहारार्थं समारम्भस्तव चायं विहंगम। शक्यश्चाप्यन्यथा कर्तुमाहारोऽप्यधिकस्त्वया
This effort of yours, O bird, is for the sake of food; yet you are capable of obtaining food by other means, and even more abundantly.
गोवृषो वा वराहो वा मृगो वा महिषोपि वा। त्वदर्थमद्य क्रियतां यच्चान्यदिह काङ्क्षसि
Let a bull, a boar, a deer, or even a buffalo be prepared for you today, or whatever else you desire here.
न वराहं न चोक्षाणं न मृगान्विविधांस्तथा। भक्षयामि महाराज किं ममान्येन केचचित्
I do not eat boars, nor bulls, nor various kinds of deer, O great king; what concern have I with any other creature?
यस्तु मे दैवविहितो भक्षः क्षत्रियपुङ्गव। तमुत्सृज महीपाल कपोतमिममेव मे
That which is destined for me by fate, O foremost of warriors, grant me that, O ruler of the earth—this pigeon alone is my allotted food.
श्येनाः कपोतान्स्वादन्ति श्रुतिरेषा सनातनी। मा राजन्सारमज्ञात्वा कदलीस्कन्धमासज
Hawks eat pigeons—this is the eternal tradition; O King, do not, ignorant of the essence, cling to the stalk of the banana tree.
राष्ट्रं शिवीनामृद्धं वै शाधि पक्षिभिरर्चितः। कृत्स्नमेतन्मया दत्तं राजवद्विहगोत्तम
Rule the prosperous kingdom of the Shivis, honored by birds; all this has been given to you by me, O best among birds, as a king.
यं वा कामयसे कामं श्येन सर्वं ददानि ते। विनेमं पक्षिणं श्यन शरणार्थिनमागतम्
Whatever you desire, O hawk, I shall give it all to you, except for this bird who has come seeking refuge, O hawk.
येनेमं स्थापयेथास्त्वं कर्मणा पक्षिसत्तम। तदाचक्ष्व करिष्यामि न हि दास्ये कपोतकम्
By whatever act you would keep this bird, O best among birds, tell me that—I shall do it; but I will not give up the pigeon.
उशीनर कपोते ते यदि स्नेहो नराधिप। आत्मनो मांसमुत्कृत्य कपोततुलया धृतम्
O Ushinara, if you have affection for the pigeon, O lord of men, then cut flesh from your own body and weigh it equal to the pigeon.
यदा समं कपोतेन तव मांसं नृपोत्तम। त्वया प्रदेयं तन्मह्यं सा मे तुष्टिर्भविष्यति
When your flesh, O best of kings, is given to me equal in weight to the pigeon, then I shall be satisfied.
अनुग्रहमिमं मन्ये श्येन यन्माभियाचसे। तस्मात्तेऽद्य प्रदास्यामि स्वमांसं तुलया धृतम्
I consider this request of yours, O hawk, as a favor; therefore today I shall give you my own flesh, weighed on the scale.
अथोत्कृत्य स्वमांसं तु राजा परमधर्मवित्। तुलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन समं विभो
Then, having cut his own flesh, the king, knower of supreme dharma, weighed it, O son of Kunti, equal to the pigeon.
ध्रियमाणः कपोतस्तु मांसेनात्यतिरिच्यते। पुनश्चोत्कृत्यमांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनरः
But as the pigeon was weighed, it exceeded the flesh; again the king Ushinara cut more flesh and gave it.
न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन समं धृतम्। तत उत्कृत्तमांसोऽसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम्
When there was no flesh equal in weight to the pigeon, then the king himself climbed onto the scale, having cut his own flesh.
इन्द्रोऽहमस्मि धर्मज्ञ कपोतो हव्यवाडयम्। जिज्ञासमानौ धर्म त्वां यज्ञवाटमुपागतौ
I am Indra, O knower of dharma; the pigeon is Agni, the eater of offerings. We came to you at the sacrificial altar, seeking to test your righteousness.
यत्ते मांसानि गात्रेभ्य उक्तृत्तानि विशांपते। एषा ते शाश्वती कीर्तिर्लोकानभिभविष्यति
The flesh that you have cut from your own limbs, O lord of men, will grant you eternal fame that shall surpass all worlds.
यावल्लोके मनुष्यास्त्वां कथयिष्यन्ति पार्थिव। तावत्कीर्तिश्च लोकाश्च स्थास्यन्ति तव शाश्वताः
As long as people in the world speak of you, O king, so long will your fame and your realms endure, everlasting.
इत्युक्त्वा भूमिपतये तस्मै दत्त्वा यथेप्सितम्। प्रशस्य जग्मतू राजन्निन्द्राग्री तुष्टमानसौ
Having spoken thus to the king, and giving him whatever he desired, praising him, Indra and Agni departed, their minds satisfied.
उशीनरोऽपिधर्मात्मा धर्मेणावृत्यरोदसी। विभ्राजमानो वपुषाऽप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम्
Uśīnara, righteous in soul, having enveloped earth and heaven with virtue, shining with his form, ascended to the abode of the gods.
तदेतत्सदनं राजन्राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः। पश्यस्वैतन्मया सार्धं पुण्यं पापप्रमोचनम्
This is the residence, O king, of that great-souled monarch; behold it with me, sacred and freeing from sin.
तत्र वै सततं देवा मुनयश्च सनातनाः। दृश्यन्ते ब्राह्मणै राजन्पुण्यवद्भिर्महात्मभिः
There, always, gods and ancient sages are seen, O king, together with Brahmins who are virtuous and great-hearted.
यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविदग्र्यबुद्धि- रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्। तस्याश्रमं पश्यत पाण्डवेया सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः
He who is spoken of as a master of mantras and keen intellect, Uddālaka's son Śvetaketu, on earth—behold his hermitage, O sons of Pandu, ever fruitful and endowed with plants.
साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम्। वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति संप्रवृत्तां सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे
Here Śvetaketu himself saw Sarasvatī in human form; as she began to speak, Śvetaketu addressed Sarasvatī.
अस्मिन्युगे ब्रह्मकृतां वरिष्ठा- वास्तां मुनी मातुलभागिनेयौ। अष्टावक्रश्चैव कहोलसूनु- रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्
In this age, the most eminent sages born of Brahma reside here: the maternal uncle and nephew, Aṣṭāvakra and Kahola's son, Uddālaka's Śvetaketu, on earth.
विदेहराजस् समीपतस्तौ घीरावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ। प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे वन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयौ
Near the king of Videha, those two, uncle and nephew, entered the sacrificial hall and, in debate, seized the bard, immeasurable in wisdom.
वादे भङ्क्त्वा मज्जयामास नद्याम्
In debate, having defeated him, they immersed him in the river.
कथंप्रभावः स बभूव विप्र- स्तथाभूतं यो निजग्राह वन्दिम्। `किंचाधिकृत्याथ तयोर्विवादो विदेहराजस् समीप आसीत्
How did that Brahmin become so powerful, who seized the bard thus? What was the subject of their debate before the king of Videha?