विनानया न जीविष्ये त्यजे वापि प्रियां तनुम् किं कुर्वन्तु त्व् अपत्यानि लुप्तधर्मस् त्व् अहं पुनः
Without her, I do not wish to live, or I will abandon this dear body; what will the children do? I am bereft of righteousness.
एवं विलपतस् तस्य भर्तुर् वाक्यं निशम्य सा पञ्जरस्थैव सा वाक्यं भर्तारम् इदम् अब्रवीत्
As he lamented thus, hearing her husband's words, she, still in the cage, spoke these words to her husband:
अत्राहम् अस्मि बद्धैव विवशास्मि खगोत्तम आनीताहं लुब्धकेन बद्धा पाशैर् महामते
Here I am, bound, helpless, O best of birds; I was brought here by the hunter, bound with cords, O wise one.
धन्यास्म्य् अनुगृहीतास्मि पतिर् वक्ति गुणान् मम सतो वाप्य् असतो वापि कृतार्थाहं न संशयः
I am blessed, I am favored, for my husband speaks of my virtues; whether I am good or not, I am fulfilled, without doubt.
तुष्टे भर्तरि नारीणां तुष्टाः स्युः सर्वदेवताः विपर्यये तु नारीणाम् अवश्यं नाशम् आप्नुयात्
When the husband is pleased, all the gods are pleased with women; but in the opposite case, a woman surely meets with ruin.
त्वं दैवं त्वं प्रभुर् मह्यं त्वं सुहृत् त्वं परायणम् त्वं व्रतं त्वं परं ब्रह्म स्वर्गो मोक्षस् त्वम् एव च
You are my destiny, you are my lord, you are my friend, you are my refuge; you are my vow, you are the supreme Brahman, you alone are heaven and liberation.
मा चिन्तां कुरु कल्याण धर्मे बुद्धिं स्थिरां कुरु त्वत्प्रसादाच् च भुक्ता हि भोगाश् च विविधा मया अलं खेदेन मज्जेन धर्मे बुद्धिं कुरु स्थिराम्
Do not grieve, O virtuous one; keep your mind steady in dharma. By your grace, I have enjoyed many pleasures. Enough of sorrow; immerse your mind firmly in dharma.
इति श्रुत्वा प्रियावाक्यम् उत्ततार नगोत्तमात् यत्र सा पञ्जरस्था तु कपोती वर्तते त्वरम्
Hearing his beloved's words, he rose swiftly from the great tree to where his mate remained in the cage.
ताम् आगत्य प्रियां दृष्ट्वा मृतवच् चापि लुब्धकम् मोचयामीति ताम् आह निश्चेष्टो लुब्धको ऽधुना
She came and, seeing her beloved as if dead, said to the motionless hunter, 'Release him!'
मा मुञ्चस्व महाभाग ज्ञात्वा संबन्धम् अस्थिरम् लुब्धानां खेचरा ह्य् अन्नं जीवो जीवस्य चाशनम्
Do not release him, O noble one, knowing the unstable nature of relationships; hunters are food for those who move in the sky, and life is the food of life.
नापराधं स्मराम्य् अस्य धर्मबुद्धिं स्थिरां कुरु गुरुर् अग्निर् द्विजातीनां वर्णानां ब्राह्मणो गुरुः
I do not recall any fault of his; keep your mind firm in righteousness. The teacher is fire for the twice-born; among the classes, the Brahmin is the teacher.
पतिर् एव गुरुः स्त्रीणां सर्वस्याभ्यागतो गुरुः अभ्यागतम् अनुप्राप्तं वचनैस् तोषयन्ति ये
The husband alone is the teacher for women; the guest is the teacher for all. Those who please a guest who has arrived with words are praised.
तेषां वागीश्वरी देवी तृप्ता भवति निश्चितम् तस्यान्नस्य प्रदानेन शक्रस् तृप्तिम् अवाप्नुयात्
For them, the goddess of speech is surely satisfied. By giving food to such a one, even Indra attains satisfaction.
पितरः पादशौचेन अन्नाद्येन प्रजापतिः तस्योपचाराद् वै लक्ष्मीर् विष्णुना प्रीतिम् आप्नुयात्
The ancestors are satisfied by washing the feet, Prajapati by food and drink; by such service, Lakshmi is pleased by Vishnu.
शयने सर्वदेवास् तु तस्मात् पूज्यतमो ऽतिथिः अभ्यागतम् अनुश्रान्तं सूर्योढं गृहम् आगतम् तं विद्याद् देवरूपेण सर्वक्रतुफलो ह्य् असौ
All the gods are present on the bed; therefore, the guest is most worthy of honor. A guest who arrives, weary, at sunset, entering the house, should be known as a form of the gods, for he is the fruit of all sacrifices.
अभ्यागतं श्रान्तम् अनुव्रजन्ति देवाश् च सर्वे पितरो ऽग्नयश् च तस्मिन् हि तृप्ते मुदम् आप्नुवन्ति गते निराशे ऽपि च ते निराशाः
All the gods, ancestors, and fires follow a guest who arrives weary; when he is satisfied, they rejoice, and when he departs unsatisfied, they too are unsatisfied.
तस्मात् सर्वात्मना कान्त दुःखं त्यक्त्वा शमं व्रज कृत्वा तिष्ठ शुभां बुद्धिं धर्मकृत्यं समाचर
Therefore, O beloved, with all your being, abandon sorrow and attain tranquility; keep your mind pure and perform righteous acts.
उपकारो ऽपकारश् च प्रवराव् इति संमतौ उपकारिषु सर्वो ऽपि करोत्य् उपकृतिं पुनः
Helping and harming are both considered excellent; everyone does good in return to those who help them.
अपकारिषु यः साधुः पुण्यभाक् स उदाहृतः
But he who does good to those who harm him is called virtuous and attains merit.
आवयोर् अनुरूपं च त्वयोक्तं साधु मन्यसे किंतु वक्तव्यम् अप्य् अस्ति तच् छृणुष्व वरानने
You have spoken fittingly for both of us, and I consider it good; yet there is something more to be said—listen, O beautiful-faced one.
सहस्रं भरते कश्चिच् छतम् अन्यो दशापरः आत्मानं च सुखेनान्यो वयं कष्टोदरंभराः
Some carry a thousand, others a hundred, and yet others ten; some easily support themselves, while we bear the burden of a difficult belly.
गर्तधान्यधनाः केचित् कुशूलधनिनो ऽपरे घटक्षिप्तधनाः केचिच् चञ्चुक्षिप्तधना वयम्
Some have grain and wealth in pits, others have wealth in sheaves; some have wealth stored in pots, and we have wealth stored in our beaks.
पूजयामि कथं श्रान्तम् अभ्यागतम् इमं शुभे
How shall I honor this weary guest who has arrived, O auspicious one?
अग्निर् आपः शुभा वाणी तृणकाष्ठादिकं च यत् एतद् अप्य् अर्थिने देयं शीतार्तो लुब्धकस् त्व् अयम्
Fire, water, auspicious words, grass, wood, and the like—these too should be given to one who asks; this hunter is afflicted by cold.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा प्रियावाक्यं वृक्षम् आरुह्य पक्षिराट् आलोकयाम् आस तदा वह्निं दूरं ददर्श ह
Hearing these loving words, the king of birds climbed the tree, looked around, and then saw fire at a distance.
स तु गत्वा वह्निदेशं चञ्चुनोल्मुकम् आहरत् पुरो ऽग्निं ज्वालयाम् आस लुब्धकस्य कपोतकः
He went to the place of fire, brought a burning stick with his beak, and kindled a fire before the hunter, the little pigeon.
शुष्ककाष्ठानि पर्णानि तृणानि च पुनः पुनः अग्नौ निक्षेपयाम् आस निशीथे स कपोतराट्
Again and again, the king of pigeons placed dry wood, leaves, and grass upon the fire at midnight.
तम् अग्निं ज्वलितं दृष्ट्वा लुब्धकः शीतदुःखितः अवशानि स्वकाङ्गानि प्रताप्य सुखम् आप्तवान्
Seeing the fire blazing, the hunter, suffering from cold, warmed his exhausted limbs and attained comfort.
क्षुधाग्निना दह्यमानं व्याधं दृष्ट्वा कपोतकी मा मुञ्चस्व महाभाग इति भर्तारम् अब्रवीत्
Seeing the hunter tormented by the fire of hunger, the female pigeon said to her husband, 'Do not release me, O noble one.'
स्वशरीरेण दुःखार्तं लुब्धकं प्रीणयामि तम् इष्टातिथीनां ये लोकास् तांस् त्वं प्राप्नुहि सुव्रत
With my own body, I shall please the suffering hunter; may you, O virtuous one, attain those worlds reserved for honored guests.