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.
मयि तिष्ठति नैवायं तव धर्मो विधीयते इष्टातिथिर् भवामीह अनुजानीहि मां शुभे
As long as I remain, your duty is not fulfilled; here I become the honored guest—permit me, O auspicious one.
इत्य् उक्त्वाग्निं त्रिर् आवर्त्य स्मरन् देवं चतुर्भुजम् विश्वात्मकं महाविष्णुं शरण्यं भक्तवत्सलम्
Having spoken thus, she circumambulated the fire three times, remembering the four-armed Lord, the soul of all, the great Vishnu, the refuge, the lover of devotees.
यथासुखं जुषस्वेति वदन्न् अग्निं तथाविशत् तं दृष्ट्वाग्नौ क्षिप्तजीवं लुब्धको वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Saying, 'Enjoy as you please,' she entered the fire; seeing her cast her life into the flames, the hunter spoke.
अहो मानुषदेहस्य धिग् जीवितम् इदं मम यद् इदं पक्षिराजेन मदर्थे साहसं कृतम्
Alas, shame upon the life of a human body—since the king of birds has performed such a heroic act for my sake.
एवं ब्रुवन्तं तं लुब्धं पक्षिणी वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
As the hunter spoke thus, the female bird addressed him.
मां त्वं मुञ्च महाभाग दूरं यात्य् एष मे पतिः
Release me, O noble one; my husband is departing far away.
तस्यास् तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा पञ्जरस्थां कपोतकीम् लुब्धको मोचयाम् आस तरसा भीतवत् तदा
Hearing her words, the hunter swiftly released the female pigeon from the cage, trembling with fear.
सापि प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा पतिम् अग्निं तदा जगौ
She then circled her husband and sang to him by the fire.
स्त्रीणाम् अयं परो धर्मो यद् भर्तुर् अनुवेशनम् वेदे च विहितो मार्गः सर्वलोकेषु पूजितः
This is the highest duty of women: to follow the husband; this path is prescribed in the Vedas and honored in all worlds.
व्यालग्राही यथा व्यालं बिलाद् उद्धरते बलात् एवं त्व् अनुगता नारी सह भर्त्रा दिवं व्रजेत्
Just as one who grasps a snake forcibly pulls it from its hole, so a devoted wife follows her husband and ascends to heaven with him.