तावन्मात्रोदके देशे मया हुङ्कृत्य वारितः । मयाथ सकलं पीतं जलं पात्रात्तृषावता ॥ २,७.
Just then, as the boy was at the water, I shouted and drove him away; then, driven by thirst, I drank all the water from the vessel.
बालोऽपि भयसन्त्रस्तः पिपासुर्व्यसुरापतत् । पुत्रशोकान्मृता माता कूपे प्रास्य निजं वपुः ॥ २,७.
The boy, terrified and desperate with thirst, fell lifeless; the mother, stricken with grief for her son, cast herself into a well and died.
एतस्मात्पातकाद्विप्र प्रेतत्वं प्राप्तवानहम् । सूच्यग्रप्रायविवरमुखः पर्वतदेहवान् ॥ २,७.
Because of this sin, O Brahmin, I attained the state of a preta, with a body like a mountain and a mouth as small as a needle's eye.
यद्यपि प्राप्नुयां भक्ष्यं भक्षितुन्तु न शक्यते । मया क्षुधानलेनापि ज्वलतास्यं निकोचितम् ॥ २,७.
Even if I obtain food, I am unable to eat it; though my mouth burns with the fire of hunger, it is pinched shut.
अत आस्ये तु विवरं सूच्यग्रेण समं मम । एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्र नाम्ना सूचीमुखोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ २,७.
Therefore, my mouth is as narrow as a needle's tip; for this reason, O Brahmin, I am called Sūcīmukha by name.
शीघ्रग उवाच । पुराहं वैश्यजातीयः साकं सख्या च केनचित् । वाणिज्यं कर्तुमगमं देशमन्यं महाधनः ॥ २,७.
Śīghraga said: Formerly, I was born in the Vaiśya caste; together with a certain friend, I went to another country, being very wealthy, to conduct trade.
मित्रं च मे बहुधनं तस्य लोभो महांस्ततः । जातोऽप्यदृष्टवैमुख्यान्मे नष्टं मूलमप्युत ॥ २,७.
My friend was also very wealthy, but then great greed arose in me; because of unseen misfortune, I even lost my capital.
ततस्तस्मात्तु निष्क्रान्तावावां नावाथ निम्नगाम् । मार्गगां तर्तुमारब्धौ लोहितायति भास्करे ॥ २,७.
Then, the two of us departed from there and boarded a boat on the river; as the sun reddened, we began to cross the stream.
सखा स च मदुत्सङ्गे सुष्वापाध्वक्लमाकुलः । अभूत्तदाति पापस्य क्रूरा मतिरतीव मे ॥ २,७.
My friend, exhausted from the journey, slept in my lap; at that time, my mind became extremely cruel because of sin.
तमुत्सङ्गगतं सूरे नष्टे पूरेऽक्षिपं तदा । तत्कृत्यं कुर्वतो नावि लोकैस्तु ज्ञातमेव न ॥ २,७.
When the sun had set and darkness fell, I threw him, who was lying in my lap, into the water; as I did this, no one on the boat noticed.
तस्य यद्वस्तु तत्सर्वं मणिमुक्तादिकाञ्चनम् । आदाय शीघ्रगस्तस्माद्देशात्स्वगृहमागतः ॥ २,७.
Taking all his possessions—jewels, pearls, gold, and the rest—I, Śīghraga, returned from that place to my own home.
तत्सर्वं स्वगृहे मुक्त्वा तस्य पत्न्यै न्यवेदयम् । दस्युभिर्मे हतो भ्राता धनमाच्छिद्य वै पथि ॥ २,७.
Leaving all of it at home, I told his wife: 'My brother was killed by robbers on the road, who took his wealth.'
प्रजावति प्रद्रुतोऽहं मा रोदीत्येवमब्रवम् । शोकार्ता सापि तत्कालं ममत्वं गृहबन्धुषु ॥ २,७.
I, seized by the lord of creatures, said, 'Do not weep.' At that moment, she, afflicted by grief, abandoned her attachment to home and kin.
त्यक्त्वा चाति प्रियान्प्राणाञ्जुहावाग्नौ यथाविधि । ततो निष्कण्टकं तद्धि वीक्ष्य हृष्टो गतो गृहम् ॥ २,७.
Then, giving up even her most beloved life, she offered herself into the fire according to the proper rites. Seeing that place now free of obstacles, I joyfully returned home.
अभुञ्जं सर्वमागत्य यावज्जीवं तु तद्धनम् । मित्रं पूरे हि निःक्षिप्य यदहं शीघ्रमागतः ॥ २,७.
Having returned, I enjoyed all that wealth for the rest of my life, after depositing what I had with a friend in the city, for I had come back quickly.
एतस्मात्कारणात्प्रेतः शीघ्रगोऽहं तु नामतः । रोधक उवाच । अहन्तु शूद्रजातीयः पुराभूवं मुनीश्वर ॥ २,७.
For this reason, I am called 'the swift-going departed.' The Restrainer said: I was once born of the Śūdra caste, O best of sages.
राजप्रसादाप्तमहाशतग्रामाधिकारवान् । वृद्धौ मे पितरावास्तां लघुरेकः सहोदरः ॥ २,७.
By royal favor, I obtained authority over a hundred great villages. In my old age, my parents remained, and I had one younger brother.
शीघ्रं स च मया भ्राता लुब्धेनैकः पृथक्कृतः । आप्तवान्परमं दुःखं सोन्नवस्त्रविवर्जितः ॥ २,७.
That brother, separated by me out of greed, quickly fell into great misery, lacking food and clothing.
अदत्तां पितरौ च्छन्नं किञ्चित्किञ्चित्तु तस्य च । तस्मै पितृभ्यां यद्दत्तमाप्तेभ्यस्तन्मया श्रुतम् ॥ २,७.
My parents secretly gave him a little, and I learned from trusted people what had been given to him by our parents.
तत्सर्वं तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा पित्रो रोधमकारयम् । शून्यमन्दिर एकस्मिन्बद्ध्वा तु निगडैर्दृढैः ॥ २,७.
Knowing all this as it truly was, I confined my parents, binding them firmly with chains in an empty house.
ततस्तौ जहतुः प्राणान्दुःखितौ विषपानतः । सोसौ बालोऽपि बभ्राम पितृभ्यां रहितो द्विज ॥ २,७.
Then, suffering, they gave up their lives by drinking poison. That boy, deprived of his parents, wandered about, O twice-born one.
पुरः पत्तनखर्वाटान् खेटानपि मृतः क्षुधा । एतस्मात्पातकाद्विप्र मृतः प्रेतत्वमागतः ॥ २,७.
He died of hunger in towns, cities, villages, and hamlets. Because of this sin, O Brāhmaṇa, I died and became a departed spirit.
रुद्धौ तु पितरौ यस्मान्नाम्नाहं रोधकस्ततः । लेखक उवाच । अहं विप्र पुराभूवमवन्त्यां द्विजसत्तमः ॥ २,७.
Because I confined my parents, I am called 'the Restrainer' by name. The Scribe said: I was once a Brāhmaṇa in Avanti, O best of Brāhmaṇas.
भद्रस्य राज्ञो देवानां पूजनेऽधिकृतो ह्यहम् । बह्व्यस्तु प्रतिमास्तत्र बभूवुर्बहुनामिकाः ॥ २,७.
I was appointed by the righteous king to worship the gods. There were many images there, bearing many names.
हेम्नस्तदङ्गेषु बहु रत्नजातं बभूव ह । तासां मे कुर्वतः पूजां पापा मतिरजायत ॥ २,७.
On those images, there was much gold and many kinds of jewels. While performing worship for them, an evil thought arose in me.
अखिलं तीक्ष्णलोहेन तासामङ्गं विशीर्य च । उल्लेखनञ्च रत्नानां नेत्रादिभ्यः कृतं मया ॥ २,७.
With a sharp iron tool, I broke apart all their limbs and extracted the jewels from their eyes and other parts.
तथाकृतान्यथाङ्गानि प्रतिमानां निरीक्ष्य च । नेत्राणि च विरत्नानि नृपश्चुक्रोध वह्निवत् ॥ २,७.
Having thus mutilated the images, when the king saw their jewel-less eyes and altered forms, he became angry like fire.
प्रतिजज्ञे नृपः पश्चादेष ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः । आभ्यो रत्नं सुवर्णञ्च हृतं येन भविष्यति ॥ २,७.
Afterwards, the king vowed: 'Whoever has stolen the jewels and gold from these images—this Brāhmaṇa—'
ज्ञातश्च स हि मे वध्यो भविष्यति न संशयः । अहं तत्सकलं ज्ञात्वा रात्रावसिधरो गृहम् ॥ २,७.
'Once he is discovered, he will surely be executed—of this there is no doubt.' Knowing all this, I spent the night at home with a sword.
राज्ञः प्रविश्य राजानं पशुमारममारयम् । गृहीत्वाथ मणीन् स्वर्णं निशीथेऽहं गतोऽन्यतः ॥ २,७.
Entering the king's palace, I killed the king's animal for sacrifice, and then, taking the jewels and gold, I left elsewhere in the middle of the night.