एकदा तु सुदुष्टात्मा बाणपाणिर्धनुर्धरः । श्वभिः परिवृतो दुर्गं वनं विंध्यस्य वै गतः
Once, that wicked-minded one, bow in hand and armed with arrows, surrounded by dogs, entered a difficult part of the Vindhya forest.
मृगान्रुरून्वराहांश्च भीतान्सूदितवान्बहून् । रेवातीरं समासाद्य कश्चिच्छफरघातकः
He killed many frightened deer, antelopes, and boars; reaching the bank of the Revā, there was a certain fish-killer.
शफरान्सूदयित्वा स निर्जगाम बहिर्जलात् । मृगव्याधस्य लोभस्य भयत्रस्ता ततो मृगी
Having killed the fish, he came out from the water; then, a doe, terrified by the greed of the hunter, fled in fear.
जीवत्राणपरा सार्ता भीता चलितचेतना । त्वरमाणा पलायंती रेवातीरं समाश्रिता
Intent on saving her life, distressed and her senses shaken by fear, she hurriedly fled and took refuge on the bank of the Revā.
श्वभिश्च चालिता सा तु बाणघातक्षतातुरा । श्वसनस्यापि वेगेन सुलभो मृगघातकः
Driven by the dogs, wounded and suffering from the arrow's blow, the hunter, swift as the wind, pursued the deer.
पृष्ठ एव समायाति पुरतो याति सा मृगी । दृष्टवांस्तां शफरहा बाणपाणिः समुद्यतः
He approached from behind as the doe moved ahead; the fish-killer, bow in hand and ready, saw her.
धनुरानम्य वेगेन अनुरुध्य च तां मृगीम् । तावल्लुब्धक लोभाख्यः श्वभिः सार्द्धं समागतः
Drawing his bow with force, he chased after the doe; at that moment, the hunter named Lobhākhya arrived together with his dogs.
न हंतव्या मदीयेयं मृगयां मे समागता । तस्य वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य मीनहा मांसलंपटः
"This one is mine, not to be killed; she has come into my hunt." Hearing these words, the fish-killer, eager for flesh—
बाणं मुमोच दुष्टात्मा तामुद्दिश्य महाबलः । निहता मृगलुब्धेन बाणेन निशितेन च
That wicked-souled, mighty one released an arrow, aiming at her; struck by the arrow, sharp and deadly, she was slain by the hunter.
प्रमृता सा मृगी तत्र बाणाभ्यां पापचेतसोः । श्वभिर्दंतैः समाक्रांता त्वरमाणा पपात सा
There, that doe, struck by the two evil-minded ones' arrows, fell swiftly to the ground, assailed by dogs with their teeth.
शिखराच्च ह्रदे पुण्ये रेवायाः पापनाशने । श्वानश्च त्वरमाणास्ते पतिता विमले ह्रदे
From the peak she fell into the sacred lake of the Revā, the destroyer of sin; and the dogs, hurrying, also plunged into the pure lake.
मृगव्याधो वदत्येव धीवरं क्रोधमूर्च्छितः । मदीयेयं मृगी दुष्ट कस्माद्बाणैर्हता त्वया
The deer-hunter, enraged and overcome by anger, spoke to the fisherman: 'This is my doe, wicked one! Why have you slain her with your arrows?'
तमुवाच पुनः सोऽपि मीनहा मृगघातकम् । मदीयेयं न संदेहो अवलिप्त प्रभाषसे
Then the fisherman replied again to the deer-slayer: 'This is mine, without doubt; you speak arrogantly.'
युध्यमानौ ततस्तौ तु द्वावेतौ तु परस्परम् । क्रोधलोभान्महाभागौ पतितौ विमले जले
Then those two, both of great pride, fought with each other out of anger and greed, and fell into the pure water.
तस्मिन्काले महापर्व वर्तते गतिदायकम् । अमावास्या समायोगं महापुण्यफलप्रदम्
At that time, the great festival occurred, bestowing liberation—the conjunction with the new moon, which grants the highest merit.
वेलायां पतिताः सर्वे पर्वणस्तस्य सत्तम । जपध्यानविहीनास्ते भावसत्यविवर्जिताः
All of them fell into the water at that sacred festival time, O best of beings, lacking recitation, meditation, and true intent.
तीर्थस्नानप्रसंगेन मृगी श्वा च स लुब्धकः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तास्ते गताः परमां गतिम्
By the merit of bathing at the holy place, the doe, the dogs, and the hunter—all were freed from all sins and attained the highest state.
तीर्थानां च प्रभावेण सतां संगाद्द्विजोत्तमाः । नाशयेत्पापिनां पापं दहेदग्निरिवेंधनम्
By the power of holy places and the company of the virtuous, O best of twice-born, the sin of sinners is destroyed, just as fire burns up fuel.
सूत उवाच- तेषामेवं हि संसर्गादृषीणां च महात्मनाम् । संभाषाद्दर्शनान्नष्टं स्पर्शाच्चैव नृपस्य च
Sūta said: In this way, by association, conversation, sight, and even touch with those great-souled sages, the king's sin was destroyed.
वेनस्य कल्मषं नष्टं सतां संगात्पुरा किल । अत्युग्रपुण्यसंसर्गात्पापं नश्यति पापिनाम्
Formerly, by the company of the virtuous, the sin of Vena was destroyed; by contact with those of exceedingly great merit, the sin of sinners is destroyed.
अत्युग्रपापिनां संगात्पापमेव प्रसंचरेत् । मातामहस्य दोषेण संलिप्तो वेन एव सः
But by association with those of exceedingly great sin, only sin is produced; by the fault of his maternal grandfather, Vena himself became tainted.
ऋषय ऊचुः- मातामहस्य को दोषस्तं नो विस्तरतो वद । स मृत्युः स च वै कालः स यमो धर्म एव च
The sages said: What was the fault of his maternal grandfather? Tell us that in detail. He is death, he is time, he is Yama, and indeed, he is Dharma.
न हिंसको हि कस्यापि पदे तस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठितः । चराचराश्च ये लोकाः स्वकर्मवशवर्तिनः
He does not harm anyone, established in that position; all the worlds, moving and unmoving, act according to their own karma.
जीवंति च म्रियंते च भुंजंत्येवं स्वकर्मभिः । पापाः पश्यंति तं घोरं तेषां कर्मविपाकतः
They live and die, and enjoy according to their own actions; the wicked see that terrible one as a result of their karma.
निरयेषु च सर्वेषु कर्मणैवं सुपुण्यवान् । योजयेत्ताडयेत्सूत यम एष दिनेदिने
In all the hells, by karma alone, O Sūta, Yama, endowed with great merit, assigns and punishes them day by day.
सर्वेष्वेव सुपुण्येषु कर्मस्वेवं सपुण्यवान् । योजयत्येव धर्मात्मा तस्य दोषो न दृश्यते
In all meritorious deeds, the virtuous one assigns only according to karma; no fault is seen in him.
स मृत्योः केन दोषेण पापी वेनस्त्वजायत । सूत उवाच- स मृत्युः शासको नित्यं पापानां दुष्टचेतसाम्
By what fault of Death was the sinful Vena born? The Sūta said: That Death is ever the ruler of the wicked, of those with corrupt minds.
वर्तते कालरूपेण तेषां कर्म विमृश्यति । दुष्कृतं कर्म यस्यापि कर्मणा तेन घातयेत्
He exists in the form of Time, considering their deeds; by their own evil actions, he destroys them through those very actions.
तस्य पापं विदित्वाऽसौ नयत्येवं हि तं यमः । सुकृतात्मा लभेत्स्वर्गं कर्मणा सुकृतेन वै
Knowing his sin, Yama leads him thus; but one whose soul is virtuous attains heaven through good deeds.
योजयत्येष तान्सर्वान्मृत्युरेव सुदूतकैः । महता सौख्यभावेन गीतमंगलकारिणा
Death himself binds all these with swift messengers, with great delight, with songs and auspicious music.