ततः समानवयसा केनचिद्राजसूनुना । बहुमूल्यं पणं कृत्वा राजाचिक्रीडकौतुकी
Then, with a prince of equal age, the king, desiring amusement, made a large wager.
ततोवतार्य दोलाया विरुदावलिगर्विताम् । धावतः शशकस्योच्चैः पृष्ठे मुंचन्नृपं शुनीम्
Then, dismounting from the palanquin, proud of the garland of victory, the king released the dog loudly at the running hare's back.
मुमोच राजपुत्रोऽपि प्रेमपात्रं महाभुजः । विरराम शुनीमुच्चैः संकीर्त्य विरुदावलीम्
The royal prince, mighty-armed and dear to all, also released his dog, loudly proclaiming a garland of victory, and ceased.
अलक्ष्यमाणवेगेऽस्मिन्शुनीयुगलकेभृशम् । धावत्युत्थितमेवासीत्पश्यतां सर्वभूभृताम्
While all the kings watched, the pair of dogs, their speed imperceptible, suddenly began to run with great force.
पपात गर्ते महति शशकोऽतिश्रमादसौ । पतितोऽपि शुनी वश्यो नाभवच्छशशावकः
The hare, exhausted, fell into a great pit; but even though it had fallen, the dog did not seize the young hare.
ततः शनैः समुत्थाय धावन्नाक्रम्यरोषतः । जगृहे राजशुन्याऽसौ शशकः फेनमुद्वमन्
Then, rising slowly, the hare ran off, but out of anger, the royal dog seized the foaming hare.
ततः कथंचिदुप्लुत्य गच्छन्विस्खलयञ्छशः । राजपुत्रशुनक्यासौ गृहीतः कंधरातटे
Then, as the hare leapt away, stumbling as it went, it was caught at the nape of the neck by the royal prince's dog.
जितमस्माभिरत्यर्थमिति संजल्पतां नृणाम् । कोलाहले शंकिताया शुन्या निर्गतवान्मुखात्
Amid the commotion of those exclaiming, 'We have certainly won!', the dog, alarmed, let go of the hare from its mouth.
ततो दंष्ट्राव्रणश्रेणी क्षरद्रुधिरधारकः । क्वापि र्ममरभूभागे निलीयस्थितवाञ्छशः
Then, with rows of wounds from fangs, streams of blood flowing, the hare hid somewhere in a part of the earth, remaining concealed.
जिघ्रंत्या राजशुन्याऽसौ भूभागं धनरोषया । दृष्टमात्रः परित्रस्तो हस्तमात्रं ततोऽगमत्
That one, with a royal emptiness, sniffed the ground in anger for wealth; upon being seen, terrified, it moved just a hand’s length away.
यत्र कर्पूरकदली क्रोडव्याघ्रदरीतलः । चोली कपोलफलकान्चुबन्वाति समीरणः
Where camphor, banana, wild boar, and tiger tracks lie, and the breeze blows through the folds of cloth and the cheeks adorned with ornaments.
उद्भिन्न केतकीकोशरजोमुकुलितेक्षणः । विस्रब्धाहरणा यत्रच्छायां तां परितन्वतः
Where the eyes are tinged with the pollen of blossoming ketaki buds, and the shade is freely offered to those who seek it.
नारिकेलफलैर्यत्र स्वयं निपतितैरधः । अपि चूतफलैस्तृप्ताः पक्वैः शाखामृगा अपि
Where coconut fruits fall down by themselves, and even the branch-dwelling animals are satisfied by ripe mangoes.
अपि केसरिणो यत्र खेलंति कलभैः समम् । फणिनः केकिबर्हेषु निर्विशंकं विशंति च
Where lions play together with elephants, and serpents enter peacock nests without any fear.
यत्राश्रमांतरे विप्रो वत्सनामा जितेंद्रियः । शांतश्चतुर्दशाध्यायं जपन्नास्ते निरंतरम्
Within an ashram there, a Brahmin named Vatsa, self-controlled and peaceful, sits continuously reciting the fourteenth chapter.
तत्र तच्छिष्यपादाब्ज प्रक्षालनजलैः कृते । कर्दमे न्यपतद्गत्वा जीवशेषो मुहुः श्वसन्
There, after being washed with water from the feet of that disciple, the hare, barely alive and breathing repeatedly, fell into the mud.
ततः कर्दमसंस्पर्शमात्रनिस्तीर्ण संसृतिः । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य निर्ययौ शशको दिवम्
Then, merely by contact with the mud, his cycle of rebirth ended; mounting a divine chariot, the hare departed for heaven.
ततः शुन्यपि लिप्तांगीस्तोकैः कर्दमबिंदुभिः । क्षुत्पिपासार्तिरहिता शुनीरूपं विहाय सा
Then, even the dog, her body smeared with drops of mud, free from hunger and thirst, abandoned her canine form.
ततो दिव्यांगनारम्यं गंधर्वैरुपशोभितम् । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य शुन्यपि त्रिदिवं ययौ
Then, boarding a divine chariot, beautiful with celestial maidens and adorned by Gandharvas, the dog went to heaven.
ततो जहास मेधावी शिष्यो नाम्ना स्वकंधरः । विचार्य विस्मितः पूर्वजन्मवैरस्य कारणम्
Then the wise disciple named Sva-kandhara laughed, reflecting in amazement on the cause of enmity from previous births.
राजापि पर्यपृच्छत्तं विस्मयस्मेरलोचनः । प्रणम्य परया भक्त्या विनयैकपयोनिधिः
The king, his eyes smiling in wonder, respectfully asked him, bowing with utmost devotion and humility.
कथां कथय मे विप्र हीनयोनि निषेवितौ । अज्ञौयौ जग्मतुः स्वर्गे शुनी शशकशावकौ
Tell me, O Brahmin, the story: how did the dog and the hare, born in lowly forms and ignorant, attain heaven?
शिष्य उवाच। वत्सनामा द्विजन्मास्ते वनेऽमुष्मिन्जितेंद्रियः । चतुर्दशं तु ह्यध्यायं गीतानां सर्वदा जपन्
The disciple said: Vatsa, the twice-born, self-controlled, always recited the fourteenth chapter of the Gita in that forest.
शिष्योऽहं तस्य भूपाल ब्रह्मविद्याविशारदः । चतुर्दश तु अध्यायं जपामि प्रत्यहं नृप
I am his disciple, O king, skilled in Brahma-knowledge; I too recite the fourteenth chapter daily, O ruler.
मदीयचरणांभोजप्रक्षालनजले लुठन् । शशस्त्रिदिवमापन्नः शुनक्या सह भूपते
By rolling in the water used to wash my lotus feet, the hare attained heaven together with the dog, O king.
राजोवाच। हेतुना केन कथय हसितं च द्विजोत्तम । अतः किमपि साकूतं मन्यमानेन सादरम्
The king said: Tell me, O best of Brahmins, the reason for your laughter, and why you seemed to consider something with a hint of secrecy and respect.
शिष्य उवाच। महाराष्ट्रेति नगरं नाम्ना प्रत्युदकं महत् । तत्रासीद्ब्राह्मणो नाम्ना केशवः कितवाग्रणीः
The disciple said: There is a great city by name Mahārāṣṭra, situated on the banks of a river; there lived a brāhmaṇa named Keśava, foremost among gamblers.
विलोभनाभवत्तस्य जाया स्वैरविहारिणी । तेन सा हन्यते क्रोधाद्वैरं संचिंत्य जन्मनः
His wife, given to wanton conduct, became infatuated; in anger, he killed her, harboring enmity from a previous birth.
ततः स्त्रीवधपापेन शशको जायते द्विजः । किल्बिषाच्छुनकी सापि जाता वंचनजन्मनः
Then, because of the sin of killing a woman, the brāhmaṇa was born as a hare; and she, due to her own misdeeds, was born as a female dog, both as a result of deceitful actions in their previous lives.
पूर्वेण जन्मनाभ्यस्तं वैरं विस्मरतो नहि । आसेदिवद्भ्यां बहुधा योन्यंतरमपि क्वचित्
Enmity practiced in a previous birth is never forgotten, even when passing through many different wombs and forms.