कुर्वन्निजक्रियां धीमान्निस्पृहोप्यजवेश्मनि । एकदा सहसा तस्य ज्वरोऽभूदतिदारुणः
Wise and free from desire, performing his own duties in a simple dwelling, one day he was suddenly struck by a most terrible fever.
महत्या पीडया तस्य मुमोह गतचेतनः । मुहूर्तं स पिता मुह्यं तदवस्थो व्यतिष्ठित
Afflicted by great pain, he lost consciousness; for a moment, my father remained in that state, senseless.
पश्चात्समागतप्राणो विचिंत्य यदिदं तदा । अहो मे कष्टमापन्नं दूरे पुत्रः स धार्मिकः
Later, when his life returned, he reflected on what had happened: 'Alas, I have fallen into distress, and my righteous son is far away.'
यो मां ज्वरवितप्तांगमाश्वासयति बुद्धिमान् । अगम्यागमनं पापं कृतं यन्मे सुदारुणम्
'He, wise, would comfort me as my body burns with fever; but I have committed the grave sin of going where I should not.'
प्रायश्चित्तं न तस्यापि कृतं कामे गतिर्भवेत् । आगमिष्यति पुत्रो मे तस्मै दास्यामि वस्विति
'I have not performed atonement for that; perhaps there will be no good destination for me. My son will come, and to him I will give my wealth.'
यन्मया गोपितं गेहे न दृष्टं च तदप्यहम् । शिवशर्मोवाच- इति चिंतयतस्तस्य पान्थो वर्षेण पीडितः
'What I have kept hidden at home, what I have not seen— that, too, I will give.' Shivaśarma said: While he was thinking thus, a traveler, afflicted by rain,
शीतार्तः कंपितवपुरुटजं प्राविशत्तदा । स तं संविष्टमालोक्य भूयो गत्वा तदंतिके
Cold and shivering, his body trembling from the rain, the traveler entered then; seeing him lying there, he again approached and drew near.
मुनिरेष इति ज्ञात्वा ववंदे शिरसाध्वगः । ऊचे च कस्मात्सुप्तोसि मुने संध्या समागता
Realizing he was a sage, the traveler bowed his head in reverence and said, 'O sage, why are you asleep? The twilight hour has arrived.'
रविरस्तं प्रयात्येष न सुप्तेः काल एष ते । इत्युक्तमात्रे वचसि पथिकेन पिता मम
'The sun is setting; this is not the time for sleep.' As soon as the traveler spoke these words, my father—
शरभो ज्वरतप्तांगस्तमाह कथमप्यहो । शरभ उवाच- श्रूयतां वचनं पांथ यद्वदामि पुरस्तव
Śarabha, his body burning with fever, somehow said to him: Śarabha said: 'Hear my words, traveler, which I speak before you.'
श्रुत्वा मद्भाग्ययातेन त्वया साधो विधीयताम् । वैश्योऽहं शरभो नाम्ना कान्यकुब्जे गृहं मम
'Having heard, by my good fortune, may you, O virtuous one, act accordingly. I am a merchant named Śarabha; my home is in Kānyakubja.'
अत्रागतो निषिद्धोपि जायामित्रसुतैरहम् । अस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं श्रुत्वा सूनुमुखेरितम्
'Though forbidden by my wife, enemies, and sons, I came here, having heard from my son of the greatness of this holy place.'
मासास्तु कतिचित्साधो व्यतीता मयि चागते । दिनत्रयमतिक्रांतं ज्वरितस्य ममाधुना
'Several months have passed, O virtuous one, since I arrived here; now, for three days, I have been suffering from fever.'
प्राणा मे विगता आसन्नद्यभूयः समागताः । कियानप्यायुषः शेषः साधो मे खलु तिष्ठति
'My life-breath left me and today has returned again; O virtuous one, truly, how much of my lifespan remains?'
शमनस्य गृहं दृष्ट्वा यदहं पुनरागतः । भाग्योदयेन केनापि ममात्र त्वं समागतः
Having seen the house of Śamana, I have returned again; by some stroke of fortune, you have come here to me.
नय मां मद्गृहं मित्र द्रव्यं बहु ददामि ते । दास्याम्यपि गृहं गत्वा कृपां कुरु कृपानिधे
Friend, take me to my house; I will give you much wealth. I will give it to you when we reach my home—show me compassion, O ocean of mercy.
इह भूभाग उत्खाय गृह्यतां मामकं धनम् । शिवशर्मोवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य स दुर्बुद्धिर्ग्राम्यो विषयलंपटः
Dig up a piece of land here and take my wealth. Śivaśarma said—Hearing this, that wicked-minded, greedy villager,
उवाच धनलुब्धस्तं त्वदुक्तं साधयाम्यहम् । इत्युक्त्वा धनमुत्खाय तस्माद्भूभागतस्तदा
Spoke to him, greedy for wealth: 'I will do as you have said.' Saying this, he dug up the wealth from that piece of land at that time.
अग्रतः स्थापयामास शरभस्याह चाध्वगः । अध्वग उवाच- धनमेतद्विशांनाथ तव भूभागतो मया
He placed it in front of Śarabha, and the traveler said: 'This wealth, O lord of men, has been taken by me from your land.'
निष्कासितं प्रयच्छाशु शिबिकानयनाय मे । यामारोप्य ज्वरार्तं त्वां नयामि तव केतनम्
'Give it quickly, so that I may bring a palanquin for you. Placing you, who are afflicted with fever, upon it, I will take you to your home.'
शिवशर्मोवाच- इत्युक्तस्तेन स तदा ददौ स्वर्णपलत्रयम् । सोपि नीत्वा पितुर्द्रव्यं ययौ लवणपत्तनम्
Śivaśarma said—Thus addressed by him, he then gave three gold coins. Taking his father's wealth, that man went to Lavaṇa City.
उषित्वा रात्रिमेकां तु शिबिकां सपरिच्छदाम् । सवाहामानयत्पुत्र दत्त्वा स्वर्णपलद्वयम्
After spending one night, he brought a palanquin with its attendants and bearers, and, giving two gold coins, brought his son.
पलं द्वयं गृहीतं तत्तेनैवाधर्मबुद्धिना । आरोप्य शिबिकां तं तु शरभं वैश्यसत्तमम्
That man of unrighteous mind took two coins; placing Śarabha, the best of merchants, in the palanquin,
पांथः स चलितो वाहांस्त्वरयन्कान्यकुब्जकम् । अस्य तीर्थवरस्याथ कमंडलुजलं धृतम्
The traveler set out, urging the bearers quickly toward Kānyakubja. At the holy place, he took water from his water-pot.
पाययन्नल्पमल्पं तं तृषार्तं सोध्वगो ययौ । अथ ते सरसस्तीरे उत्तीर्णा भोक्तुमध्वनि
Giving a little at a time to him, who was parched with thirst, the traveler went on. Then, on the shore of a lake, they stopped to eat on the journey.
स्नात्वा भुक्त्वा पुनस्तस्मात्स्थानाच्चेलुस्त्वरान्विताः । कियंति भूमिमुल्लंघ्य तृषार्तांस्ते कमंडलोः
After bathing and eating, they again set out from that place in haste. Crossing some distance, those thirsty ones
जलं पीत्वा तृषार्तं तं शरभं चाप्यपाययत् । अथ कश्चिन्महाभीमो विकटो नाम राक्षसः
Drank water from the water-pot, and also gave it to Śarabha, who was parched with thirst. Then a certain terrifying Rākṣasa named Vikaṭa
विचरन्निर्जनेऽरण्ये गच्छतस्तानवैक्षत । तान्दृष्ट्वा स क्षुधाक्रांतो वेगवान्विवृताननः
Wandering in the lonely forest, saw them as they were going. Seeing them, driven by hunger, swift and with mouth agape,
अभिदुद्राव चरणाघातेनाकंपयन्महीम् । आगत्य तरसा पार्श्वे तान्वाहान्पथिकं च तम्
He rushed at them, shaking the earth with the strike of his feet. Coming swiftly to their side, he seized the bearers and the traveler.
सकोशेषु समादाय भ्रामयामास खेचरः । गतासून्भ्रामणेनैव भूतले तानपोथयत्
Taking them with their belongings, the sky-roaming demon whirled them around. By that whirling, their lives departed, and he dashed them to the ground.