चखाद पिशितं तेषां पपौ कोशाच्च शोणितम् । कुत्र यास्यति रोगार्तो नरोऽयं पुरतो मम
He devoured their flesh and drank the blood from their vessels. 'Where will this sick man go, who is before me?'
एनं तु भक्षयिष्यामि पश्चादंबु पिबाम्यहम् । इति कृत्वा मतिर्वारितीर्थस्यास्य कमंडलोः
'I will eat him, and afterwards I will drink water.' Having resolved thus, he went to the riverbank with his water-pot.
मुखे चिक्षेप स तदा रजनीचरपुंगवः । क्षिप्तमात्रे जले तस्य पूर्वजन्मभवा स्मृतिः
Then, the foremost among night-wanderers threw it into his mouth; as soon as the water was swallowed, the memory of his former birth arose.
जाता स तु वधात्तस्य शरभस्य न्यवर्तत । पूर्वजन्मकृतं पापं तदपि स्मृतिमागमत्
Born from that killing, he turned away from the act against the deer; and the sin committed in his previous life also came to his memory.
येन राक्षसभावस्तु भूतो विप्रोद्भवादपि । स्मृत्वा पापमुपेत्याशु समीपे शरभस्य तु । उवाच ज्ञानमापन्नो राक्षसः पितरं मम
By which he had become a Rākṣasa, even though born from a brāhmaṇa; remembering that sin, he quickly approached the deer and, having regained knowledge, the Rākṣasa said to my father:
राक्षस उवाच- भो भो मनुष्यशार्दूल कस्त्वं के च जना अमी । भक्षिता ये मया घोर रूपेणाधमरक्षसा
The Rākṣasa said: 'O tiger among men, who are you, and who are these people whom I, a vile Rākṣasa of terrible form, have devoured?'
कस्य तीर्थवरस्येदं जलं यस्य प्रभावतः । पापिनोऽपि स्मृतिर्जाता पूर्वजन्मभवा मम
'Of which sacred ford is this water, by whose power even I, a sinner, have regained the memory of my former birth?'
वैश्य उवाच- वैश्योऽहं राक्षसश्रेष्ठ कान्यकुब्जे गृहं मम । तीर्थानि पर्यटन्निंद्रप्रस्थेऽहं समुपागतः
The Vaiśya said: 'I am a Vaiśya, O best of Rākṣasas; my home is in Kānyakubja. Traveling among holy places, I have now arrived at Indraprastha.'
तत्राहमभवं दुःखी ज्वरेण विधियोगतः । ततो मे बुद्धिरुत्पन्ना गंतुं गृहमसत्पथ । तत्र कश्चित्समायातः पांथो वर्षेण पीडितः
'There I became afflicted by fever, due to fate; then the thought arose in me to return home by an improper path. There, a certain traveler arrived, tormented by the rains.'
प्रार्थितः स मयानीय शिबिकां मां गृहं नय । स चायं शिबिकां पांथः समुपानीय सत्वरः
'I requested him: "Bring a palanquin and take me home." That traveler quickly brought a palanquin.'
मामारोप्य च तां धीरश्चलितो मद्गृहं प्रति । स पांथस्ते च शिबिकावाहाः संप्रति भक्षिताः
'He, steadfast, set me upon it and set out toward my house; that traveler and the palanquin-bearers have now been devoured.'
त्वया जलमिदं यस्य तीर्थस्यापि च तच्छृणु । इंद्रस्य खांडववने यमुनास्ति सरिद्वरा
'By you, this water—listen, of which sacred ford it is: in Indra’s Khāṇḍava forest, there is the excellent river Yamunā.'
तत्तीरेऽस्ति हरिप्रस्थं तीर्थं तीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम् । सुराचार्यस्य तत्रास्ति तीर्थं सर्वार्थसाधकम्
'On its bank is Hariprastha, the most excellent of holy places; there is the sacred ford of the teacher of the gods, which accomplishes all aims.'
निगमोद्बोधकं जाता स्मृतिस्ते यज्जलाशनात् । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽहंमिह त्वया
'By drinking that water, your memory arose, awakening the Vedas; all this I have told you, as you asked me here.'
पृच्छामि त्वामहं किंचित्तद्वदाशु निशाचर । पूर्वजन्मकृतं कर्म स्मरसि त्वमिहाधुना । वद किं ते कृतं पापं येन जातोऽसि राक्षसः
'Now I ask you something—tell me quickly, O night-wanderer: do you now remember the deeds done in your former birth? Tell me, what sin did you commit that you were born as a Rākṣasa?'
राक्षस उवाच- पुराहमभवं विप्रः पुण्ये वेदविदां कुले । दुराचारो ह्यधर्मात्मा शृणु सर्वं वदामि ते
The Rākṣasa said: 'Formerly I was a brāhmaṇa, born in a virtuous family of Veda-knowers; but I was of evil conduct and unrighteous—listen, I will tell you everything.'
क्रीडता हि मया नित्यं द्यूतेन सह तद्विदैः । हारितं द्रविणं भूरि स्वकीयं पितुरेव च
'I always played at dice with those skilled in it; much wealth of my own and even my father’s was lost by me.'
पित्रा निवेद्य भूपाय मामकं कर्म तज्जनैः । पुरान्निःसारितो निःस्वो गतोऽहं ग्राममंतिके
'My father reported my deeds to the king through those people; I was expelled from the city, penniless, and went to the outskirts of the village.'
तत्रासीन्मे सखा नाम देवको ब्राह्मणोत्तमः । तेनाऽहं रक्षितो गेहे कुर्वता चिरमादरम्
'There I had a friend named Devaka, an excellent brāhmaṇa; he protected me in his house, showing me great kindness for a long time.'
वस्तुं तत्र सुखेनाहं तद्भार्यां रूपशालिनीम् । कामातुरोऽहमभजं बलान्मित्रे गते क्वचित्
'Living there happily, I, overcome by desire, violated his beautiful wife by force when my friend was away.'
सा मृता तत्क्षणात्साध्वी भक्षयित्वा महाविषम् । तां दृष्ट्वा तमसायुक्ते निशीथेऽहं पलायितः
That virtuous woman died instantly after consuming deadly poison; seeing her in the darkness at midnight, I fled.
पलायमानस्तरसा धृतोऽहं राजकिंकरैः । चौरोऽयमिति खङ्गेन चिच्छिदुस्ते शिरो मम
As I was fleeing in haste, I was seized by the king’s servants; thinking me a thief, they struck off my head with a sword.
मृतं मां यातनादेहमावेश्य यमकिंकराः । रौरवे निरयघोरे चिक्षिपुर्यमशासनात्
When I died, the servants of Yama placed me in a body of torment; by Yama’s command, they cast me into the dreadful hell called Raurava.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि तत्राऽहं तीव्रयातनाम् । भुक्त्वा तेनैव पापेन राक्षसत्वमुपागतः
There, for six thousand years, I endured intense suffering; because of that very sin, I was born as a rakshasa.
शतवर्षाण्यतीतानि राक्षसत्वे विशांपते । वदामि तमुपायं मे येनास्मान्मुक्तिमाप्नुयाम्
A hundred years have now passed in this rakshasa state, O lord of men; I will tell you the means by which I might obtain liberation from this.
पुण्यं तदर्पिते साधो वदामि शृणु सादरम् । येन तीर्थवरस्येदं जलं मम मुखे गतम्
O virtuous one, I will tell you with respect the meritorious act by which the water of this supreme pilgrimage has entered my mouth.
तत्रैव जन्मनि मया कृत्वा हरिदिने व्रतम् । संसर्गान्नेच्छया वैश्य रात्रौ जागरणं कृतम्
In that very birth, on a day sacred to Hari, I performed a vow; through association, though unwillingly, I kept vigil at night with a merchant.
द्वादश्यामथ संस्नात्वा भोक्तुंमपि समुद्यते । मद्गृहे कश्चिदायातो वैष्णवो विष्णुरूपधृक्
Then, on the twelfth day, after bathing, I was preparing to eat; at my house, a certain Vaishnava arrived, bearing the form of Vishnu.
कुपितोऽहं तमालोक्य दुर्वचो वदमग्रतः । क्व गच्छसि दुराचार दांभिकस्त्रीजनांतरे
Angered upon seeing him, I spoke harsh words before him: 'Where are you going, you wicked, hypocritical man, among the women?'
इत्युक्तं स मया धीरस्तुल्यो मानापमानयोः । तूष्णीमेव निकेतान्मे निर्गत्य चलितो यदा
Thus addressed by me, that steadfast one, equal in honor and dishonor, silently left my house and departed.