अनेन विधिना चैव नद्यास्तीरे नरोत्तमः । सर्वं निर्वर्त्तयेत्सम्यगेकचित्तरतोऽपि सन्
By this procedure, even while intent on a single purpose, the best of men should perform everything properly on the riverbank.
अत्राप्युदाहरंतीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । महत्यरण्ये यद्वृतं भूमिदेव शृणुष्व तत्
Here too, I will recount an ancient legend; listen to what happened in a great forest, O lord of the earth.
यं श्रुत्वा मानवो लोके महादुःखात्प्रमुच्यते । देशो दासरको नाम तस्य भागे च पश्चिमे
Hearing of this, a person in the world is freed from great suffering; there is a place called Dāsaraka, and in its western part—
तत्र विद्वन्मरुर्देशः सर्वसत्वभयंकरः । सुतप्तसिकता भूमिर्यत्र दुष्टा महोरगाः
There, O learned one, is the land of Maru, terrifying to all living beings; the ground is covered with burning sand, and evil great serpents dwell there.
अल्पच्छायाद्रुमाकीर्णा मृतप्राणिसमाकुला । शमीखदिरपालाशकरीरैः पीलुभिः सह
It is filled with scantily-shaded trees, crowded with dead creatures, and with shamī, khadira, palāśa, karīra, and pīlu trees.
तत्र भीमा द्रुमगणाः कंटकैरचिता दृढैः । जग्धप्राणजनाकीर्णा यत्र भूर्दृश्यते क्वचित्
There, fearsome groups of trees stand, thick with strong thorns; the earth is sometimes seen strewn with the remains of those whose lives have been devoured.
तथापि जीवा जीवंति सर्वे कर्मनिबंधनात् । नोदकं नोदकाधारा विद्वंस्तत्र बलाहकाः
Yet, all living beings there continue to exist, bound by their karma; there is no water, no sources of water, and, O learned one, no clouds.
पक्षांतरगतैः कैश्चिच्छिशुभिस्तृषितैः समम् । उत्क्रांतजीविनो विप्र दृश्यंते नु खगोत्तमाः
Among the branches, some birds—parched and with their young—are seen, O brāhmaṇa, with their lives departing.
तस्मिंस्तथाविधे देशे कश्चिद्दैववशाद्वणिक् । निजसार्थपरिभ्रष्टः प्रविष्टो मरुजांगले
In such a place, by the force of fate, a certain merchant, separated from his caravan, entered the desert wilderness.
बभ्रामोद्भ्रांतहृदयः क्षुत्तृट्भ्यां श्रमपीडितः । क्व ग्रामः क्व जलं क्वाहं यास्यामि न बुबोध ह
He wandered, his heart bewildered, tormented by hunger, thirst, and exhaustion; he did not know where there was a village, where water was, or where he himself was going.
अथ प्रेतान्ददर्शासौ क्षुत्तृषाव्याकुलेंद्रियान् । उत्कटान्खलिनो भीमान्निर्मांसान्रौद्रदर्शनान्
Then he saw pretas—spirits—whose senses were overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, fierce, wicked, terrifying, fleshless, and dreadful to behold.
प्रेतस्कंधसमारूढमेकं विकृतदर्शनम् । ददर्श बहुभिः प्रेतैः समंतात्परिवारितम्
He saw one with a distorted appearance, mounted on the shoulders of a preta, surrounded on all sides by many pretas.
अगच्छमानमत्युग्रं प्रेतशब्दपुरःसरम् । प्रेतोऽपि दृष्ट्वा तां घोरामटवीमागतं नरम्
That preta, exceedingly fierce and preceded by the cries of pretas, was moving along; and seeing the man who had entered that terrible forest—
प्रेतस्कंधान्महीं गत्वा तस्यांतिकमुपागमत् । प्रणिपत्य वणिक्श्रेष्ठमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
The preta, descending from the shoulders of the other preta, approached him, and bowing to the chief of merchants, spoke these words:
अस्मिन्घोरतरे देशे प्रवेशो भवतः कथम् । तमुवाच वणिक्धीमान्सार्थभ्रष्टस्य मे वने
"How have you entered this most dreadful place?" To him, the wise merchant replied, "I am lost from my caravan in this forest—
प्रवेशो दैवयोगेन पूर्वकर्मकृतेन च । तृषा मे बाधतेऽत्यर्थं क्षुधा चैव भृशं तथा
"I have entered here by the conjunction of fate and by deeds done before; I am greatly afflicted by thirst, and likewise by intense hunger."
प्राणांतिकमनुप्राप्तं वचनं भ्रमतीव मे । अत्रोपायं न पश्यामि जीवेयं येन केनचित्
"I have come to the brink of death; my mind wanders as I speak; I see no means here by which I might somehow survive."
इत्येवमुक्ते प्रेतस्तं वणिजं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । फुल्लां शमीं समाश्रित्य प्रतीक्ष त्वं मुहूर्त्तकम्
When he had spoken thus, the preta said to the merchant, "Take shelter under the blossoming shamī tree and wait for a moment."
कृतातिथ्यो मया पश्चाद्गमिष्यसि यथासुखम् । एवमुक्तस्तथा चक्रे स वणिक्तृष्णयार्दितः
"After I have shown you hospitality, you will go on as you please." Thus addressed, the merchant, tormented by thirst, did as he was told.
मध्याह्नसमये प्राप्ते प्रेतस्तं देशमागतः । फुल्लां सवृक्षां शीतोदां वारिधानीं मनोरमाम्
When midday came, the preta arrived at that place—a delightful spot with blossoming trees, cool water, and a reservoir.
दध्योदनसमायुक्तां वर्द्धमानेन संयुताम् । अवतीर्य ततः स्वन्नं प्रादादतिथये तदा
Then, having prepared his own food, mixed with curd-rice and abundance, he descended and offered it to the guest.
स तत्राशनमात्रेण परं तृप्तित्वमागतः । वितृष्णो विज्वरश्चैव क्षणेन समपद्यत
By that meal alone, he attained the highest satisfaction there; in a moment, he became free from craving and free from fever.
ततश्च प्रेताः संप्राप्ताः सोऽस्माद्भागं क्रमाद्ददौ । दध्योदनात्सपानीयात्प्रेतास्तृप्तिं परां गताः
Then, the departed spirits arrived, and he gave them their share in due order; from the curd-rice and water, the spirits attained supreme satisfaction.
अतिथिं तर्पयित्वा तु प्रेतलोकं च सर्वतः । ततः स्वयं स बुभुजे भुक्तशेषं यथासुखम्
Having satisfied the guest and all the spirits of the departed, he then himself ate the remains of the food, as he wished.
तस्य भुक्तवतः स्वन्नं पानीयं च क्षयं ययौ । प्रेताधिपं ततस्तं वै वणिग्वचनमब्रवीत्
As he ate his own food and drank water, it was all consumed; then the lord of the spirits spoke these words to the merchant.
आश्चर्यमेतत्परमं वनेऽस्मिन्प्रतिभाति मे । अन्नं पानं च परमं संप्राप्तं च कुतस्तव
"This is truly a great wonder to me in this forest: how did you obtain such excellent food and drink here?"
स्वल्पेनैव तथान्नेन त्वमेतांस्तु बहूनपि । अतर्पयः कथं त्वेते निर्मांसा भिन्नकुक्षयः
"With so little food, how did you satisfy so many of these, who are fleshless and with broken bellies?"
कथमस्यां सुघोरायामटव्यां च कृतालयाः । तदेतत्संशयं छिंधि परं कौतूहलं मम
"How have these, who dwell in this most terrible forest, made their abode here? Resolve this doubt of mine; my curiosity is great."
एवमुक्तः स वणिजा प्रेतो वचनमब्रवीत् । वाणिज्यसक्तस्य पुरा जन्मातीते ममानघ
Thus addressed by the merchant, the spirit spoke these words: "O sinless one, formerly, in a past birth, I was attached to trade.
सकले नगरे नास्ति ममान्यो हि दुरात्मकः । धनलोभान्न कस्यापि दत्ता भिक्षा मया तदा
"In the whole city, there was no one more wicked than I; out of greed for wealth, I gave alms to no one at that time."