दत्तमन्नं तदा तेन भोजने विधिपूर्वकम् । निशायां तु कुटीद्वारे उपविष्टो यदा तदा
He gives food at that time, in accordance with the proper rite; and when, at night, he is seated at the door of his hut,
ब्राह्मण्या वारि संगृह्य पादप्रक्षालनं कृतम् । तदा शुनी बलीवर्दौ परस्परमभाषताम्
His wife brings water and washes his feet; then the she-dog and the bull began to speak to each other.
शृणु कांत वचो मह्यं यादृक्कृतवती वधूः । तादृशं संप्रवक्ष्यामि नान्यथा प्रब्रवीम्यहम्
Listen, dear one, to my words: I will tell you exactly what the lady did; I do not speak otherwise.
कदाचिद्दैवयोगेन गताहं पुत्रसद्मनि । तत्रस्थितं पयः पातुं वध्वा दृष्टं न तत्पुनः
Once, by the will of fate, I went to my son's house; there I saw the daughter-in-law about to drink milk, but did not see her do so again.
पीतं पयस्तु सर्पेण तद्दृष्टं तु मया पुनः । पश्चात्पीतं मया सम्यक्दृष्टं वध्वा तदा पुनः
The milk was drunk by a snake, and I saw that; later, I saw the daughter-in-law drink it properly.
तेन संपर्कदोषेणकटिर्भग्ना च मे सदा । तेन दुःखेन भो स्वामिन्जाताहं दुःखभागिनी । भग्ना कटिश्च संजाता ह्याहारो नैव रोचते
Because of contact with that, my hip has always been broken; because of that pain, O master, I have become one who suffers; my hip is broken, and I have no appetite for food.
बलीवर्द्द उवाच- शृणु त्वं शुनि वक्ष्यामि मम दुःखस्य कारणम् । अस्मिन्वै दिवसे प्राप्ते ब्राह्मणानां तु भोजनम्
The bull said: Listen, O dog, I will tell you the cause of my suffering. On this very day, when the Brahmins were fed,
कारितं मम पुत्रेण मम चिंता तु नो कृता । नोदकं न तृणं चैव न दत्तं केनचित्क्वचित्
It was arranged by my son, but he did not think of me; neither water nor grass was given to me by anyone, anywhere.
अनाहारोह्यहं पापी बद्धोऽस्मिन्पापभावितः । पूर्वपापविशेषेण जातं शुनि न संशयः
I am indeed sinful and without food, bound here, shaped by sin; because of a particular past sin, I was born as a dog—there is no doubt.
तद्वाक्यं तु तदा देवि श्रुतं पुत्रेण धीमता । ममायं तु पिता साक्षाज्जातो मम गृहे पशुः
Then, O Devi, that statement was heard by the wise son: 'This is truly my father, born as an animal in my house.'
इयं तु जननी साक्षान्मम चैव न संशयः । दैवयोगाच्छुनी जाता किं करोमि सुनिश्चयम्
And this is certainly my mother, there is no doubt; by the force of fate, she was born as a bitch—what can I do, it is certain.
एवं विचार्यासौ विप्रो नैव निद्रामवाप सः । रात्रौ चिंतापरो भूत्वा स्मरन्विश्वेश्वरं परम्
Thus reflecting, that brāhmaṇa did not obtain sleep; becoming absorbed in thought during the night, he remembered the supreme Lord of all.
नानाधर्मपरोऽहं च ममैवं च कथं शुभम् । विचारयित्वा च ततो रात्रौ सुप्तस्तदा पुनः
I am devoted to various duties, yet how can there be auspiciousness for me in this way? Having considered thus, he again slept during the night.
प्रभाते विमले प्राप्ते ऋषीणां पुरतो गतः । तेषां मध्ये वसिष्ठेन तस्य सुस्वागतं कृतम्
When the pure morning arrived, he went before the sages; among them, Vasiṣṭha gave him a warm welcome.
ब्रूहि त्वं ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ तवागमनकारणम् । इति पृष्टस्तदा विप्रः प्रणाममकरोत्तदा
Speak, best of brāhmaṇas, the reason for your coming. Thus questioned, the brāhmaṇa then offered his respects.
अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे सफला क्रिया । अद्य मे पितरस्तृप्ता दुर्लभात्तव दर्शनात्
Today my birth is fruitful, today my actions are fulfilled; today my ancestors are satisfied, for your sight is rare.
यथोक्तं च कृतं श्राद्धं द्विजाश्चैव सुभोजिताः । कुटुंबिनां तु सर्वेषां भोजनं कारितं तथा
As prescribed, the śrāddha has been performed, and the twice-born have been well fed; likewise, all the householders have been given food.
भोजनानंतरं प्राप्ता शुनी तत्र उवाच ह । अस्माकं तु गृहे ह्येको बलीवर्दस्तु वर्त्तते
After the meal, the bitch arrived there and spoke: 'In our house, there is only one bull that remains.'
तं पतिं प्रतिवाक्यं यद्दिवज मत्तः शृणुष्व तत् । गृहेस्थितं दुग्धभांडमहिना दूषितं मया
Hear, husband, what reply I give you: the milk pot kept in the house was defiled by a snake, and I saw it.
दृष्टं मे महती चिंता तदा जाता न संशयः । अनेन पयसा चैव पक्वमन्नं यदा भवेत्
Great anxiety arose in me upon seeing this, without doubt; if cooked food were made with that milk,
तदात्र सर्वे विप्राश्च म्रियंते भोजनात्ततः । एवं विचार्य तत्स्वामिन्दुग्धं पीतं तदा मया
then all the brāhmaṇas here would die from eating it; thinking thus, I, the mistress, drank the milk at that time.
तदा दृष्टं तु वध्वा वै तया मे ताडनं कृतम् । चरामि तेन संभग्ना किं करोमि सुदुःखिता
Then, having been seen by the wife, she struck me; because of that, I wander about, broken—what can I do, so miserable?
तस्या दुःखं तु संस्मृत्य वृषः प्राह शुनीं प्रति । शृणु शुनि प्रवक्ष्यामि मम दुःखस्य कारणम्
Remembering her suffering, the bull spoke to the bitch: 'Listen, O bitch, I will tell you the cause of my suffering.'
अस्याहं तु पिता साक्षात्पूर्वजन्मनि वै शुनि । अद्य वै भोजिता विप्रा दत्तमन्नं तु भूरिशः
I was indeed her father in a previous birth, O bitch; today the brāhmaṇas have been fed, and much food has been given.
न तृणं नोदकं चैव ममाग्रे संनिवेदितम् । तेन दुःखेन मे दुःखं जातं बहुतरं तदा
But neither grass nor water was offered to me; because of that suffering, my own suffering became much greater.
एतत्कथानकं श्रुत्वा रात्रौ निद्रामवाप न । मम चिंता तु तत्रैव जाता वै ऋषिसत्तम
Hearing this story, I did not sleep at night; my anxiety remained there, O best of sages.
वेदाध्ययनशीलोऽहं कुशलो वेदकर्मणि । अनयोश्च महद्दुःखं किं करोमीति चिंतयन् । आगतस्त्वत्समीपे तु ममकष्टं निवारय
I am devoted to Vedic study and skilled in Vedic rituals. Thinking, 'What can I do about the great suffering of these two?' I have come to you; please remove my distress.
ऋषिरुवाच- उग्रजन्मन्शृणुष्व त्वं पूर्वजन्मनि यत्कृतम् । अयं वै तु द्विजश्रेष्ठो कुंडने नगरे शुभे
The sage said: Fierce-born one, listen to what was done in a previous birth. This excellent twice-born was in the auspicious city of Kundana.
मासे भाद्रपदे चैव पंचमी या समागता । तद्व्रतं तेन नाज्ञातं पितुः श्राद्धादिकारणात्
In the month of Bhādrapada, on the fifth day, that vow was not observed by him because of performing his father's śrāddha and related rites.
स्त्रीधर्मेण तु संप्राप्ता क्षयहेतु तदानघ । तया चैव कृतं सर्वं ब्राह्मणानां च भोजनम्
It was undertaken by a woman, and thus became a cause of decline. She performed all the offerings to the Brāhmaṇas.