पाषण्डिनं समाभाष्य तीर्थस्त्रानादनन्तरम् । प्राप्तोऽसि कुत्सितां योनिं किं न स्मरसि तत्प्रभो
After speaking with the heretic and bathing at the holy place, you attained this degraded birth; do you not recall that, O lord?
तयैवं स्मारिते तस्मिन् पूर्वजातिकृते तदा । दध्यौ चिरमथावाप निर्वेदमतिदुर्लभम
When she reminded him thus of his previous birth, he reflected for a long time and attained rare dispassion.
निर्विण्णाचित्त- स ततो निगम्य नगरादू बहिः । मरुप्रपतनं कृत्वा शार्गालीं योनिमागतः
Then, his mind filled with despair, he left the city and, casting himself down in the desert, was born in the womb of a jackal.
सापि द्रितीये सम्प्राप्ते वर्षे दित्येन चक्षुषा । ज्ञात्वा श्वृगालं तं द्रष्टुं ययौ कोलाहलं गिरिम्
When the second year had passed, she, perceiving with her divine sight, recognized him as a jackal and went to the mountain called Kolahala to see him.
तत्रापि दृष्ट्वा तं प्राह शार्गालीं योनिमागतम् । भर्त्तारमतिचार्वङ्गी तनया पृथितीपतेः
There, seeing him who had entered the womb of a jackal, the beautiful daughter of the king addressed her husband.
अपि स्मरसि राजेन्द्र! श्वयोनिस्थस्य यन्मया । प्रोक्तं ते पूर्वचरितं पाषण्डालापसंश्रयम्
O king, do you remember what I once told you, when you were born as a dog—your former deeds and your association with heretical speech?
पुनस्तयोक्तस्यजूज्ञात्वा सत्यं सत्यवतां वरः । कालेन स निराहारस्तत्याज स्वं कलेवरम्
Again, reminded by her words and realizing the truth—O best of the truthful—he, after some time, gave up food and abandoned his body.
भूयस्ततो वृकं जातं गत्वा तं निर्जने वने । स्मारयामास भर्त्तारं पूर्ववृत्तमनिन्दिता
Then, he was born as a wolf; and she, faultless, went to that lonely forest and reminded her husband of his previous deeds.
न त्वं वृको महभाग! राजा शतधनुर्भवान् । श्वा भूत्वा त्वं श्वृगालोऽबूर्वृकत्वं साम्प्रतं गतः
O fortunate one, you are not a wolf; you are King Shatadhanu. Having been a dog, you became a jackal, and now you have attained the state of a wolf.
स्मारितेन यदा त्यक्तस्तेनात्मा गृद्रतां गतः । अवाप सा पुनश्चैनं बोधयामास भाविनी
When he was thus reminded, he abandoned that body, and his soul entered the form of a vulture; again, she, destined, instructed him.
नरेन्द्र! स्मर्यतामात्मा ह्मलं ते गृध्रचेष्टया । पाषण्डालापजातोऽयं दोषो यदूगृध्रता गतः
O king, recall yourself—your soul—now behaving as a vulture; this fault, arising from heretical speech, has led you to this vulture birth.
ततः काकत्वमापन्नं समनन्तरजन्मति । उवाच तन्वी भर्त्तारमुपलभ्यात्मयोगतः
Then, in the very next birth, he attained the form of a crow; and the slender one, perceiving him through her own power, addressed her husband.
अशेषा भूभृतः पूर्वं वश्या यस्मै बलिं ददुः । सत्वं काकत्वमापन्नो जातोऽद्य बलिभुक् प्रभो
All the rulers of the earth, who once offered tribute to you, have now become your food, O lord, as you have taken the form of a crow.
एवमेव च काकात्वे स्मारितः स पुरातनम् । तत्याज भूपतिः प्राणान् मयूरत्वमवाप च
In that very form as a crow, when reminded by her, the king abandoned his life and attained the form of a peacock.
मयूरत्वं ततः सा वै चकारानुगतिं शुभा । दत्तैः प्रतिक्षणां ह्टद्यस्तृप्त तज्जातिभोजनेः
Then she, auspicious, followed him into the form of a peahen, always satisfied with the food appropriate to that species.
ततस्तु जनको राजा वाजिमेधं महाक्रतुम् । चकार तस्यावभृथे स्त्रपयामास तं तदा
Afterwards, King Janaka performed the great horse-sacrifice; at its concluding bath, he purified him at that time.
सस्त्रौ स्वयं च तन्वङ्गी स्मारयामास चापि तम् । यथासौ श्वश्वृगालाद्या योनीर्जग्राह पार्थिवः
There, the slender-limbed one herself reminded him, as did the king, of how he had taken on the births of dog, jackal, and so on.
स्मृतजन्मक्रमः सोऽथ तत्याज स्व कलेवरम् । जज्ञ स जनकस्यैव पुत्रोऽसौ सुमहात्मनः
Then, recalling the sequence of his births, he abandoned his body and was born as the son of the great-souled Janaka himself.
ततः सा पितरं तन्वी विवहार्थमचोदयत् । स चापि कारयामास तस्या राजा स्वयवरम्
Then she urged her father regarding her marriage, and the king arranged her svayamvara ceremony.
स्वयंवरे कृते सा तं सम्प्राप्तं पतिमात्मनः । वपरयामास भूयोऽपि भर्तृ भावेन भामिनी
At the svayamvara, she chose him, who had arrived there, as her husband; and once more, the devoted lady served him as her lord.
बुभुजे च तया सार्द्ध सम्भोगान्नृपनन्दनः । पितर्य्युपरते राज्यं विदेहेषु चकार सः
He, the delight of kings, enjoyed pleasures together with her, and, when his father passed away, he ruled the kingdom of the Videhas.
इयाज यज्ञान् सुबहुन् ददौ दानानि चार्थिनाम् । पुत्रानुत्पादयामास युयुधे च सहारिबिः
He performed many sacrifices and gave gifts to those who asked; he begot sons and fought with his enemies.
राज्यं भुक्त्वा यथान्यायं पालयित्वा वसुन्धराम् । तत्याज स प्रियान् प्राणान् संग्रामे धर्मतो नृपः
Having enjoyed his kingdom justly and protected the earth, that king gave up his dear life in battle, upholding righteousness.
ततश्वितास्थं तं भूयो भर्त्तारं सा शुभेक्षणा । अन्वारुरोह विधिवद् यथापूर्वं मुदा सती
Then, that virtuous-eyed lady, his wife, again ascended the funeral pyre after him, as before, with joy, according to the proper rites.
ततोऽवाप तया सार्द्धं राजपुत्र्या स पार्थिवः । ऐन्दानतीत्यवै लोकान् लोकान् कामदुहोऽक्षयान्
Thereafter, that king attained, together with the princess, worlds beyond those of Indra—everlasting realms that fulfill all desires.
स्वर्गाक्षयत्वमतुलं दाम्पत्यमतिदुर्लभम् । प्राप्त पुण्यफलं प्राप्य संशुद्धिं तां द्रिजोत्तम
Having attained the incomparable and exceedingly rare state of marital union in heaven, and having received the fruit of his merit and purification, O best of twice-born, he reached that state.
एष पाषण्डसम्भाषाद्दोषः प्रोक्तो मया द्रिज । तथाश्वमेधावबृथस्त्रानमाहात्म्यमेव च
O twice-born, I have thus described the fault arising from association with heretics, as well as the greatness of the Ashvamedha and the Avabhritha bath.
तस्मात् पाषण्डिभिः पापैरालापस्पर्शनं त्यजेत् । विशेषतः क्रियाकाले यज्ञादौ चापि दीक्षितः
Therefore, one should avoid conversation and contact with sinful heretics, especially during rituals and at the commencement of sacrifices, and particularly when initiated.
क्रियाहानिर्गृ हे यस्य मासमेकं प्रजायते । तस्यावलोकनात् सूर्यं पश्येत मतिमान् नरः
If, due to the fault of ritual neglect, a person is born for one month, the wise man should look at the sun to be purified from even seeing such a one.
किं पुनर्यैस्तु सत्यक्ता त्रयी सर्वात्मना द्रिज । परान्नभोजिभिः पापैर्वेदवादविरोधिबिः
What then of those who have completely abandoned the three Vedas, who eat food from others, who are sinful, and who oppose the teachings of the Vedas?