ततो ग्रामेषु मत्पृष्टैः प्रोक्तं सकलजन्तुभिः । राजा बभूव श्वपचो वर्षाण्य् अष्टाव् इहेति तैः
Then, in the villages, when I asked, all the people said: 'A dog-eater was indeed king here for eight years.'
स एवान्ते परिज्ञातः प्रविष्टो ज्वलनं जवात् । ततो द्विजशतानीह प्रविष्टानि हुताशनम्
At the end, when this was discovered, he quickly entered the fire; then hundreds of Brahmins here entered the sacrificial fire as well.
इति तेषां मुखाच् छ्रुत्वा तस्मान् निर्गत्य मण्डलात् । प्रयागे ऽकरवं शुद्ध्यै प्रायश्चित्तम् अहं द्विज
Having heard this from their mouths, I left that region and performed penance at Prayaga for purification, O Brahmin.
कृत्वा चान्द्रायणस्यान्ते तृतीयस्याद्य पारणम् । इहाहम् आगतस् तेन श्रान्तो ऽस्म्य् अतिकृशो ऽस्मि च
Having completed the breaking of the third lunar fast today, I have come here; because of this, I am weary and exceedingly thin.
इति श्रुतवता तेन गाधिना स तदा द्विजः । भूयः पृष्टो ऽप्य् एतद् एव कथयाम् आस नान्यथा
Having heard this, Gādhi questioned that twice-born one again, but he only repeated the same thing and said nothing else.
अथ विस्मयवान् गाधिस् तां नीत्वा तत्र शर्वरीम् । जगद्गेहमहादीपे रवाव् उदयम् आगते
Then, filled with wonder, Gādhi spent the night there, and when the sun, the great lamp of the world, had risen,
कृते प्रातस्तनविधाव् आपृच्छ्याश्व् अतिथौ गते । इदं सञ्चिन्तयाम् आस विस्मयोद्धुरया धिया
After performing the morning rituals and bidding farewell to the guest who departed on his horse, he began to reflect with a mind stirred by amazement.
यन् मया सम्भ्रमे दृष्टं सत्यं भूतं द्विजेन तत् । उक्तं ममेति किं नाम स्यान् मायाशम्बरे क्रमः
What I saw in confusion, the twice-born one truly spoke as fact—what could be the sequence of illusion’s display in this matter?
यद् बन्धुमध्ये मरणं मया तद् दृष्टम् आत्मनः । सा मायैव न सन्देहश् शेषे पश्यामि सत्यताम्
What I saw as my own death among my relatives was surely only illusion—of the rest, I perceive the reality.
तद् आत्मश्वपचोदन्तं द्रष्टुं तावद् अखिन्नधीः । हूनमण्डलपर्यन्तग्रामं गच्छामि सत्वरम्
Therefore, with an unwearied mind, I will go swiftly to see the place of my supposed outcaste birth, up to the edge of the Hūna region.
इति सञ्चिन्तयन् गन्तुं मण्डलान्तरम् आदरात् । उत्तस्थौ भास्करः पार्श्वं मेरोर् द्रष्टुम् इवोद्यतः
Thinking thus, he rose eagerly to go to another region, like the sun rising to behold the side of Mount Meru.
विनिर्गत्यावहन् मार्गे प्रावृडोघजवेन सः । देशान् उल्लङ्घयाम् आस बहून् वाततरङ्गवत्
He set out along the road, moving with the swiftness of the monsoon torrent, crossing many lands like a wave driven by the wind.
तुच्छदेशजनाचारं हूनमण्डलम् आसदत् । करभः कण्टकौघार्थी कारञ्जम् इव काननम्
He entered a region devoid of people and customs, a desolate expanse, like a young elephant seeking a thicket of thorns, or a forest filled with karanja trees.
तत्र संवित्स्थितेनैव सन्निवेशेन वै पुरः । अपश्यद् ग्रामकं कञ्चिद् गन्धर्व इव पत्तनम्
There, remaining aware and composed, he saw before him a certain small village, appearing like a city of gandharvas.
ददर्श तस्य पर्यन्ते तम् एव श्वपचालयम् । अधस् त्रिभुवनस्येव पाताले नरकव्रजम्
At the edge of that place, he saw the very dwelling of the outcaste, like a herd of hell-beings in the netherworld beneath the three realms.
चित्रचिन्तितविस्तारिसन्निवेशमयं पुरम् । गन्धर्ववद् असाव् आत्मश्वपचेशस्य दृष्टवान्
He beheld a city, its layout and expanse shaped by the varied thoughts and imaginings of its lord, appearing like the city of a gandharva, yet belonging to that outcaste king.
तेनैव सन्निवेशेन प्राग् दृष्टं श्वपचास्पदम् । तस्य काम् अपि वैराग्यपदवीम् अनयन् मनः
With that same arrangement as seen before, he beheld the abode of the outcaste; his mind was led to a certain state of dispassion.
प्रावृडासारलुठितं भित्तिजातयवाङ्कुरम् । पर्यस्तच्छादनार्धाङ्कं किञ्चिदादृष्टकन्दरम्
It was battered by the monsoon rains, with sprouts growing from the cracks in the walls, half its coverings fallen away, and some caves barely visible.
दारिद्र्यं तं दृढम् इव दौर्भाग्यम् इव कुट्टितम् । भ्रष्टाङ्गम् इव दौरात्म्यं दौस्स्थित्यम् इव खण्डितम्
He saw poverty there, firm as if it were solidified misfortune, wretchedness as if it were mangled limbs, and ruin as if it were broken stability.
गाधिदन्तावदलितैर् गवाश्वमहिषास्थिभिः । धवलैर् व्याप्तपर्यन्तं साक्ष्यं कर्तुम् इव स्थितैः
As if to bear witness, the entire expanse was covered with white bones of cows, horses, and buffaloes, shattered like Gadhi's teeth.
भुक्तं पीतं पुरा तेन येषु कर्परकेषु च । तैर् असन्मात्रमलिनैः परिपूर्णैर् इवावृतम्
Once, he had eaten and drunk there; the fragments and shards, stained merely by nonexistence, seemed to fill the place.
ताभिर् एवान्त्रतन्त्रीभिस् संशुष्काभिर् ऋताव् ऋतौ । तृष्णाभिर् इव दीर्घाभिः परितः परिवेष्टितम्
With those very dried intestines strung together, season after season, it was encircled all around, like by long thirsts.
चिरम् आलोकयाम् आस स तद् आत्मगृहं स्मयात् । प्राक्तनं शुष्कशवतां यातं देहम् इवात्मवान्
He gazed at that home of his for a long time, smiling; it had become like the body of one who has gone dry and withered, as in former times.
अथ विस्मयवान् एष ग्रामकं समुपाययौ । उल्लङ्घ्य म्लेच्छनगरम् आर्यदेशम् इवाध्वगः
Then, full of wonder, he approached the village, crossing over the city of foreigners like a traveler entering the land of the noble.
तत्रापृच्छज् जनं साधो कच्चित् स्मरति भो भवान् । प्राग् वृत्तम् अस्य ग्रामस्य पर्यन्ते श्वपचक्रमम्
There, he asked the people, 'O good sir, do you happen to remember the past events of this village, especially the area at its edge where the dog-eaters lived?'
सर्व एव हि धीमन्तश् चिरवृत्तम् अपि स्फुटम् । करस्थम् इव पश्यन्ति मयेति सुजनाच् छ्रुतम्
For indeed, all the wise clearly see even long-past events as if held in their hands; so I have heard from good people.
अत्र श्वपचम् एकान्तवासिनं वृद्धम् उन्नतम् । स्मरस्य् एकं किल तमोदुःखानाम् इव देहकम्
Here, do you recall a single old, prominent dog-eater who lived in seclusion—a body, as it were, of those afflicted by darkness and sorrow?
यदि जानासि भोस् साधो तन् मे कथय तं जनम् । पान्थसंशयविच्छेदे महत् पुण्यफलं स्मृतम्
If you know, O noble one, then tell me of that person; for resolving a traveler's doubt is said to yield great merit.
भूयो भूय इति ग्राम्याः पृष्टा गाधिद्विजन्मना । अनल्पस्मयसंरम्भा आर्तेनेव चिकित्सकाः
Again and again, the villagers were questioned by Gadhi's son; they responded with much pride and agitation, like doctors to a sufferer.
यथा कथयसि ब्रह्मंस् तत् तथा न तद् अन्यथा । कटञ्जनामा श्वपच इहाभूद् दारुणाकृतिः
O Brahmin, as you have said, so it is and not otherwise: here there was a dog-eater named Katañjana, of fierce appearance.