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.
पुत्रपौत्रसुहृद्भृत्यबन्धुस्वजनपेटकम् । यस्यातिविस्तीर्णम् अभूत् पत्त्रवृन्दं तरोर् इव
His circle of sons, grandsons, friends, servants, relatives, and kin was vast, like the multitude of leaves on a tree.
तस्य वृद्धस्य तत् सर्वं कलत्रं मृत्युर् आच्छिनत् । अद्रेः पुष्पफलोपेतं महावनम् इवानिलः
For that old man, death took away all his family, as the wind strips a great forest on a mountain of its flowers and fruits.
यस् ततो देशम् उत्सृज्य ययौ कीरपुरान्तरम् । वर्षाण्य् अष्टाव् अनुद्वेगं तत्र राजा बभूव यः
He then left that place and went to another part of Kirapura, where he became king for eight years without distress.
यस् तत्राथ परिज्ञाय जनैर् दूरे तिरस्कृतः । यथा राशिर् अमेध्यस्य यथा ग्रामे विषद्रुमः
There, however, he was recognized by the people and shunned from afar, like a heap of filth or a poisonous tree in a village.
ततो जने ऽग्निं प्रविशत्य् आत्मना यो हुताशनम् । आर्यताम् आर्यसंसर्गाद् आर्यतः प्रविवेश ह
Then, among the people, he entered the fire himself; through association with the noble, he attained nobility.
किं त्वम् एकं प्रयत्नेन श्वपचं पृच्छसि प्रभो । किं ते बन्धुर् असौ कश्चिद् अभवत् संस्तुतो ऽथ वा
But why, O lord, do you persistently question this outcaste? Is he some relative of yours, or has he been praised by you in some way?
एवं कथयतो ग्राम्यान् गाधिः पृच्छन् पुनः पुनः । सर्वेषु तत्र ग्रामेषु मासम् एकम् उवास सः
Thus, as Gadhi repeatedly questioned the villagers, he stayed in all those villages for a month.
यथा तेनानुभूतं तच् छ्वपचत्वं तथैव तैः । ग्रामीणैस् तस्य कथितं सर्वैर् एवाविखण्डितम्
Just as he had experienced that outcaste existence, so too did all the villagers recount it to him, without contradiction.
अव्याहतं सकलहूनमुखाद् अथैतद् आकर्ण्य सम्यग् अवलोक्य यथानुभूतम् । गाधिश् शशाङ्कमलवद् धृदये विरूढं गूढाकृतिः परमविस्मयम् आजगाम
Hearing this, directly and without any distortion from every mouth, and carefully considering what he had experienced, Gadhi was seized by supreme astonishment, which took root in his heart like the mark on the moon, hidden in form.
लुठितं श्वपचागारं पुनर् विस्मयवान् ययौ । गाधिर् मनो हि नायाति तृप्तिम् आश्चर्यदर्शने
Amazed, Gadhi again visited the dwelling of the outcaste; for the mind does not find satisfaction in witnessing wonders.