Read the previous part here…
And having thought this, LaghuPatanaka climbed down from the tree and stood near the entrance of the fortress where Hiranyaka lived. He imitated ChitraGreeva and called out “Hiranyaka, come out, come out fast!”
Hearing this, Hiranyaka thought to himself “Is there any other pigeon that was not freed the first time around? Is that why he is calling me out again?”
Ever cautious, in spite of his secure fortress, Hiranyaka replied “Who are you?”
LaghuPatanaka responded “I am a crow and my name is LaghuPatanaka.”
Hearing this, Hiranyaka moved deeper into his fort and said “I don’t know you. Please leave.”
“But I have come to you for some important work”, said LaghuPatanaka. “Why don’t you come out and see me?”
“I don’t see any need to come out and see you”, said Hiranyaka curtly.
“I saw how you freed ChitraGreeva and his friends from the huge net”, continued LaghuPatanaka, “and I have begun to admire you. Also, in the future, if I do get trapped in any net, I can come to you to free myself. And so, please accept my friendship!”
Hiranyaka was not moved by this flattery. “Well, you eat mice, and I am your food. What kind of friendship can exist between us? So, please go away. Two natural enemies can never be friends. It is said…
ययोर् एव समं वित्तं ययोर् एव समं कुलम् ।
तयोर् मैत्री विवाहश् च न तु पुष्ट-विपुष्टयोः ॥ २९ ॥
yayor eva samaṃ vittaṃ yayor eva samaṃ kulam |
tayor maitrī vivāhaś ca na tu puṣṭa-vipuṣṭayoḥ || 29 ||
Friendship or marriage can take place only between those equal in wealth and status, not between the strong and the weak.
“The fool, who without thinking, develops a friendship with people not equal to him, be they higher in status or lower, will always become the object of ridicule. And so, please go away.”
Not willing to give up, LaghuPatanaka said “Hiranyaka, I am here sitting at the entrance of your fortress. If you do not accept my friendship, I will fast until death, right here, and from right now.”
Hiranyaka replied “But you are my enemy by nature, how can I be your friend? It is said…
वैरिणा न हि सन्दध्यात् सुश्लिष्टेनापि सन्धिना ।
सुतप्तम् अपि पानीयं शमयत्य् एव पावकम् ॥ ३१ ॥
vairiṇā na hi sandadhyāt suśliṣṭenāpi sandhinā |
sutaptam api pānīyaṃ śamayaty eva pāvakam || 31 ||
One should not make peace with an enemy even if one becomes close to him. After all, water even if well heated by fire, will always extinguish it.
“But you have not even met me”, protested LaghuPatanaka, “so how does the question of enmity even arise?”
Hiranyaka responded calmly. “There are two types of enemies”, he said. “natural and acquired. You are my natural enemy. It is said…
कृत्रिमं नाशम् अभ्येति वैरं द्राक् कृत्रिमैर् गुणैः ।
प्राण-दानं विना वैरं सहजं याति न क्षयम् ॥ ३२ ॥
kṛtrimaṃ nāśam abhyeti vairaṃ drāk kṛtrimair guṇaiḥ |
prāṇa-dānaṃ vinā vairaṃ sahajaṃ yāti na kṣayam || 32 ||
Enmity that arises for some particular reason, may vanish when the cause is removed,
but the natural enmity endures for ever, and only ends when one is destroyed.
LaghuPatanaka was not convinced. “I would like to know more about these two types of enmities. Please explain them to me.”
Hiranyaka replied “Acquired enmity arises due to some reasons and can be remedied by addressing the cause of the enmity. Natural enmity on the other hand, doesn’t end, however much you try to end it. For example, the snake and mongoose are natural enemies, so are grass-eaters and meat eaters, water and fire, gods and demons, dogs and cats, rich and poor, two wives of a man, the lion and the elephant, a hunter and a deer, the learned and the thief, a crow and an owl, the fool and the wise, a chaste woman and a loose woman, good and bad men – they may not actually kill each other, but they always try their best to get rid of each other.
LaghuPatanaka was still not convinced. “I don’t agree with your line of reasoning,” he said. I believe that…
कारणान् मित्रताम् एति कारणाद् याति शत्रुताम् ।
तस्मान् मित्रत्वम् एवात्र योज्यं वैरं न धीमता ॥ ३३ ॥
kāraṇān mitratām eti kāraṇād yāti śatrutām |
tasmān mitratvam evātra yojyaṃ vairaṃ na dhīmatā || 33 ||
Both friendship and enmity happen due to some reasons. And so, one should always strive to only make friends, not enemies.
And so, to make friends with me, at least come out once and meet me. I feel what I ask is fair”, said LaghuPatanaka.
Hiranyaka said…
to be continued…
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