Read the previous part here…
A father, a brother and a son give a little joy. But it is the husband who gives one happiness without any limits. And wives should worship such a caring husband.
She then addressed her husband, and said…
शृणुष्वावहितः कान्त यत् ते वक्ष्याम्य् अहं हितम् ।
प्राणैर् अपि त्वया नित्यं संरक्ष्यः शरणागतः ॥ १५२ ॥
śṛṇuṣvāvahitaḥ kānta yat te vakṣyāmy ahaṃ hitam |
prāṇair api tvayā nityaṃ saṃrakṣyaḥ śaraṇāgataḥ || 152 ||
“Oh my love! Listen to me…I will tell you something that is for the good of us all. This person, who has sought shelter from you – please protect him even at the cost of your own life.
एष शाकुनिकः शेते तवावासं समाश्रितः ।
शीतार्तश् च क्षुधार्तश् च पूजाम् अस्मै समाचर ॥ १५३ ॥
eṣa śākunikaḥ śete tavāvāsaṃ samāśritaḥ |
śītārtaś ca kṣudhārtaś ca pūjām asmai samācara || 153 ||
This hunter has taken shelter under this tree, in your home. He is feeling very cold and has fainted due to hunger. He is your guest. Please take care of him.
It has been heard that…
यः सायम् अतिथिं प्राप्तं यथा-शक्ति न पूजयेत् ।
तस्यासौ दुष्कृतं दत्त्वा सुकृतं चापकर्षति ॥ १५४ ॥
yaḥ sāyam atithiṃ prāptaṃ yathā-śakti na pūjayet |
tasyāsau duṣkṛtaṃ dattvā sukṛtaṃ cāpakarṣati || 154 ||
If a host does not welcome the guest who has taken shelter with him, then the guest leaves with all the good vibes and fortunes of the house, and leaves behind all the bad vibes of the sins that he has committed.
मा चास्मै त्वं कृथा द्वैषं बद्धानेनेति मत्-प्रिया ।
स्व-कृतैर् एव बद्धाहं प्राक्तनैः कर्म-बन्धनैः ॥ १५५ ॥
mā cāsmai tvaṃ kṛthā dvaiṣaṃ baddhāneneti mat-priyā |
sva-kṛtair eva baddhāhaṃ prāktanaiḥ karma-bandhanaiḥ || 155 ||
Do not hate him thinking that he has imprisoned me. I have been bound by the results of my own karma, my own actions in the past. He is not to blame.
Because…
दारिद्र्य-रोग-दुःखानि बन्धन-व्यसनानि च ।
आत्मापराध-वृक्षस्य फलान्य् एतानि देहिनाम् ॥ १५६ ॥
dāridrya-roga-duḥkhāni bandhana-vyasanāni ca |
ātmāparādha-vṛkṣasya phalāny etāni dehinām || 156 ||
Poverty, illness, difficulties and suffering are all the fruits of the tree of our past actions. We will have to undergo them, such things cannot be avoided.
तस्मात् त्वं द्वेषम् उत्सृज्य मद्-बन्धन-समुद्भवम् ।
धर्मे मनः समाधाय पूजयैनं यथा-विधि ॥ १५७ ॥
tasmāt tvaṃ dveṣam utsṛjya mad-bandhana-samudbhavam |
dharme manaḥ samādhāya pūjayainaṃ yathā-vidhi || 157 ||
And so ignore the feeling of hate that has arisen in your heart, due to my being imprisoned, and focus on welcoming him with respect.
तस्यास् तद्-वचनं श्रुत्वा धर्म-युक्ति-समन्वितम् ।
उपगम्य ततो ऽधृष्टः कपोतः प्राह लुब्धकम् ॥ १५८ ॥
tasyās tad-vacanaṃ śrutvā dharma-yukti-samanvitam |
upagamya tato ‘dhṛṣṭaḥ kapotaḥ prāha lubdhakam || 158 ||
Hearing his wife’s words of wisdom, the pigeon regained his composure and approached the hunter, and said…
भद्र सुस्वागतं तेऽस्तु ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते ।
सन्तापश् च न कर्तव्यः स्व-गृहे वर्तते भवान् ॥ १५९ ॥
bhadra susvāgataṃ te’stu brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te |
santāpaś ca na kartavyaḥ sva-gṛhe vartate bhavān || 159 ||
“You are welcome to my humble abode. Please tell me what I can do for you. Do not hesitate or feel bad, think of this as your own home.
तस्य तद्-वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच विहङ्गमम् ।
कपोत खलु शीतं मे हिम-त्राणं विधीयताम् ॥ १६० ॥
tasya tad-vacanaṃ śrutvā pratyuvāca vihaṅgamam |
kapota khalu śītaṃ me hima-trāṇaṃ vidhīyatām || 160 ||
Hearing him speak this way, the hunter said “I am feeling very cold. Please do something to help me…”
स गत्वाङ्गारकं नीत्वा पातयामास पावकम् ।
ततः शुष्केषु पर्णेषु तम् आशु समदीपयत् ॥ १६१ ॥
सुसन्दीप्तं ततः कृत्वा तम् आह शरणागतम् ।
प्रतापयस्व विश्रब्धं स्व-गात्राण्य् अत्र निर्भयः ॥ १६२ ॥
sa gatvāṅgārakaṃ nītvā pātayāmāsa pāvakam |
tataḥ śuṣkeṣu parṇeṣu tam āśu samadīpayat || 161 ||
susandīptaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā tam āha śaraṇāgatam |
pratāpayasva viśrabdhaṃ sva-gātrāṇy atra nirbhayaḥ || 162 ||
The pigeon brought some embers and lit a fire using some dry leaves, After ensuring that the fire was well lit, he spoke to the hunter and said “please sit by this fire and warm yourself well, without any fear or hesitation.”
उद्गतेन च जीवामो वयं सर्वे वनौकसः ।
न चास्ति विभवः कश्चिन् नाशये येन ते क्षुधम् ॥ १६३ ॥
सहस्रं भरते कश्चिच् छतमन्यो दशापरः ।
मम त्व् अकृत-पुण्यस्य क्षुद्रस्यात्मापि दुर्भरः ॥ १६४ ॥
udgatena ca jīvāmo vayaṃ sarve vanaukasaḥ |
na cāsti vibhavaḥ kaścin nāśaye yena te kṣudham || 163 ||
sahasraṃ bharate kaścic chatamanyo daśāparaḥ |
mama tv akṛta-puṇyasya kṣudrasyātmāpi durbharaḥ || 164 ||
I don’t have anything that can satiate your hunger. There are those who can feed tens, hundreds and even thousands, but for those like me, who have accumulated only bad karma in the past, it is difficult to even maintain my own self.
एकस्याप्य् अतिथेर् अन्नं यः प्रदातुं न शक्तिमान् ।
तस्यानेक-परिक्लेशे गृहे किं वसतः फलम् ॥ १६५ ॥
ekasyāpy atither annaṃ yaḥ pradātuṃ na śaktimān |
tasyāneka-parikleśe gṛhe kiṃ vasataḥ phalam || 165 ||
If a host is unable to feed even a single guest who comes home, of what possible use is that house to a guest, even if it has all the comforts?
तत् तथा साधयाम्य् एतच् छरीरं दुःख-जीवितम् ।
यथा भूयो न वक्ष्यामि नास्तीत्य् अर्थि-समागमे ॥ १६६ ॥
tat tathā sādhayāmy etac charīraṃ duḥkha-jīvitam |
yathā bhūyo na vakṣyāmi nāstīty arthi-samāgame || 166 ||
And so today I will do something with this body of mine that has seen only pain, so that there is never another instance when I say “no” to a guest that has come to my door.
स निनिन्दि किलात्मानं न तु तं लुब्धकं पुनः ।
उवाच तर्पयिष्ये त्वां मुहूर्तं प्रतिपालय ॥ १६७ ॥
sa ninindi kilātmānaṃ na tu taṃ lubdhakaṃ punaḥ |
uvāca tarpayiṣye tvāṃ muhūrtaṃ pratipālaya || 167 ||
The pigeon only blamed himself for his misery, and not the hunter. He again told the hunter “Please wait for just a few moments. I will offer you food and satiate your hunger.”
to be continued…