Read the previous part here…
It is heard that the pigeon not only welcomed his enemy who sought shelter, but also offered his own flesh as food.
AriMardana said “How did that happen?”
Kroorāksha replied…
कपोतलुब्धककथा
The story of the pigeon and the hunter
This is one of the more heart-breaking stories of the Panchatantra, but one that is so beautiful that it flows into your soul and warms it up with love and hope. I have kept it in shloka form, so that it can read like a poem, and felt like one too. Try to read the sanskrit version as well (in the English transliteration, if you cannot read Devanagiri), and then the meaning. I hope you like it as much as I do…
कश्चिद् क्षुद्र-समाचारः प्राणिनां काल-सन्निभः ।
विचचार महारण्ये घोरः शकुनि-लुब्धकः ॥ १३५ ॥
kaścid kṣudra-samācāraḥ prāṇināṃ kāla-sannibhaḥ |
vicacāra mahāraṇye ghoraḥ śakuni-lubdhakaḥ || 135 ||
There once lived a cruel hunter in a huge forest. He was mean and his very presence spelt death to all birds and animals.
नैव कश्चित् सुहृत् तस्य न सम्बन्धी न बान्धवः ।
स तैः सर्वैः परित्यक्तस् तेन रौद्रेण कर्मणा ॥ १३६ ॥
naiva kaścit suhṛt tasya na sambandhī na bāndhavaḥ |
sa taiḥ sarvaiḥ parityaktas tena raudreṇa karmaṇā || 136 ||
He had no friends, nor relatives, nor anyone to call his own. They all kept away from him, due to his cruel character and mean deeds.
It is said…
ये नृशंसा दुरात्मनः प्राणिनां प्राण-नाशकाः ।
उद्वेजनीया भूतानां व्याला इव भवन्ति ते ॥ १३७ ॥
ye nṛśaṃsā durātmanaḥ prāṇināṃ prāṇa-nāśakāḥ |
udvejanīyā bhūtānāṃ vyālā iva bhavanti te || 137 ||
Wicked and cruel men, who ruthlessly hunt innocent animals and create fear in the hearts of all living beings, are like wild animals themselves.
ये नृशंसा दुरात्मनः प्राणिनां प्राण-नाशकाः ।
उद्वेजनीया भूतानां व्याला इव भवन्ति ते ॥ १३७ ॥
sa pañjarakam ādāya pāśaṃ ca laguḍaṃ tathā |
nityam eva vanaṃ yāti sarva-prāṇi-vihiṃsakaḥ || 138 ||
That heartless hunter used to walk into the forest daily, a cage, a snare and a club in hand, searching for animals to hunt and kill.
अन्येद्युर् भ्रमतस् तस्य वने कापि कपोतिका ।
जाता हस्त-गता तां स प्राक्षिपत् पञ्ज्चरान्तरे ॥ १३९ ॥
anyedyur bhramatas tasya vane kāpi kapotikā |
jātā hasta-gatā tāṃ sa prākṣipat pañjcarāntare || 139 ||
One day he came across a young female pigeon…he caught her, and ruthlessly threw her into his cage.
अथ कृष्णा दिश: सर्वा वनस्थस्याभवन् घनैः।
वातवृष्टिश्च महती क्षयकाल इवाभवत् ॥ १४१ ॥
atha krishnā dishah sarvā vanasthasyābhavan ghanaihi |
vātavrishtishcha makati kshayakāla evābhavat || 139 ||
He was still in the forest with dark clouds filled the skies, and it started pouring heavily. It became very dark, like the world was about to end.
ततः स त्रस्त-हृदयः कम्पमानो मुहुर् मुहुः ।
अन्वेषयन् परित्राणम् आससाद वनस्पतिम् ॥ १४१ ॥
tataḥ sa trasta-hṛdayaḥ kampamāno muhur muhuḥ |
anveṣayan paritrāṇam āsasāda vanaspatim || 141 ||
The hunter was frightened. Shivering in the cold rain, he searched frantically for shelter and at last, reached a huge tree.
मुहूर्तं पश्यते यावद् वियद् विमल-तारकम् ।
प्राप्य वृक्षं वदत्य् एवं यो ऽत्र तिष्ठति कश्चन ॥ १४२ ॥
तस्याहं शरणं प्राप्तः स परित्रातु माम् इति ।
शीतेन भिद्यमानं च क्षुधया गत-चेतनम् ॥ १४३ ॥
muhūrtaṃ paśyate yāvad viyad vimala-tārakam |
prāpya vṛkṣaṃ vadaty evaṃ yo ‘tra tiṣṭhati kaścana || 142 ||
tasyāhaṃ śaraṇaṃ prāptaḥ sa paritrātu mām iti |
śītena bhidyamānaṃ ca kṣudhayā gata-cetanam || 143 ||
In a while, the rain stopped and the skies cleared. The stars started to twinkle, and the hunter stood up, looked towards the sky, and prayed – “Whoever stays in this tree, I have sought shelter with him. Let him protect me. I am suffering because of the intense cold, and am fainting from hunger…”
अथ तस्य तरोः स्कन्धे कपोतः सुचिरोषितः ।
भार्या-विरहितस् तिष्ठन् विललाप सुदुःखितः ॥ १४४ ॥
atha tasya taroḥ skandhe kapotaḥ suciroṣitaḥ |
bhāryā-virahitas tiṣṭhan vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ || 144 ||
Meanwhile, a pigeon who had been living on a branch of that same tree was crying. His wife had been gone for long now, and he could not bear staying away from her.
वात-वर्षो महान् आसीन् न चागच्छति मे प्रिया ।
तया विरहितं ह्य् एतच् छून्यम् अद्य गृहं मम ॥ १४५ ॥
vāta-varṣo mahān āsīn na cāgacchati me priyā |
tayā virahitaṃ hy etac chūnyam adya gṛhaṃ mama || 145 ||
There is a storm outside, it is raining so heavily, and my beloved has not yet come home. I wonder where she might be…without her, this house looks so empty and desolate.
पतिव्रता पति-प्राणा पत्युः प्रिय-हिते रता ।
यस्य स्याद् ईदृशी भार्या धन्यः स पुरुषो भुवि ॥ १४६ ॥
pativratā pati-prāṇā patyuḥ priya-hite ratā |
yasya syād īdṛśī bhāryā dhanyaḥ sa puruṣo bhuvi || 146 ||
The man whose wife is devoted, whose wife loves him more than her own life, and whose wife is always concerned of his welfare..such a man is very fortunate and lucky.
न गृहं गृहम् इत्य् आहुर् गृहिणी गृहम् उच्यते ।
गृहं तु गृहिणी-हीनम् अरण्य-सदृशं मतम् ॥ १४७ ॥
na gṛhaṃ gṛham ity āhur gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate |
gṛhaṃ tu gṛhiṇī-hīnam araṇya-sadṛśaṃ matam || 147 ||
A house is not a home…the wife makes it a home. Without the wife, the house is just a forest.
पञ्जर-स्था ततः श्रुत्वा भर्तुर् दुःखान्वितं वचः ।
कपोतिका सुसन्तुष्टा वाक्यं चेदम् अथाह सा ॥ १४८ ॥
pañjara-sthā tataḥ śrutvā bhartur duḥkhānvitaṃ vacaḥ |
kapotikā susantuṣṭā vākyaṃ cedam athāha sā || 148 ||
The pigeon who was imprisoned in the cage heard the sad words of her husband, felt a warm feeling in her heart, and said…
न सा स्त्रीत्य् अभिमन्तव्या यस्यां भर्ता न तुष्यति ।
तुष्टे भर्तरि नारीणां तुष्टाः स्युः सर्व-देवताः ॥ १४९ ॥
na sā strīty abhimantavyā yasyāṃ bhartā na tuṣyati |
tuṣṭe bhartari nārīṇāṃ tuṣṭāḥ syuḥ sarva-devatāḥ || 149 ||
What is a wife if she cannot keep her loved husband happy and content? If her husband is happy, the gods are happy as well.
मितं ददाति हि पिता मितं भ्राता मितं सुतः ।
अमितस्य हि दातारं भर्तारं का न पूजयेत् ॥ १५१ ॥
mitaṃ dadāti hi pitā mitaṃ bhrātā mitaṃ sutaḥ |
amitasya hi dātāraṃ bhartāraṃ kā na pūjayet || 151 ||
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…
to be continued…