श्येन उवाच धर्मात्मानं त्वाहुरेकं सर्वे राजन् महीक्षितः। सर्वधर्मविरुद्धं त्वं कस्मात् कर्म चिकीर्षसि॥

The Hawk said: All the kings of earth call you virtuous. Therefore why do you perform an act which is not in accordance with Dharma?

Vana Parva 131.1

विहितं भक्षणं राजन् पीड्यमानस्य मे क्षुधा। मा रक्षीधर्मलोभेनधर्ममुत्सृष्टवानसि॥

O king, I am oppressed by hunger; do not withhold from me my ordained food on the belief that you are thus gaining virtue, whereas you are not.

Vana Parva 131.2

राजोवाच संत्रस्तरूपस्त्राणार्थी त्वत्तो भीतो महाद्विज। मत्सकाशमनुप्राप्तः प्राणगृनुरयं द्विजः॥

The King said: O great bird, this one is afflicted with the fear of you; and desirous of escaping from you it has come in a fury to me for protection.

Vana Parva 131.3

एवमभ्यागतस्येह कपोतस्याभयार्थिनः। अप्रदाने परंधर्मं कथं श्येन न पश्यसि॥

O hawk, why do you not see that it is a great virtue for me not to give up this pigeon which has thus come to me?

Vana Parva 131.4

प्रस्पन्दमानः सम्भ्रान्तः कपोतः श्येन लक्ष्यते। मत्सकाशं जीवितार्थी तस्य त्यागो विगर्हितः॥

O hawk, this pigeon is seen to tremble with fear; it is agitated, it has come to me for protection of its life. It is not proper for me to forsake it.

Vana Parva 131.5

यो हि कश्चिद् द्विजान् हन्याद् गां वा लोकस्य मातरम् शरणागतं च त्यजते तुल्यं तेषां हि पातकम्॥

He who kills a Brahmana and the mother of men (cow) and he who forsakes one who seeks his protection, both commit equal sin.

Vana Parva 131.6

श्येन उवाच आहारात् सर्वभूतानि सम्भवन्ति महीपते। आहारेण विवर्धन्ते तेन जीवन्ति जन्तवः॥

The Hawk said : O ruler of earth, all creatures exist on food. The animals are nourished and sustained by food.

Vana Parva 131.7

शक्यते दुस्त्यजेऽप्यर्थे चिररात्राय जीवितुम्। न तु भोजनमुत्सृज्य शक्यं वर्तयितुं चिरम्॥

A man can live many days even after forsaking his dear ones, but be cannot live long after abstaining from food.

Vana Parva 131.8

भक्ष्याद् वियोजितस्याद्य मम प्राणा विशाम्पते। विसृज्य कायमेष्यन्ति पन्थानमकुतोभयम्॥

O king, my life will depart today if deprived of food. Leaving my body it would fearlessly go away to other ways.

Vana Parva 131.9

प्रमृते मयिधर्मात्मन् पुत्रदारादि नक्ष्यति। रक्षमाणः कपोतं त्वं बहून् प्राणान् न रक्षसि॥

O virtuous-minded one, at my death my wife and children will perish. By protecting the pigeon you do not (at all) protect many lives.

Vana Parva 131.10

धर्मं यो बाधतेधर्मो न सधर्मः कुधर्म तत्। अविरोधात् तु योधर्मः सधर्मः सत्यविक्रम॥

The virtue, that stands in the way of another virtue, is (really) unrighteousness. O truthful king, that virtue true virtue which is not conflicting.

Vana Parva 131.11

विरोधिषु महीपाल निश्चित्य गुरुलाघवम्। न बाधा विद्यते यत्र तंधर्म समुपाचरेत्॥ गुरुलाघवमादायधर्माधर्मविनिश्चये। यतो भूयास्ततो राजन् कुरुष्वधर्मनिश्चयम्॥

O ruler of earth, after comparing the opposing virtues and weighing their comparative merits, one ought to espouse that which is not opposing. Where there is no confliction, one should adopt that virtue which preponderates.

Vana Parva 131.12

राजोवाच बहुकल्याणसंयुक्तं भाषसे विहगोत्तम। सुपर्णः पक्षिराट् किं त्वंधर्मज्ञश्चास्यसंशयम्॥

The King said : O excellent bird, as you speak words fraught with good, (may I ask) are you the king of birds, Suparna (Garuda)? I have not the least doubt that you are learned in all the precepts of virtue.

Vana Parva 131.13

तथा हिधर्मसंयुक्तं बहु चित्रं च भाषसे। न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचिदिति त्वां लक्षयाम्यहम्॥

As you speak many and various words of virtue, I do not see there is anything in respect with it which you do not know.

Vana Parva 131.14

शरणैषिपरित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे। आहारार्थं समारम्भस्तव चायं विहंगम॥

O bird, why do you consider, it virtuous to forsake one who seeks one's protection? Your attempt is only to search for food.

Vana Parva 131.15

शक्यश्चाप्यन्यथा कर्तुमाहारोऽप्यधिकस्त्वया। गोवृषो वा वराहो वा मृगो वा महिषोऽपि वा। त्वदर्थमद्य क्रियतां यच्चान्यदिह काक्षसि॥

You can appease you hunger with some other food which would be more plentiful. I am perfectly willing to procure for you any sort of food that would be palatable to you, whether it be an ox or a boar or a deer or a buffalo.

Vana Parva 131.16

श्येन उवाच न वराहं न चोक्षाणं न मृगान् विविधांस्तथा। भक्षयामि महाराज किं ममान्येन केनचित्॥

The Hawk said: O great king, I am not desirous of eating a boar or an ox or any other kind of beasts. What have I to do with any other food?

Vana Parva 131.17

यस्तु मे देवविहितो भक्षः क्षत्रियपुङ्गव। तमुत्सृज महीपाल कपोतमिममेव मे॥

O ruler of earth, O best of Kshatriyas, give me therefore this pigeon which is the food ordained to me by the celestials.

Vana Parva 131.18

श्यनेः कपोतानत्तीति स्थितिरेषा सनातनी। मा राजन् सारमज्ञात्वा कदलीस्कन्धमाश्रया२०॥

O king, that the hawks eat the pigeons, is an eternal law. Do not get on a plantain tree not knowing its want of strength (to support you).

Vana Parva 131.19

राजोवाच राष्ट्र शिबीनामृद्धं वै ददानि तव खेचर। यं वा कामयसे कामं श्येन सर्वं ददानि ते॥

The King said : Oranger of skies, I am willing to give you this kingdom of my dynasty and all wealth and also all that you desire to have,

Vana Parva 131.20

विनेनं पक्षिणं श्येन शरणार्थिनमागतम्। येनेमं वर्जयेथास्त्वं कर्मणा पक्षिसत्तम। तदाचक्ष्व करिष्यामि न हि दास्ये कपोतकम्॥

O hawk, O excellent bird, with the exception of giving up this pigeon which has come to me for protection. Tell me what I shall have to do for the deliverance of this bird, I shall not give you this pigeon.

Vana Parva 131.21

श्येन उवाच उशीनर कपोते ते यदि स्नेहो नराधिप। आत्मनो मांसमुत्कृत्य कपोततुलयाधृतम्॥

The Hawk said : O Ushinara, O ruler of men, if you have so much affection for the pigeon, then cut a portion of your flesh and weigh it against this pigeon.

Vana Parva 131.22

यदा समं कपोतेन तव मांसं नृपोत्तम। तदा देयं तु तन्मह्यं सा मे तुष्टिर्भविष्यति॥

O excellent king, when you flesh would be equal in weight with this pigeon, give it then to me and I shall be then satisfied.

Vana Parva 131.23

राजोवाच अनुग्रहमिमं मन्ये श्येन यन्माभियाचसे। तस्मात् तेऽद्य प्रदास्यामि स्वमांसं तुलयाधृतम्॥

The King said : O hawk, I consider your this request as a favour. I shall give you my own flesh weighing it against the pigeon.

Vana Parva 131.24

लोमश उवाच उत्कृत्य स स्वयं मांसं राजा परमधर्मवित्। तोलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन समं विभो॥

Lomasha said: O son of Kunti, O lord, cutting off his own flesh, that virtuous king weighed it against the pigeon.

Vana Parva 131.25

ध्रियमाणः कपोतस्तु मांसेनात्यतिरिच्यते। पुनश्चोत्कृत्य मांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनरः॥

But when he found that the pigeon was more heavy than this flesh (thus cut and placed in the scale), the king Ushinara again cut (some more) flesh (from his body) and placed it (in the scale).

Vana Parva 131.26

न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन समंधृतम्। तत उत्कृत्तमांसोऽसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम्॥

When portion after portion of his flesh had been added to weigh against the pigeon and no more flesh was left on his body, he then himself mounted on the scale.

Vana Parva 131.27

श्येन उवाच इन्द्रोऽहमस्मिधर्मज्ञ कपोतो हव्यवाडयम्। जिज्ञासमानौधर्म त्वां यज्ञवाटमुपागतौ॥

The Hawk said : O virtuous king, I am Indra. The pigeon is the carrier of the sacrificial Ghee (Agni). In order to test your virtuous merit, we came to your sacrificial grounds,

Vana Parva 131.28

यत् ते मांसानि गात्रेभ्य उत्कृत्तानि विशाम्पते। एषा ते भास्वती कीर्तिर्लोकानभिभविष्यति॥

O king, as you have cut off your flesh from your body, your glory will be resplendent.

Vana Parva 131.29

यावल्लोके मनुष्यास्त्वां कथयिष्यन्ति पार्थिव। तावत् कीर्तिश्च लोकाश्च स्थास्यन्ति तव शाश्वताः।।

O king, as long as men will speak of you on earth, so long will your glory endure and eternal region would be reserved for you.

Vana Parva 131.30

इत्येवमुक्त्वा राजानमारुरोह दिवं पुनः। उशीनरोऽपिधर्मात्माधर्मेणावृत्य रोदसी॥ विभ्राजमानो वपुषाप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम्। तदेतत् सदनं राजन् राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः॥

Lomasha said: Having said this to the king, he (Indra) again went to heaven. And the virtuous Ushinara also, after filling heaven and earth with the merit of his pious deeds, went to heaven in an effulgent form. O king, yonder is the residence of that illustrious king.

Vana Parva 131.31

पश्यस्वैतन्मया सार्धं पुण्यं पापप्रमोचनम्। तत्र वै सततं देवा मनुयश्च सनातनाः। दृश्यन्ते ब्राह्मणै राजन् पुण्यवद्भिर्महात्मभिः॥

Behold it which is holy and capable of cleansing sins. O king, here are always seen the celestials and eternal Rishis and also virtuous and high-souled Brahmanas.

Vana Parva 131.32