The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 1.222: dvāviṃśatyadhikadviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

1.222.1

jaritovāca |
asmādbilānniṣpatitaṃ śyena ākhuṃ jahāra tam |
kṣudraṃ gṛhītvā pādābhyāṃ bhayaṃ na bhavitā tataḥ || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing those words of her sons Jarita continued, 'The little mouse that had come out of this hole was seized by a hawk with his claws and carried away hence. Therefore, ye may fearlessly enter this hole now.' The young ones replied, 'We are not by any means certain of that mouse having been taken away by the hawk. There may be other mice living here. From them we have every fear. Whereas it is doubtful whether fire will at all approach us here. Already we see an adverse wind blowing the flames away. If we enter the hole, death is certain at the hands of the dwellers in the hole. But if we remain where we are, death is uncertain. O mother, a position in which death is uncertain is better than that in which it is certain. It is thy duty, therefore, to escape thyself, for, if thou livest thou mayest obtain other children as good.'

1.222.2

śārṅgakā ūcuḥ |
na hṛtaṃ taṃ vayaṃ vidmaḥ śyenenākhuṃ kathaṃcana |
anye'pi bhavitāro'tra tebhyo'pi bhayameva naḥ || 2 ||

1.222.3

saṃśayo hyagnirāgaccheddṛṣṭaṃ vāyornivartanam |
mṛtyurno bilavāsibhyo bhavenmātarasaṃśayam || 3 ||

1.222.4

niḥsaṃśayātsaṃśayito mṛtyurmātarviśiṣyate |
cara khe tvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ putrānvetsyasi śobhanān || 4 ||

1.222.5

jaritovāca |
ahaṃ vai śyenamāyāntamadrākṣaṃ bilamantikāt |
saṃcarantaṃ samādāya jahārākhuṃ bilādbalī || 5 ||

"Their mother then said, 'Ye children, I myself saw the mighty hawk, that best of birds, swoop down and fly away with the mouse from the hole. And while he was flying away swiftly, I followed him behind and pronounced blessing on him for his having taken away the mouse from the hole. I said unto him. 'O king of hawks, because thou art flying away with our enemy, the mouse, in thy claws, mayest thou, without a foe, live in heaven with a golden body.' Afterwards when that hawk devoured the mouse, I came away, obtaining his leave. Therefore, ye children, enter this hole trustfully. Ye have nothing to fear. The mouse that was its inmate was seized and taken away by the hawk in my sight.' The young ones again said, 'O mother, we do not by any means know that the mouse hath been carried away by the hawk. We cannot enter this hole in the ground without being certain of the fact.' Their mother said, 'I know to a certainty that the mouse hath been carried away by the hawk. Therefore, ye children, ye have nothing to fear; do what I say.' The young ones again said, 'We do not, O mother, say that thou art dispelling our fears with a false story. For whatever is done by a person when his reason hath been disturbed can scarcely be said to be that person's deliberate act. Thou hast not been benefited by us, nor dost thou know who we are. Why dost thou, therefore, strive to protect us at so much cost to thyself? Who are we to thee? Thou art young and handsome, and capable of seeking out thy husband. Go unto thy husband. Thou shalt obtain good children again. Let us by entering the fire attain to regions of felicity. If, however, the fire consume us not, thou mayest come back and obtain us again.'

1.222.6

taṃ patantamahaṃ śyenaṃ tvaritā pṛṣṭhato'nvagām |
āśiṣo'sya prayuñjānā harato mūṣakaṃ bilāt || 6 ||

1.222.7

yo no dveṣṭāramādāya śyenarāja pradhāvasi |
bhava tvaṃ divamāsthāya niramitro hiraṇmayaḥ || 7 ||

1.222.8

yadā sa bhakṣitastena kṣudhitena patatriṇā |
tadāhaṃ tamanujñāpya pratyupāyāṃ gṛhānprati || 8 ||

1.222.9

praviśadhvaṃ bilaṃ putrā viśrabdhā nāsti vo bhayam |
śyenena mama paśyantyā hṛta ākhurna saṃśayaḥ || 9 ||

1.222.10

śārṅgakā ūcuḥ |
na vidma vai vayaṃ mātarhṛtamākhumitaḥ purā |
avijñāya na śakṣyāmo bilamāviśatuṃ vayam || 10 ||

1.222.11

jaritovāca |
ahaṃ hi taṃ prajānāmi hṛtaṃ śyenena mūṣakam |
ata eva bhayaṃ nāsti kriyatāṃ vacanaṃ mama || 11 ||

1.222.12

śārṅgakā ūcuḥ |
na tvaṃ mithyopacāreṇa mokṣayethā bhayaṃ mahat |
samākuleṣu jñāneṣu na buddhikṛtameva tat || 12 ||

1.222.13

na copakṛtamasmābhirna cāsmānvettha ye vayam |
pīḍyamānā bharasyasmānkā satī ke vayaṃ tava || 13 ||

1.222.14

taruṇī darśanīyāsi samarthā bhartureṣaṇe |
anugaccha svabhartāraṃ putrānāpsyasi śobhanān || 14 ||

1.222.15

vayamapyagnimāviśya lokānprāpsyāmahe śubhān |
athāsmānna dahedagnirāyāstvaṃ punareva naḥ || 15 ||

1.222.16

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
evamuktā tataḥ śārṅgī putrānutsṛjya khāṇḍave |
jagāma tvaritā deśaṃ kṣemamagneranāśrayam || 16 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'The parent bird then, thus addressed by her sons, left them in Khandava and hastily went to the spot where there was no fire and there was safety. Then Agni in haste and with fierce flames approached the spot where the sons of Mandapala were. The young birds saw the blazing fire come towards them. Then Jaritari, the eldest of the four, in the hearing of Agni, began to speak.'"

1.222.17

tatastīkṣṇārcirabhyāgājjvalito havyavāhanaḥ |
yatra śārṅgā babhūvuste mandapālasya putrakāḥ || 17 ||

1.222.18

te śārṅgā jvalanaṃ dṛṣṭvā jvalitaṃ svena tejasā |
jaritāristato vācaṃ śrāvayāmāsa pāvakam || 18 ||