Hitopadesha 3.9

3.9

suciraṃ hi caran nityaṃ kṣetre satyam abuddhimān |
dvīpi-carma-paricchanno vāg-doṣād gardabho hataḥ //

Roaming truly constantly for a very long time in the field,
The foolish donkey disguised in a leopard skin was killed because of the fault of his voice.

3.9.p1

bakaḥ pṛcchati-katham etat ?

The crane asks: "How was that?"

3.9.p2

rājā kathayati-
kathā 2

The king narrates:
Story 2

3.9.p3

asti hastināpure vilāso nāma rajakaḥ | tasya gardabho 'tibhāra-vahanād durbalo mumūrṣur ivābhavat | tatas tena rajakenāsau vyāghracarmaṇā pracchādyāraṇyaka-samīpe sasya-kṣetre vimuktaḥ | tato dūrāt tam avalokya vyāghra-buddhyā kṣetra-patayaḥ satvaraṃ palāyante |

In Hastināpura there is a washerman named Vilāsa. His donkey, from carrying excessive burdens, became weak and appeared near death. Then that washerman covered him with a tiger skin and turned him loose in a grain field near the forest. Then the owners of the field, seeing him from afar and thinking him a tiger, quickly fled.

3.9.p4

athaikadā kenāpi sasya-rakṣakeṇa dhūsara-kambala-kṛta-tanu-trāṇena dhanuṣkāṇḍaṃ sajjīkṛtyānata-kāyenaikānte sthitam | taṃ ca dūrād dṛṣṭvā gardabhaḥ puṣṭāṅgo yetheṣṭa-sasya-bhakṣaṇa-jāta-balo gardabho 'yam iti matvoccaiḥ śabdaṃ kurvāṇas tad-abhimukhaṃ dhāvitaḥ | tatas tena sasya-rakṣakeṇa cītkāra-śabdād gardabho 'yam iti niścitya, līlayaiva vyāpāditaḥ | ato 'haṃ bravīmi-suciraṃ hi caran nityam ity ādi |

Now once, a certain watchman of the field, who had made a body-covering out of a grey blanket, prepared his bow and arrow and stood hidden with a bent body. Seeing him from afar, the donkey, his limbs well-fed and having gained strength from eating the crops to his heart's content, thought, 'This is a female donkey,' and braying loudly, ran toward him. Then that crop watchman, determining from the braying sound that 'This is a donkey,' killed him with ease. Therefore I say: 'Roaming truly constantly for a very long time', and so on.

3.9.p5

dīrghamukho brūte-tataḥ paścāt taiḥ pakṣibhir uktam-are pāpā duṣṭa-baka ! asmākaṃ bhūmau carann asmākaṃ svāminam adhikṣipasi | tan na kṣantavyam idānīm | ity uktvā sarve māṃ cañcubhir hatvā, sa-kopā ūcuḥ-paśya re mūrkha ! sa haṃsas tava rājā sarvathā mṛduḥ | tasya rājyādhikāro nāsti | yata ekānta-mṛduḥ karatalastham apy arthaṃ rakṣitum akṣamaḥ | sa kathaṃ pṛthivīṃ śāsti ? rājyaṃ vā tasya kim ? tvaṃ ca kūpa-maṇḍūkaḥ | tena tad-āśrayam upadiśasi | śṛṇu-

Dīrghamukha says: "After that, those birds said: 'Hey, you wicked, evil crane! While roaming on our land you insult our master! So this cannot be tolerated now!' Saying this, they all struck me with their beaks, and full of wrath said: 'Look, you fool! That goose, your king, is weak in every way. He has no right to sovereignty. For one who is utterly weak is unable to protect even material wealth that is placed in the palm of his hand. How can he rule the earth? Or what use is kingship to him? And you are a frog in a well; therefore you recommend taking refuge in him. Listen:

'Very scurvily,' replied Long-bill. "Thou rascal Crane," they cried, "dost thou feed on his soil, and revile our Sovereign? That is past bearing!" And thereat they all pecked at me. Then they began again: "Thou thick-skulled Crane! that King of thine is a goose—a web-footed lord of littleness—and thou art but a frog in a well[2] to bid us serve him—- him forsooth!—