Sarga 72: Sarga 72

For a long time a vulture and an owl dwelt near the City of Ayodhya in a forest on a mountain, that was intersected by many streams, where cuckoos called and which abounded in lions, tigers and birds of every kind.

One day, the wicked vulture alleging that the owl’s nest was his, began to quarrel with him, whereupon both said:—

“Let us seek out the lotus-eyed Rama, who is the king of the people and let him decide to whom the nest belongs.”

Having thus agreed, the vulture and the owl, wrangling with one another, wrought up with ire, came before Rama and touched his feet. Beholding that Lord of Men, the vulture said:—

“O Preserver of humanity, you are the foremost of the Devas and Asuras, O Resplendent One, in hearing and intelligence you are superior to Brihaspati and Shukracarya. You are conversant with the good and evil karma of all creatures. In beauty you resemblest the moon, in splendour the sun, in glory the Himalaya, in profundity the ocean, in prowess the Grandsire, in forbearance the earth, in speed the wind; you are the Spiritual Preceptor of all animate and inanimate beings and art endowed with every kind of wealth; you are illustrious, forgiving, invincible, victorious and master of all the scriptures and laws. O Foremost of Men, hear my plea! O Lord of Raghu, I had built a nest for myself and this owl is now occupying it as his own, therefore, O King, do you protect me!”

The vulture, having said this, the owl spoke, saying:—

“True it is that in a king, there is to be found a portion of the moon, of Indra, the sun, Kuvera and Yama but there is also a measure of man in him. You, however, art the all-pervasive Narayana Himself, You, impelled by thine own Self dost judge all creatures impartially, yet a certain gentleness is manifest in you and therefore people say you are endowed with a portion of the moon. O Lord, by anger, punishment and reward, you dost remove the sins and dangers of your subjects; it is thine to give and withdraw, you are the dispenser, destroyer and protector and art as Indra to us. In energy you are as fire, irresistible to all creatures and, since you dost spread your lustre on all beings, you are like the sun! You resemblest the Lord of Wealth and art even superior to him, for prosperity resides in you. You lookest on all creatures whether animate or inanimate with the same eye, 0 Raghava, and dost regard foe and friend alike, duly protecting your subjects. O Raghava, those who have incurred thine anger are already slain, therefore you are praised as Yama. O Foremost of Kings, since, in human form, you are merciful and beneficent, people sing your glory, you who art intent on not harming men. The king is the strength of the weak and helpless, the eye of the blind and the refuge of those who seek shelter in him. You are also our Lord, therefore hear our plea! O King, entering into my nest, this vulture is oppressing me; you alone, O Foremost of Men, art the divine chastiser of creatures 1”

Hearing these words, Rama called for his ministers with those of King Dasaratha, Vrishti, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhartha, Rashtravarddhana, Ashoka, Dharmapala and the highly powerful Sumantra and others, who were well versed in the law, high-minded and conversant with the Shastras, intelligent, nobly born and skilled in counsel.

Thereafter summoning both, Rama, descending from his throne, enquired of the vulture:—“How long has this nest been made? Tell me if you dost remember it!”

Then the vulture replied:—“From the time men were first born on earth and spread over the four quarters of the globe, I have been living in this nest.”

Thereupon the owl said:—

“At the time when trees first covered the earth, this nest of mine was constructed.”

Hearing these words, Rama said to his counsellors:—

“That assembly is not an assembly where there are no wise and elderly men, nor those who do not dwell on righteous topics. That religion is no religion where truth is not to be found and that truth is no truth where there is guile. Those counsellors are liars, who remain silent when they are well informed in any matter. He who does not speak either on account of passion, fear or anger, binds himself with a thousand nooses of Varuna and, at the expiration of a full year, is only released from a single sin.”

Hearing these words, the ministers said to Rama:—

“O You of great intellect, what the owl has said is true, the vulture has spoken falsely. You are proof of this, O Great King, since the king is the final refuge of all, the root of the people and eternal dharma itself. Those punished by the king do not fall into a lower state, they are saved from hell and expand in virtue.”

Hearing these words of the ministers, Rama said:—

“Hear what is related in the Puranas! Formerly the sun, moon and firmament with its stars, the earth with its mountains and forests, the Three Worlds with all that moves and does not move were merged in the waters of the great ocean.

“At that time, Narayana existed as a second Sumeru and, in his belly, lay the earth with Lakshmi. Having destroyed the creation and entered the waters, the highly effulgent Vishnu, identical with the souls of creatures, lay asleep there for many long years. Beholding Vishnu asleep after the destruction of the worlds and, knowing all the entries to be obstructed, the great Brahma entered his belly. Thereupon a golden lotus sprang from Vishnu’s navel, and that great Lord, the Creator, Brahma, rose therefrom and engaged in severe penances for the purpose of creating the earth, air, mountains, trees, men, reptiles and all other life-forms from the womb or egg.

“Thereafter, from the wax in the ears of Narayana, two valiant and dreadful Daityas, Madhu and Kaitabha were born. Beholding the Grandsire, they were greatly enraged and rushed upon him, whereupon Brahma, the Self-born cried out loudly.

“Awakened by that sound, Narayana engaged in combat with Madhu and Kaitabha and slew them with his discus and the earth was drenched with their blood. Then, purifying it once more, Vishnu, the Preserver of the World covered it with trees and created medicinal herbs. Thus filled with the marrow of Madhu and Kaitabha, the earth was called Medini. It is for this that I hold this abode does not belong to the vulture but to the owl, O Counsellors, the owl having maintained that he built the nest when trees were first created, that is, before men appeared. This vicious vulture should therefore be punished, for this evil-minded one, having robbed another of its nest, is now oppressing him.”

At that moment a voice was heard in the sky, saying:—

“O Rama, do not slay the vulture for it has already been reduced to ashes by the power of Gautama’s asceticism. O Lord of Men, this vulture in a former birth was an heroic, truthful and pure king, by the name of Brahmadatta.

One day a brahmin called Gautama, the very personification of Time, came to the house of Brahmadatta for food and said:—

“‘O King, I shall feed in your house for more than a hundred years!’

“Thereupon, with his own hands offering that effulgent brahmin water to wash his feet, the King Brahmadatta entertained him with due hospitality.

Once, accidentally, flesh was mixed with the food of the high-souled Gautama and he, enraged, uttered a terrible curse, saying:—

‘O King, do you become a vulture!’

“The monarch thereupon replied:—

‘O You of great vows, do not curse me thus, be propitiated, it was in ignorance that this offence was offered by me, O Great One! O Blameless One, do you so act that this curse be rendered void 1’

“Recognizing that the offence had been unwittingly committed by the king, the ascetic said:—

“‘O King, a monarch shall be born under the name of Rama in the Race of Ikshvaku. O Foremost of Men, you shalt be released from the curse when he touches you.’”

Hearing these words from the sky, Rama touched Brahmadatta and he, giving up his vulture’s form, assuming a beautiful body sprinkled with celestial perfumes, worshipped Rama and said:—

“O You conversant with piety, by your grace I have been saved from a dreadful hell, you have verily brought the curse to an end for me!”