Section CLXLVI

"Markandeya said,

'One day it was resolved by the gods that they should descend on the earth and try the goodness and virtue of king Sivi, the son of Usinara. And addressing each other,—'Well'—Agni and Indra came to the earth. And Agni took the form of a pigeon flying away from Indra who pursued him in the form of a hawk, and that pigeon fell upon the lap of king Sivi who was seated on an excellent seat.

And the priest thereupon addressing the king said,

'Afraid of the hawk and desirous of saving its life, this pigeon has come to you for safety. The learned have said that the falling of a pigeon upon one’s body forebodes a great danger. Let the king that understands omens give away wealth for saving himself from the danger indicated.'

And the pigeon also addressed the king and said,

'Afraid of the hawk and desirous of saving my life I have come to you for protection. I am a Muni. Having assumed the form of a pigeon, I come to you as a seeker of your protection. Indeed, I seek you as my life. Know me as one possessed of Vedic lore, as one leading the Brahmacarya mode of life, as one possessed also of self-control and ascetic virtues.

And know me further as one that has never spoken disagreeably unto his preceptor, as one possessed of every virtue indeed, as one that is sinless. I repeat the Vedas, I know their prosody; indeed, I have studied all the Vedas letter by letter. I am not a pigeon. Oh, do not yield me up to the hawk. The giving up of a learned and pure Brahmana can never be a good gift.'

And after the pigeon said so, the hawk addressed the king, and said,

'Creatures do not come into the world in the same particular order. In the order of creation, you mayst, in a former birth, have been begotten by this pigeon. It is not proper for you, O king, to interfere with my food by protecting this pigeon (even though he might have been your father).'

And thus addressed, the king said,

'Has any one, before this, seen birds thus speak the pure speech of man? Knowing what this pigeon says, and this hawk also, how can we act to-day according to virtue? He that gives up an affrighted creature seeking protection, unto its foe, does not obtain protection when he is in need of it himself. Indeed, the very clouds do not shower rain seasonably for him, and the seeds though scattered do not grow for him.

He that gives up an afflicted creature seeking protection unto its foe, has to see his offspring die in childhood. The ancestor of such a person can never dwell in heaven; indeed, the very gods decline to accept the libations of clarified butter poured by him into the fire. He that gives up an affrighted creature seeking protection, unto its foe, is struck with the thunder-bolt by the gods with Indra at their head.

The food that he eats is unsanctified, and he, of a narrow soul, falls from heaven very soon. O hawk, let the people of the Sivi tribe place before you a bull cooked with rice instead of this pigeon. And let them also carry to the place where you livest in joy, meat in abundance.'

And hearing this, the hawk said,

'O king, I do not ask for a bull, nor, indeed, any other meat, nor meat more in quantity than that of this pigeon. It has been given to me by the gods. The creature, therefore, is my food today in consequence of its death that has been ordained. Therefore, O monarch, give it up to me.'

Thus addressed by the hawk, the king said,

'Let my men see and carefully carry the bull to you with every limb entire. Let that bull be the ransom of this creature afflicted with fright and let it be carried to you before my eyes. Oh, slay not this pigeon! I will yield up my very life, yet I would not give up this pigeon. Dost you not know, O hawk, that this creature looks like a sacrifice with the Soma juice?

O blessed one, cease to take so much trouble for it. I cannot, by any means, yield up the pigeon to you. Or, O hawk, if it pleases you, command me to do some such thing which I may do for you, which may be agreeable to you, and upon doing which the men of the Sivi tribe may yet in joy bless me in terms of applause. I promise you that I will do what you mayst did me do.'

And at this appeal of the king, the hawk said,

'O king, if you givest me as much flesh as would be equal to the weight of the pigeon, cutting it off your right thigh; then can the pigeon be properly saved by you; then wouldst you do what would be agreeable to me and what the men of the Sivi tribe would speak of in terms of praise.'

And the king agreed to this and he cut off a piece of flesh from his right thigh and weighed it against the pigeon. But the pigeon weighed heavier. And thereupon the king cut off another piece of his flesh, but the pigeon still weighed heavier, and then the king cut off pieces of flesh from all parts of his body and placed them on the scale. But the pigeon still weighed heavier, and then the king himself ascended the scale and he felt no grief at this and beholding this, the hawk disappeared there saying—(The pigeon has been) Saved,—

And the king asked the pigeon saying,

'O pigeon, let the Sivis know who the hawk is. None but the lord of the universe could do as he did. O Holy One, answer you this question of mine!'

And the pigeon then said,

'I am the smoke-bannered Agni called also Vaiswanara. The hawk is none other than Sachi’s lord armed with the thunder-bolt. O son of Suratha, you are a bull among men. We came to try you.

These pieces of flesh, O king, that you have cut off with your sword from your body for saving me have caused gashes in your body. I will make these marks auspicious and handsome and they will be of the colour of gold and emit a sweet perfume, and earning great fame and respected by the gods and the Rishis you shall long rule these subjects of thine, and a son will spring from your flank who shall be called Kapataroman.

O king, you shalt obtain this son of the name of Kapataroman from out of your own body and you will behold him become the foremost of the Saurathas, blazing with renown, possessed of bravery and great personal beauty!"