सिंहशृगालपुत्रयो कथा -- The Lion And Jackal Son

MKP June 26, 2022

शूरश्च कृतविद्यश्च दर्शनीयोऽसि पुत्रक ।

यस्मिन् कुले त्वमुत्पन्नो गजस्तत्र न हन्यते ॥

कस्मिंश्चिदुद्देशे सिंहदम्पति प्रतिवसतः स्म । अथ सिंही पुत्रद्वयमजीजनत् सिंहोऽपि नित्यमेव मृगान् व्यापाद्य सिंह्ये ददाति । अथान्यस्मिन्न्हनि तेन किमपि नासादितम् । वने भ्रमतोऽपि तस्य रविरस्तं गत: । अथ तेन स्वगृहमागच्छता श्रृगाल शिशुः प्राप्तः । स च बालकोऽयमित्यवधार्य, यत्नेन दंष्ट्रामध्यगतं कृत्वा सिंह्यौ जीवन्तमेव समर्पितवान् । ततः सिंह्यभिहितं -- "भो कान्त ! त्वयानीतं किंञ्चिदस्माकं भोजनम् ?" । सिंह आह -- "प्रिये ! मयाद्यैनं श्रृगालशिशु परितज्य न किञ्चित्सत्त्वमासादितम् । स च मया बालोऽयमिति मत्वा न व्यापादितो विशेषात्स्वजातीयश्च । उक्तञ्च --

स्त्रीविप्रलिङ्गिबालेषु प्रहर्त्तव्यं न कहिचित् ।

प्राणात्ययेऽपि सञ्जाते विश्वस्तेषु विशेषतः ॥

इदानीं त्वमेनं भक्षयित्वा पथ्यं कुरु । प्रभातेऽन्यत्किञ्चिदुपार्जयिष्यामि । सा प्राह -- "भोः कान्त ! त्वया बालकोऽयमिति विचिन्त्य न हतः तत्कथमेनमहं स्वोदरार्थे विनाशयामि ? उक्तञ्च -- "

अकृत्यं नैव कर्तव्यं प्राणत्यागेऽप्युपस्थिते ।

न च कृत्यं परित्याज्यमेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥

तस्मान्ममायं तृतीयः पुत्रो भविष्यति ।"। इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा तमपि स्वस्तनक्षीरेण परां पुष्टिमनयत् । एवं ते त्रयोऽपि शिशवः परस्परज्ञातजातिविशेषा एकाहार-विहारा बाल्यसमयं निर्वाहयन्ति स्म ।

अथ कदाचित्तत्र वन भ्रमन्नरण्यगजः समायातः । तं दृष्ट्वा तौ सिंहसुतौ द्वावपि कुपिताननौ तं प्रति प्रचलितौ यावत्, तावत्तेन श्रृगालसुतेनाभिहितम् -- "अहो, गजोऽयं युष्मत्कुलशत्रुः । तन्न गन्तव्यमेतस्याभिमुखम्" । एवमुक्तवा गृहं प्रति प्रधावितः । तावपि ज्येष्ठबान्धवभङ्गान्निरुत्साहतां गतौ ।

अथवा, साध्विदमुच्यते --

एकेनापि सुधीरेण सोत्साहेन रणं प्रति ।

सोत्साहं जायते सैन्यं भग्ने भङ्गमवाप्नुयात् ॥

तथा च

अतएव हि वाञ्छन्ति भूपा योधान् महाबलान् ।

शूरान् वीरान् कृतोत्साहान् वर्जयन्ति च कातरान् ॥

अथ तौ द्वावपि गृहं प्राप्य पित्रोरग्रतो विहसन्तौ ज्येष्ठभ्रातृचेष्टितमूचतुः । यथायं गजं दृष्ट्वा दुरतोऽपि प्रनष्टः । सोऽपि तदाकर्ण्य कोपाविष्टमनाः प्रस्फुरिताधरपल्लवस्ताम्रलोचनस्त्रिशिखां भृकुटि कृत्वा तौ विभर्त्सयन् परुषतरवचनान्युवाच । ततः सिंह्या एकान्ते नीत्वा प्रबोधितोऽसौ -- "वत्स ! मैवं कदाचिज्जल्प । भवदीयलघुरभ्रातरावतौ" इति । अथासौ सान्त्ववचनेन प्रभूततरकोपाविष्टस्तामप्युवाच । "किमहेमताभ्यां शौर्येण, रुपेण, विद्याभ्यासेन, कौशलेन, वा हीनो, येन मामुपहसतः ? तन्मयावश्यमेतौ व्यापादनीयौ ।"

तदाकर्ण्य सिंही तस्य जीवितमिच्छन्त्यन्तविहस्य प्राह --

"शूरोऽसि कृतविद्योऽसि दर्शनीयोऽसि पुत्रक ।

यस्मिन् कुले त्वमुत्पन्नो गजस्तत्र न हन्यते ॥"

तत्सम्यक् श्रृणु -- "वत्स ! त्वं श्रृगालीसुतः । मया कृपया स्वस्तनक्षीरेण पुष्टिं नीतः । तद्यावदेतौ मत्पुत्रौ शिशुत्वात्त्वां श्रृगालं न जानीतः, तावदे द्रुततरं गत्वा स्वजातीयानां मध्ये मिलितो भव । न चेदाभायां हतो मृत्युपथं समेष्यसि ।" । सोऽपि तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भयव्याकुलमनाः शनैः शनैरपस्वजात्या मिलितः।

You may be valiant, intelligent and highly noteworthy; But the race that you are born in, does not kill elephants.

In a forest a lion couple were living. After this the lioness gave birth to sons, hence the lion used to haunt animals and give lioness. One day no animal was caught by him. While roaming in the forest it became evening. On way back home a baby-jackal was got by him. He without killing the baby, carefully carried it and gave to the lioness in living condition. The lioness asked, "Dear, have you brought something for me to eat?". The lion replied, "Dear, except for this baby jackal I could not find any animal. Since he is small, and I thought, like our small children, I did not kill it. It is said that --

A woman, a brahmin, a brahmachari and a child should not be killed. If they come in good faith, then one should not attack them even if one's own live is in danger.

At this time you may eat the baby jackal. Tomorrow, I shall hunt something.". The lioness said, -- "Dear, since you did not kill him because he is small, why should I kill him just to fill my stomach? Besides,

Even if one's life is in danger, one should not do wrong and the righteous duties should not be abandoned. This is eternal religion.

From today this jackal will be my third son.". After declaring thus, she fed the baby jackal with her milk and nourished him. The two sons of the lioness without knowing the difference between themselves and the jackal spent their childhood together.

One day an elephant was roaming in the forest. On seeing him the two lion cubs got angry and ran towards the elephant. Watching them the jackal son stopped them and said, "O, this is an elephant and an enemy of your race. Hence, you must not go towards him" and ran homeward. Seeing the elder brother running away, the two cubs got discouraged and walked home.

It has been rightly said that --

In the battlefield the presence of just one confident soldier is enough to retain enthusiasm in the rest of the army and one cowardly soldier will make the others disspirited and all will flee from the place.

And also

Therefore kings try to keep together bold, patient, confident, brave and valiant men and keep the cowardly ones away.

On reaching home, in front of their father, the two cubs started making fun of their elder brother. "He ran away on seeing the elephant," they joked. When he heard his two younger brothers make fun of him, the jackal son became extremely angry. With quivering lips, reddened eyes, stretched eyebrows, he spoke foul words to the younger cubs. The lioness took him away and said gently, "Son, you should not say such things. They are your younger brothers."

Hearing the consoling words of the lioness, the jackal son became even more angry. He said, "Am I any less than these two in bravery, looks, knowledge and skill, that they are making of fun of me? Now, I have got to kill them."

On hearing this the lioness, who wished safety for the jackal son, smilingly said,

You may be valiant, intelligent and highly noteworthy;

But, the race that you are born in, does not kill elephants.

"Listen carefully, "Son, you are the son of a jackal mother. Out of mercy, I nursed you with my milk and tended you. So long as these two sons do not know in sheer innocence, that you are a jackal, you must run away and mix with the people of your race. Otherwise, they (cubs) will kill you.". When the jackal son heard the words of the lioness he became scared and disturbed and slowly walked away to mix with other jackals.