सिंह-शशक-कथा - The Lion And The Rabbit

 सिंह-शशक-कथा - The Lion And The Rabbit

     यस्य बुद्धिर्बलं तस्य निर्बुद्धेस्तु कुतो बलम्? ।

     वने सिंहो मदोन्मत्तः शशकेन निपातितः ॥

   कस्मिंश्चिद्वने भासुरको नाम सिंहः प्रतिवसति स्म । अथासौ वीर्यातिरेकान्नित्यमेवानेकान् मृगशशकादीन् व्यापादयन्नोपरराम । अथान्वेद्यस्तद्वनजाः सर्वे सारङ्गवराहमहिषशशकादयो मिलित्वा तमभ्युपेत्य प्रोचुः -- स्वामिन् किमनेन सकलमृगवधेन नित्यमेव, यतस्तवैकेनापि मृगेण तृप्तिर्भवति, तक्रियतामस्माभिः सह समयधर्मः । अध्यप्रभृति तवात्रोपविष्टस्य जातिक्रमेण प्रतिदिनमेको मृगो भक्षणार्थं समेप्यति । एवं कृते तव तावत्प्राणयात्रा क्लेशं विनापि भविष्यति, अस्माकं च पुनः सर्वोच्छेदनं न स्यात् । तदेष राजधर्मोSनुष्ठीयताम् ।

अथ तेषां तद्वचनमाकर्ण्य भासुरक आह -- "अहो सत्यमभिहितम भवाद्भिः । करं यदि ममोपविष्टस्यात्र नित्यमेव नैकेको मृगः समागमिष्यति तन्नूनं सर्वानपि भक्षयिष्यामि" ।

अथ ते तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय निवृतिभाजस्त्रव वने निर्भयाः पर्यटन्ति । एकश्च प्रतिदिनं जातिक्रमेण वृद्धो वा, वैराग्ययुक्तो वा, शोकग्रस्तो वा, पुत्रकलत्रनाशभीतो वा तेषां नध्यात्तस्य भोजनार्थ मध्याह्नसमये उपतिष्ठति ।

अथ कदाचि़ज्जातिक्रमाच्छशकस्यावसरः समायातः । स समस्तमृगप्रेरितोSनिच्छन्नपि मन्दं मन्दं गत्वा तस्य वधोपायं चिन्तयन् वेलातिक्रमं कृत्वा व्याकुलितहृदयो यावद्गच्छति तावन्मार्गे गच्छता कूपः संदृष्टः । यावत्कूपोपरि याति तावत्कूपमध्ये आत्मनः प्रतिबिम्बं ददर्श । दृष्ट्वा च तेन हृदयेन चिन्तितम् यद् -- भव्य उपायोSस्ति । अहं भासुरकं प्रकोप्य स्वबुद्धयाSस्मिन्कूपे पातयिष्यामि ।

अथासौ दिनशेषे भासुरकसमीपं प्राप्तः । सिंहोsपि वेलातिक्रमेण क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठः ।

कोपाविष्टः सक्कणी परिलिहन्नचिन्तयत् -- अहो प्रातराहाराय निःसत्त्वं वनं मया कर्तव्यम् । एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य शशको मन्दं मन्दं गत्वा प्रणम्य तस्याSग्रे स्थितः ।

अथ तं लतात्मा भासुरको भर्त्यन्नाह -- "रे शशकाधम ! एकस्ताव्रत्त्व लघुः प्राप्तः अपरतो वेलातिक्रमेण । तदस्मादपराधात् त्वां निपात्य, प्रातः सकलान्यपि मृगकुलान्युच्छेदयिष्यामि ।"

अथ शशकः सविनयं प्रोवाच --" स्वामिन् ! नापराधो मम, न चान्यमृगाणाम् । तच्छ्रूयतां कारणम् ।"

सिंह आह -- "सत्वरं निवेदय, यावन्मम् दंष्टान्तर्गतो न भवान्भवति" इति ।

शशक आह -- "स्वामिन् समस्तमृगैरद्य जातिक्रमेण मम लघुतरस्य प्रस्तावं विज्ञाय, ततोSहं पञ्चशशकैः समं प्रेषितः । ततमाश्चाहमागच्छन्नन्तराले महता केनचिदपरेण सिंहेन क्षितिविवरान्निर्गत्याभिहितः --" रे ! कः प्रस्थिता यूयम् अभीष्टदेवतां स्मरत ।

ततो मयाभिहितम् -- "वयं स्वामिनो भासुरकसिंहस्य सकाशमाहारार्थ समयधर्मेण गच्छामः " ।

ततस्तेनाभिहितम् -- "यद्येवं तविं मदीयमेतद्वनम् । मया सह समयधर्मेण समस्तैरपि श्वापदैर्वर्तितव्यम् । चौररूपी स भासुरकः । अथ यदि सोSत्र राजा ततो विश्वासस्थाने चतुरः शशकानत्र धृत्वा तमाहूय द्रुततरमागच्, येन यः कश्चिदावयोर्मध्यापराक्रमेण राजा भविष्यति" इति ।

ततोSहं तेनादिष्टः स्वामिसकाशमभयागतः । ऐतद्वलाव्यतिक्रमकारणम् । तदत्र स्वामी प्रमाणम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा भासुरक आह - "भद्र! यद्येवं , तत्सत्वरं दर्शय मे तं चौरसिंहं, येनाहं मृगकोपं तस्योपरि क्षिप्त्वा स्वस्थो भवामि ।" उक्तञ्च

      भूमिमित्रं हिरण्यम च विग्रहस्य फलत्रयम् ।

      नास्त्येकमपि यद्येषां न त कुर्यात्छञ्चन ॥

      यत्र न स्यात्फलं भूरि यत्र न स्यात्पराभवः ।

      म तत्र मतिमान्युद्धं समुत्पाद्य समाचरेत् ॥

शशक आह --" स्वामिन् सत्यमिदम् । सवभूमिहितोः परिभवाच्च युद्धयन्ते क्षत्क्षियाः । परं स दुर्गाश्रयः , दुर्गान्निष्क्रम्य वयंतेन विषकम्भिताः । तो दुर्गस्थो दुःसाध्यो भवति रिपुः ।"

भासुरक आह -- "भोः ! किं तवानेन व्यापारेण ? दर्शय मे तं दुर्गस्थमपि ।"

शशक आह -- "यद्येवं तर्ह्यागच्छतु स्वामी ।" एवमुक्त्वाSग्रे व्यवस्थितः । ततश्च तेनाSSगच्छता यः कूपो दृष्टोSभूत्तमेव कूपमासाद्य भासुरकमाह -- "स्वामिन् ! कस्ते प्रतापं सोढुं समर्थः । त्वां दृष्ट्वा दूरतोSपि चौरसिंहः प्रविष्टः स्वं दुर्गम् । तदागच्छ, येन दर्शयामि" इति ।

भासुरक आह -- "दर्शय मे दुर्गम्"

तदनु दशिस्तेन कूपः । ततः सोSपि मूर्खः सिंहः कूपमध्ये आत्मप्रतिबिम्बं जलमध्यगतं दृष्ट्वा सिंहनादं मुमोच । ततः प्रतिशब्देन कूपमध्याद् द्विगुणतरो नादः समुत्थितः । अथ तेन शत्रुं मत्वातमानं तस्योपरि प्रक्षिप्य , प्राणाः परित्यक्ताः । शशकोsपि हृष्टमनाः सर्वमृगानानन्द्य , तैः प्रशस्यमानो यथासुखं तत्र वने निवसति स्म ।

--

     When a person has intellect, he is powerful. Where is the power of a person who does not have an intellect?

     The lion in the forest, proud of his power, was killed by a helpless rabbit. 

   In a forest there lived a lion by the name of Bhaasurak. Because he was so powerful he would kill many deer and rabbits but he was still not satisfied. One day, all the animals of the forest like the deer, boar, buffalo and rabbit got together and told the lion -- "Lord! What is the benefit in killing so many animals everyday -- because, actually you eat only one animal. Together, let us decide on a system. While you sit in your den one of us, by rotation, will come to you and you can eat him. This way you will also be getting your food without any labour and the animals of the forest will not be destroyed collectively. Please follow this system.

After listening to these animals, Bhaasurak said, "What you are saying is right. But, if an animal does not reach my den everyday, then I shall kill and eat all of you. "

    All animals agreed to this system and were able to fearlessly roam in the forest. One animal whether old, or who had renounced the good things in life, or one who was stricken with grief or one out of fear of the destruction of his children, would reach the lion's den in the afternoon everyday to be his food. 

   One day, after rotation, it was the turn of the rabbit. He was not willing to go, but because of the encouragement by the other animals he was walking along slowly. He was thinking about destroying the lion and slowly and sadly walking towards the den. On the way he saw a well. He climbed the well and peeped into it. He saw his own reflection in the center of the well. When he saw the reflection he thought "This is a fine way to kill the lion. With my intelligence I will make Bhaasurak angry and he will fall in the well."

The rabbit reached Bhaasurak when the sun was setting. Because of the delay, the hungry lion was parched in the throat. The angry lion licked both his lips with his tongue and decided that tomorrow he would kill all the animals in the forest. While he was thinking thus, the rabbit arrived, bowed to him and stood there.

On seeing the rabbit the lion turned red with anger and said "Rabbit! Firstly you are so small. Upon that you have reached here so late. Because of this offence of yours, I will kill you today and tomorrow I shall kill all the other animals in the forest."

The rabbit replied humbly, "Lord, not my fault, nor of the other animals. I will tell you the reason for the delay."

The lion said, "Tell me quickly! Speak all that you want to before I take you inside my mouth."

The rabbit said, "By rotation it was my turn and because rabbits are so small, all the animals in the forest had sent five rabbits like me. While on the way a very powerful lion came out of his den, stopped us and said where are you people going. You can now remember your God."

After he spoke I replied, "We are all going to our Lord, Bhaasurak the Lion as per the system to be eaten by him."

After hearing him out, Bhaasurak said, "Dear, if what you have said is true, then take me to that usurper lion immediately, so that the anger that I have accumulated for killing the deer shall be vented on the lion and I will feel better. It is also said that -

      Territory, friend and gold are the three fruit of battle. Of these even if one (fruit) is not achieved then one should not fight at all. When there is no possibility of achieving the fruit and one's honour is not compromised, then one should neither be the cause of the fight nor take part in the fight.

The rabbit said, "Lord! what you are saying is right. The kshatriya warrior enters into a battle when the territory or honour is compromised. But your enemy, this lion, is protected in his den. He had come out of his den and stopped us. The enemy in the fort becomes invincible.

Then he said, "Is it true? This forest is mine. You all should be loyal to me. This Bhaasurak is a thief. If he is the king here, then leave four of you as security and bring Bhaasurak immediately. Whichever of us is stronger will be the king and only he will eat the rabbits."

With the permission of that lion I have reached here. This is the cause of my delay. I have said all that I had wanted to. Now Lord, do as you wish.

The lion said, "How does it matter to you. If the lion is in his den, even then take me there."

"In that case my Lord, let us go," said the rabbit. He led the lion to the same well that he had seen on the way. Near the well he said to Bhaasurak, "Lord, how can a lion tolerate your radiance. Seeing you coming from afar, the usurper lion has entered his den. Come, I will show you."

Bhasurak said, "Show me his den."

Bhaasurak then peeped into the well and roared. There was a double echo from the well. Seeing his own reflection the foolish lion thought that the enemy was in the well, and leaped into it. In the process he gave up his life.

All animals were happy with the death of the lion and the return of the rabbit. They honoured him and all the animals lived happily in the forest, thereafter.