बक-कर्कटक-कथा - The Stork And The Crab

MKP June 26, 2022

"भक्षयित्वा बहून्मत्स्यानुत्तमाधममध्यमान् ।

अतिलौल्याद् बकः कश्चिन्मृतः कर्कटग्रहात् ॥"

अस्ति कस्मिंश्चिद्वनप्रदेशे नानाजलचरसनाथं महत्सरः । तत्र च कृताश्रयो बक एको वृद्धभावमुपगतो मत्स्यान् व्यापादयितुमसमर्थः । ततश्च क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठः सरस्तीर उपविष्टो मुक्ताफलप्रकरसदृशैरश्रुप्रवाहैर्धरातलमभिषिञ्चन् रूरोद । एकः कुलीरको नानाजलचरसमेतः समेत्य तस्य दुःखेन दुःखितः सादरमिदमूचे -- "माम ! किमद्य त्वया नाहारवृत्तिरनुष्ठीयते । केवलमश्रुपूर्णनेत्राभ्यां स निःश्वासेन स्थीयते ।" स आह -- "वत्स सत्यमुपलक्षितं भवता, मया हि मत्स्यादनं प्रति परमवैराग्यतया सांप्रतं प्रायोपवेशनं कृतम् , तेनाहं समीपगतानपि मत्स्यान्न भक्षयामि ।"

कुलीरकस्तच्छ्रु त्वा प्राह -- "माम! किं तद्वैराग्यकारणम् ?"

सप्राह -- "वत्स! अहमस्मिन्सरसि जातो वृद्धिं गतश्च । तन्मयैतच्छ्र तं यद् द्वादशवार्षिक्यानावृष्टिः संपद्यते लग्ना ।"

कुलरीक आह -- "कस्मात्तच्छ्रतम् ?"

बक आह -- "दैवज्ञमुखात्। एष शनैश्र्चरो हि रोहिणीसकटं भित्त्वा भौमं शुक्रं च प्रयास्यति ।" उक्तञ्च वराहमिहिरेण --

यदि भिन्ते सूर्यसुतो रोहिण्याः शकटमिह लोके ।

द्वादशवर्षाणि तदै नहि वर्षति वासवो भूमौ ॥

तथा च --

प्राजापत्ये शकचे भिन्ने कृत्वेव पातकं वसुधा ।

भस्मामास्थिषकलकीर्णा कापालिकमिव व्रतं धत्ते ॥

तथा च --

रोहिणीशकटमर्कनन्दनश्चेद्भिनत्ति रुधिरोSथवा शशी ।

किं वदामि तदनिष्टसागरे सर्वलोकमुपयाति संक्षयम् ॥

रोहिणीशकटमध्यसंस्थिते चन्द्रमस्य शरणीकृता जनाः ।

क्वापि यान्ति शिशुपाचिताशनाः सूर्यतप्तभिदुराम्बुपायिनः ॥

तदेतत्सरः स्वल्पतोयं वर्तते, शीघ्रं शोषं यास्यति । अस्मिञ्छुष्के यैः सहाहं वृद्धिं गतः सदैव क्रीडितश्र्च ते सर्वे तोयाभावान्नाशं यास्यन्ति; तत्तेषां वियोगं द्रष्टुमसमर्थः । तेनैतत्प्रायोपवेशनं कृतम् । सांप्रतं सर्वेषां स्वल्पजलाशयानां जलचरा गुरुजलाशयेषु स्वस्वजनैर्नीयन्ते । केचिच्च मकरगोधाशिशुमारजलहस्तिप्रभृतयः स्वयमेव गच्छन्ति । अत्र पुनः सरसि ये जलचरास् ते निश्चिन्ताः सन्ति । तेनाहं विशेषाद्नोदिमि, यद् बीजशेषमात्रमप्यत्र नोद्धरिष्यति ।"

ततः स तदाकर्ण्यान्येषामपि जलचराणां तत्तस्य वचनं निवेदयामास । अथ ते सर्वेभयत्रस्तमनसो सत्स्यकच्छपप्रभृतयस्तमभ्युपेत्य पप्रच्छुः -- "माम! अस्ति कश्चिदुपायो येनास्माकं रक्षा भवति ?"

बक आह -- "अस्तस्य जलाशयस्य नातिदूरे प्रभूतजलसनाथं सरः । पद्मिनीखण्डमण्डितं यच्चतुवि शत्यापि वर्षाणामनावृष्टया न शोषमेष्यति । तद्यदि मम पृष्ठं कश्चिदारोहति तदहं तं तत्र नयामि ।"

अथ ते तत्र विश्वासमापन्नाः "तात, मातुल, भ्रातः ! "इति ब्रुवाणा अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वम् , इति समन्तात्परितस्थुः । सोsपि दुष्टाशयः क्रमेण तान् पृष्ठे आरोप्य जलाशयस्य नातिदूरे शिलां समासाद्य तस्यामाक्षिप्य स्वाच्छया भक्षयित्वा भूयोSपि दलासयं समासाद्य जलचराणां मिथ्यावार्तासन्देशकैर्मनांसि रञ्जयन्नित्यमेवाहारवृत्तिमकरोत् ।

अन्यस्मिन्दने च कुलीरकेणोक्तः -- " माम! मया सह ते प्रथमः स्नेहसंभाषः सञ्जातः तत्किं मां परित्यज्यान्नयसि ? तस्मादद्य मे प्राणत्राणं कुरु ।"

तदाकर्ण्य सो S पि दुष्टाशयश्चिन्तितवान् -- "निर्विण्णो S हं मत्स्यमांसादनेन, तदेद्यैनं कुलीरकं व्यञ्जनस्थाने करोमि ।" इति विचिन्त्य तं पृष्टे समारोप्य तां वध्यशिलामुद्दिश्य प्रस्थितः । कुलीरकोsपि दूरादेवास्थितपर्वतं शिलाश्रयमवलोक्य मत्स्यास्थीनि परिज्ञाय तमपृच्छत् -- "माम! कियद् दूरे स जलाशय ? मदीयभारेणातिश्रान्तस्त्वम् तत्कथय ?

सोSपि मन्दधीर्जलचरोSयं स्तले न प्रभावतीति मत्वा सस्मितमिदमाह -- "कुलीर ! कुतयोSन्यो जलाशयः ? मम प्राणयात्रेयम् । तस्मात्स्मर्यतात्मनोSभीष्टदेवता, तवामप्यसयां शिलायां निक्षिप्य भक्षयिष्यामि ।" इत्युक्तवति तस्मिन् स्ववदनदंशद्वयेन मृणालनालधवलायां मृदुग्रीवायां गृहीतो मृतश्च ।

अथ स तां बकग्रीवां समादाय शनैः शनैस्तज्जलाशयमाससाद । ततः सर्वैरेव जलचरैः पृष्टः -- "भोः कुलीरक! किं निवृत्तस्त्वम् ? स मातुलोSपि नायातः । तक्तिं चिरयति वयं सर्व सोत्सुकाः कृतक्षणास्तिष्ठामः ।"

एवं तैरभिहिते कुलीरकोSपि विहस्योवाच -- "मूर्खाः! सर्वे जलचरास्तेन मिथ्यावादिना वञ्चयित्वा नातिदूरे शिलातले प्रक्षिप्य भक्षिताः । तन्ममायुःशेषतया तस्य विश्वासघातकस्याभिप्रायं ज्ञात्वा ग्रीवयेमानीताः तदलं संभमेण, अधुना सर्वजलचराणां क्षेमं भविष्यति । "

"Having eaten fish -- large, small and medium sized, the greedy stork died by the bite of a crab."

In a forest there was a lake in which lived many marine creatures. One of its residents was an old stork who was no longer capable of killing fish. Hence, one day, oppressed by hunger he sat on the bank of the lake copiously shedding tears enough to irrigate the land. A crab alongwith some marine animals were pained to see the weeping stork. The crab asked him -- "My dear, you have not made any arrangement for your meal today, you have only been shedding tears and sitting quietly, what is the matter?

He said, " Son, you have judged correctly. After eating all these fish I am atoning my sins, renouncing the world and shall give up my life. I am not eating even the fish that are near me."

On hearing this, the crab asked, "My dear, why are you renouncing the world?"

Said the stork, "Son! I was born in this lake and have grown old here. I have heard that soon the twelve-year long famine will take place."

The crab asked, "From whom have you heard this?"

The stork replied, "From some soothsayers. Saturn will enter the constellation containing of Rohini and will be in conjunction with Mars and Venus. The Sage Varahamihiracharya had said --

If Saturn enters the cart-like constellation containing Rohini, then for twelve years Indra will stop the rain on earth.

Thus -- When Rohini's constellation is exposed, the earth will feel guilty of committing the sin. Hence, to atone the sin, the earth will reduce itself to ash and bone during the drought.

And also, -

If any of these, Saturn, Mars or Moon are able to enter the cart-like constellation containing Rohini then a veritable ocean of disaster will destroy the entire universe. If the Moon enters the constellation then the people will become totally helpless and in someplaces even eat their own young ones. In someplaces the strong rays of the sun will render the water unfit for drinking."

As it is this lake has very little water, and if there is a drought it will dry up shortly. When this lake, where I have spent my childhood and now reached old age, dries up then all the marine life will end due to lack of water. I cannot bear to see their destruction. Therefore, today, I have decided to fast unto death. At this point in time all small marine life from small lakes are being transported by the larger marine animals to bigger lakes. The bigger marine animals like crocodiles, big lizards and so on are themselves moving to deeper lakes. But, look, the residents of this lake are doing nothing and moving around without a worry. This is the main cause of my tears; that no one in this lake shall survive.

The crab listened to the stork, understood the seriousness and shared it with all the other residents of the lake. On hearing the news of the impending drought all the fish, the tortoises etc., got scared and went to the stork and asked, "Is there any way by which the lives of the residents of the lake can be saved?"

Said the stork, "Near this lake there is another very deep lake. Owing to the abundance of lotus flowers it cannot dry up even after twenty-four years of drought. If any one of you can climb on my back, then I can take him to that lake."

All the marine animals of the lake believed the stork. Addressing him as "Father, Maternal Uncle and Brother, they gathered round the stork and pleaded with him, "Take me there, first!"

With deep malice in him the stork would carry the little animals and drop them at a rock near by and after eating them at leisure, return to the lake and tell them concocted stories. This became his way of life.

One day the crab told the stork, "Dear, your first conversation was with me. Then why are you taking along all others to the new lake but not me. Please, sir, protect me."When the stork heard the crab, he thought that, yes, eating fish daily has become so boring, instead I will eat the crab today. Having decided thus he took the crab on his back and flew towards the rock. The crab saw that at a distance there was a rock with bones piled up like a hill and immediately understood that they were fish-bones. He said to the stork, "Dear, how far is the lake, yet? I feel that you are now tired of my weight."

On hearing this, the stork thought that the foolish crab is not powerful on land (than in water) and laughed cockily, "Crab! where is the other lake? This is now my livelihood. Now you can remember your dear God as I am going to drop you on this rock and eat you up. "Just as the stork was saying this, the crab bit the soft smooth neck with both his jaws and killed him.

The crab carrying the broken neck of the stork, slowly trudged towards the lake. When the other marine animals saw him they said, "O Crab! Why have you returned? Even Uncle Stork has not come back. We are all ready and waiting for him."

When the crab heard these residents of the lake talking thus, he laughed and said, "You fools! That liar, that cheat would take all the animals a little far from here, drop them on the rock and eat them. I still have some more time to live, therefore, I somehow understood his plan, killed him and have brought his neck along. Now, we need not fear anyone. All of us marine creatures will live well."