Chapter 146

“Bhishma said, ‘Hearing these words fraught with morality and reason thatwere spoken by his wife, the pigeon became filled with great delight andhis eyes were bathed in tears of joy. Beholding that fowler whoseavocation was the slaughter of birds, the pigeon honoured himscrupulously according to the rites laid down in the ordinance.Addressing him, he said, ‘Thou art welcome today. Tell me, what I shalldo for thee. Thou shouldst not repine. This is thy home.[435] Tell mequickly what I am to do and what is thy pleasure. I ask thee this inaffection, for thou hast solicited shelter at our hands. Hospitalityshould be shown to even one’s foe when he comes to one’s house. The treewithdraws not its shade from even the person that approaches it forcutting it down. One should, with scrupulous care, do the duties ofhospitality towards a person that craves for shelter. Indeed, one isespecially bound to do so if one happens to lead a life of domesticitythat consists of the five sacrifices. If one, while leading a life ofdomesticity, does not, from want of judgment, perform the fivesacrifices, one loses, according to the scriptures, both this and thenext world. Tell me then trustfully and in intelligible words what thy,wishes are. I will accomplish them all. Do not set thy heart on grief.’Hearing these words of the bird, the fowler replied unto him, saying, ‘Iam stiff with cold. Let provision be made for warming me.’ Thusaddressed, the bird gathered together a number of dry leaves on theground, and taking a single leaf in his beak speedily went away forfetching fire. Proceeding to a spot where fire is kept, he obtained alittle fire and came back to the spot. He then set fire to those dryleaves, and when they blazed forth into vigorous flames, he addressed hisguest, saying, ‘Do thou trustfully and without fear warm thy limbs.’ Thusaddressed, the fowler said, ‘So be it.’ And he set himself to warm hisstiffened limbs. Recovering (as it were) his life-breathes the fowlersaid unto his winged host, ‘Hunger is afflicting me. I wish thee to giveme some food.’ Hearing his words the bird said, ‘I have no stores bywhich to appease thy hunger. We, denizens of the woods, always live uponwhat we get every day. Like the ascetics of the forest we never hoard forthe morrow.’ Having said these words, the bird’s face became pale (fromshame). He began to reflect silently as to what he should do and mentallydeprecated his own method of living. Soon, however, his mind becameclear. Addressing the slaughterer of his species, the bird said, ‘I shallgratify thee. Wait for a moment.’ Saying these words, he ignited a firewith the help of some dry leaves, and filled with joy, said, ‘I heard informer days from high-souled Rishis and gods and Pitris that there isgreat merit in honouring a guest. O amiable one, be kind to me. I tellthee truly that my heart is set upon honouring thee that art my guest.’Having formed this resolution, the high-souled bird with a smiling face,thrice circumambulated that fire and then entered its flames. Beholdinghe bird enter that fire, the fowler began to think, and asked himself,’What have I done? Alas, dark and terrible will be my sin, without doubtin consequence of my own acts! I am exceedingly cruel and worthy ofreprobation. Indeed, observing the bird lay down his life, the fowler,deprecating his own acts, began to indulge in copious lamentations likethee.'”