Chapter 214

“Markandeya continued, ‘The virtuous fowler, having introduced his (both)parents to that Brahmana as his highest gurus, again spoke to him asfollows, ‘Mark thou the power of this virtue of mine, by which my innerspiritual vision is extended. For this, thou wast told by thatself-restrained, truthful lady, devoted to her husband, ‘Hie thee toMithila; for there lives a fowler who will explain to thee, the mysteriesof religion.’ The Brahmana said, ‘O pious man, so constant in fulfillingthy religious obligations, bethinking myself of what that truthfulgood-natured lady so true to her husband, hath said, I am convinced thatthou art really endowed with every high quality.’ The fowler replied, ‘Ihave no doubt, my lord, that what that lady, so faithful to her husband,said to thee about me, was said with full knowledge of the facts. I have,O Brahmana, explained to thee all this as a matter of favour. And now,good sir, listen to me. I shall explain what is good for thee. O goodBrahmana, of irreproachable character, thou hast wronged thy father andthy mother, for thou hast left home without their permission, for thepurpose of learning the Vedas. Thou hast not acted properly in thismatter, for thy ascetic and aged parents have become entirely blind fromgrief at thy loss. Do thou return home to console them. May this virtuenever forsake thee Thou art high-minded, of ascetic merit, and alwaysdevoted to thy religion but all these have become useless to thee. Dothou without delay return to console thy parents. Do have some regard formy words and not act otherwise; I tell thee what is good for thee, OBrahmana Rishi, Do thou return home this very day.’ The Brahmana replied,’This that thou hast said, is undoubtedly true; mayst thou, O pious man,attain prosperity; I am much pleased with thee.’ The fowler said, ‘OBrahmana, as thou practisest with assiduousness those divine, ancient,and eternal virtues which are so difficult of attainment even bypure-minded persons, thou appearest (to me) like a divine being. Returnto the side of thy father and mother and be quick and diligent inhonouring thy parents; for, I do not know if there is any virtue higherthan this.’ The Brahmana replied, ‘By a piece of singular good luck haveI arrived here, and by a piece of similar good luck have I thus beenassociated with thee. It is very difficult to find out, in our midst, aperson who can so well expound the mysteries of religion; there isscarcely one man among thousands, who is well versed in the science ofreligion. I am very glad, O great man, to have secured thy friendship;mayst thou be prosperous. I was on the point of falling into hell, butwas extricated by thee. It was destined to be so, for thou didst(unexpectedly) come in my way. And, O great man, as the fallen KingYayati was saved by his virtuous grandsons (daughter’s sons), so, have Iknow been saved by thee. According to thy advice, I shall honour myfather and my mother; for a man with an impure heart can never expoundthe mysteries of sin and righteousness. As it is very difficult for aperson born in the Sudra class to learn the mysteries of the eternalreligion, I do not consider thee to be a Sudra. There must surely be somemystery in connection with this matter. Thou must have attained theSudra’s estate by reason of the fruition of thine own past karma. Omagnanimous man, I long to know the truth about this matter. Do thou tellit to me with attention and according to thy own inclination.’

“The fowler replied, ‘O good Brahmana, Brahmanas are worthy of allrespect from me. Listen, O sinless one, to this story of a previousexistence of mine. O son of an excellent Brahmana, I was formerly aBrahmana, well-read in the Vedas, and an accomplished student of theVedangas. Through my own fault I have been degraded to my present state.A certain king, accomplished in the science of dhanurveda (science ofarchery), was my friend; and from his companionship, O Brahmana, I, toobecame skilled in archery; and one day the king, in company with hisministers and followed by his best warriors, went out on a huntingexpedition. He killed a large number of deer near a hermitage. I, too, Ogood Brahmana, discharged a terrible arrow. And a rishi was wounded bythat arrow with its head bent out. He fell down upon the ground, andscreaming loudly said, ‘I have harmed no one, what sinful man has donethis?’ And, my lord, taking him for a deer, I went up to him and foundthat he was pierced through the body by my arrow. On account of my wickeddeed I was sorely grieved (in mind). And then I said to that rishi ofsevere ascetic merit, who was loudly crying, lying upon the ground, ‘Ihave done this unwittingly, O rishi.’ And also this I said to the muni:’Do thou think it proper to pardon all this transgression.’ But, OBrahmana, the rishi, lashing himself into a fury, said to me, ‘Thou shaltbe born as a cruel fowler in the Sudra class.”