भीष्म उवाच व्याघ्रश्चोटजमूलस्थस्तृप्तः सुप्तो हतैर्मृगैः। नागश्चागात् तमुद् देशं मत्तो मेघ इवोद्धतः॥
Bhishma said Gratified with the flesh of killed beasts, the dog metamorphosed into a tiger, slept at his ease. One day as he lay on the yard of the asylum, an infuriate elephant came there, resembling a cloud.
प्रभिन्नकरटः प्रांशुः पद्मी विततकुम्भकः। सुविषाणो महाकायो मेघगम्भीरनिःस्वनः॥
Possessed of a huge stature, and rent cheeks, and having signs of the louts of his body, and with broad frontal globes, the animal had huge tusks and a voice deep as the muttering of the clouds.
तं दृष्ट्वा कुञ्जरं मत्तमायान्तं बलगर्वितम्। व्याघ्रो हस्तिभयात् त्रस्तस्तमृषि शरणं ययौ।॥
Seeing that infuriate elephant, proud of his strength, approach him, the tiger, moved with fear, sought refuge with the Rishi.
ततोऽनयत् कुञ्जरत्वं व्यानं तमृषिसत्तमः। महामेघनिभं दृष्ट्वा स भीतो ह्यभवद् गजः॥
Thereupon that foremost of sages transformed the tiger into an elephant. Seeing an animal of his own species, the real elephant, huge as a mass of clouds, became afraid.
ततः कमलपण्डानि शल्लकीगहनानि च। व्यचरत् स मुदायुक्तः पद्मरेणुविभूषितः॥
The Rishi's elephant then, covered with the filaments of lotus, dived gladly into lakes abounding with lotuses and walked by their banks filled with rabbit holes.
कदाचिद् भ्रममाणस्य हस्तिनः सम्मुखं तदा। ऋषे स्तस्योटजस्थस्य कालोऽगच्छन्निशानिशम्॥ अथाजगाम तं देशं केसरी केसरारुणः। गिरिकन्दरजो भीमः सिंहो नागकुलान्तकः॥
Sufficient time passed away in this way. One day as the elephant was gladly passing along the vicinity of the asylum, there came before him a maned lion born in a mountain cave and accustomed to kill elephants.
तं दृष्ट्वा सिंहमायान्तं नागः सिंहभयार्दितः। ऋषि शरणमापेदे वेपमानो भयातुरः॥
Seeing the lion coming, the Rishi's elephant, from fear of life, began to tremble and sought refuge with the sage,
स ततः सिंहतां नीतो नागेन्द्रो मुनिना तदा। वन्यं नागणयत् सिंहं तुल्यजातिसमन्वयात्॥ दृष्ट्वा च सोऽभवत् सिंहो वन्यो भयसमन्वितः। स चाश्रमेऽवसत् सिंहस्तस्मिन्नेव महावने।॥
Thereupon the sage metamorphosed that prince of elephants into a lion. As the wild lion was an animal of the same species with him, the Rishi's lion no longer feared him. On the other hand, seeing a stronger beast of his own species before him, the wild lion became afraid.
तद्भयात् पशवो नान्ये तपोवनसमीपतः। व्यदृश्यन्त तदा त्रस्ता जीविताकाक्षिणस्तथा॥
The Rishi's lion began to live in that asylumn within the forest. From fear of that animal, the other animals no longer ventured to approach the asylum. Indeed, they all seemed to be stricken with fear about the safety of their lives.
कदाचित् कालयोगेन सर्वप्राणिविहिंसकः। बलवान् क्षतजाहारो नानासत्त्वभयंकरः॥ अष्टपादूर्ध्वनयनः शरभो वनगोचरः। तं सिहं हन्तुमागच्छन्मुनेस्तस्य निवेशनम्॥
Sometime after, one day a destroyer of all animals, endued with great strength, terrorising all creatures, having eight legs and eyes on the forehead, viz., a Sharabha, came there. He came to that very asylum for slaying the Rishi's lion.
तं मुनिः शरभं चक्र बलोत्कटमरिंदम। ततः स शरभो वन्यो मुनेः शरभमग्रतः॥ दृष्ट्वा बलिनमत्युग्रं दुतं सम्प्राद्रवद् वनात्।
Seeing this, the sage transformed his lion into a very strong Sharabha. Seeing the Rishi's Sharabha before him more powerful than himself, the wild Sharabha forthwith fled away from that forest.
स एवं शरभस्थाने संन्यस्तो मुनिना तदा॥ मुनेः पार्श्वगतो नित्यं शरभः सुखमाप्तवान्।
Having been thus metamorphosed into a Sharabha by the saint, the animal lived happily by the side of his transformer.
ततः शरभसंत्रस्ताः सर्वे मृगगणास्तदा।॥ दिशः सम्प्राद्रवन् राजन् भयाज्जीवितकाक्षिणः।
All the animals then that lived in the neighbourhood were stricken with fear of that Sharabha. Their fear and the desire of saving their lives made them all fly away from that forest.
शरभोऽन्प्यतिसंहष्टो नित्यं प्राणिवधे रतः॥ फलमूलाशनं कर्तुं नैच्छत् स पिशिताशनः।
Filled with delight, the Sharabha continued daily to kill animals for his food. Metamorphosed into a carnivorous beast, he no longer liked fruits and roots upon which he had lived before.
ततो रुधिरतर्षेण बलिना शरभोऽन्वितः॥ इयेष तं मुनि हन्तुमकृतज्ञःश्वयोनिजः।
One day that ungrateful beast who had first been a dog but who was now metamorphosed into a Sharabha, eagerly thirsting for blood, wished to kill the sage.
ततस्तेन तपःशक्त्या विदितो ज्ञानचक्षुषा॥ विज्ञाय स महाप्राज्ञो मुनिः श्वानं तमुक्तवान्।
The latter saw it all by his spiritual vision and ascetic power. Highly wise the sage, having learnt the object of the beast spoke to him these words.
श्वा त्वं द्वीपित्वमापन्नो द्वीपी व्याघ्रत्वमागतः॥ व्याघ्रान्नागो मदपटुर्नागः सिंहत्वमागतः।
The sage said O dog, you were first metamorphosed into a leopard. From a leopard you were then made a tiger. From a tiger you became an elephant with the temporal juice trickling adown your cheeks. You were then transformed into a lion.
सिंहस्त्वं बलमापन्नो भूयः शरभतां गतः॥ मया स्नेहपरीतेन विसृष्टो न कुलान्वयः।
From a powerful lion, you were then transformed into a Sharabha. Filled with love for you, it was I who transformed you into these various forms You did not, and do not belong by birth, to any of those species.
यस्मादेवमपापं मां पाप हिंसितुमिच्छसि। तस्मात् स्वयोनिमापन्नः श्वैव त्वं हि भविष्यसि॥
Since, however, O sinful wretch, you wish to kill me who have done no injury to you, you will assume the form of your own species and be a dog again.
ततो मुनिजनद्वेष्टा दुष्टात्मा प्राकृतोऽबुधः। ऋषिणा शरभः शप्तस्तद्रूपं पुनराप्तवान्॥
After this, that mean, foolish, and wicked animal, transformed into a Sharabha, again for the Rishi's curse, put on his own proper form of a dog.