"Bhishma said, 'Hearing these words fraught with morality and reason that
were spoken by his wife, the pigeon became filled with great delight and
his eyes were bathed in tears of joy. Beholding that fowler whose
avocation was the slaughter of birds, the pigeon honoured him
scrupulously according to the rites laid down in the ordinance.
Addressing him, he said, 'Thou art welcome today. Tell me, what I shall
do for thee. Thou shouldst not repine. This is thy home. Tell me
quickly what I am to do and what is thy pleasure. I ask thee this in
affection, for thou hast solicited shelter at our hands. Hospitality
should be shown to even one's foe when he comes to one's house. The tree
withdraws not its shade from even the person that approaches it for
cutting it down. One should, with scrupulous care, do the duties of
hospitality towards a person that craves for shelter. Indeed, one is
especially bound to do so if one happens to lead a life of domesticity
that consists of the five sacrifices. If one, while leading a life of
domesticity, does not, from want of judgment, perform the five
sacrifices, one loses, according to the scriptures, both this and the
next 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, 'I
am stiff with cold. Let provision be made for warming me.' Thus
addressed, the bird gathered together a number of dry leaves on the
ground, and taking a single leaf in his beak speedily went away for
fetching fire. Proceeding to a spot where fire is kept, he obtained a
little fire and came back to the spot. He then set fire to those dry
leaves, and when they blazed forth into vigorous flames, he addressed his
guest, saying, 'Do thou trustfully and without fear warm thy limbs.' Thus
addressed, the fowler said, 'So be it.' And he set himself to warm his
stiffened limbs. Recovering (as it were) his life-breathes the fowler
said unto his winged host, 'Hunger is afflicting me. I wish thee to give
me some food.' Hearing his words the bird said, 'I have no stores by
which to appease thy hunger. We, denizens of the woods, always live upon
what we get every day. Like the ascetics of the forest we never hoard for
the morrow.' Having said these words, the bird's face became pale (from
shame). He began to reflect silently as to what he should do and mentally
deprecated his own method of living. Soon, however, his mind became
clear. Addressing the slaughterer of his species, the bird said, 'I shall
gratify thee. Wait for a moment.' Saying these words, he ignited a fire
with the help of some dry leaves, and filled with joy, said, 'I heard in
former days from high-souled Rishis and gods and Pitris that there is
great merit in honouring a guest. O amiable one, be kind to me. I tell
thee 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. Beholding
he 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 doubt
in consequence of my own acts! I am exceedingly cruel and worthy of
reprobation. Indeed, observing the bird lay down his life, the fowler,
deprecating his own acts, began to indulge in copious lamentations like
thee.'"
