"'Bhishma said, "The fowler, O king, happened to see that pair while
seated on their celestial car. Beholding the couple he became filled with
sorrow (at the thought of his own misfortune) and began to reflect upon
the means of obtaining the same end. And he said to himself, 'I must, by
austerities like those of the pigeon, attain to such a high end!' Having
formed this resolution, the fowler, who had lived by the slaughter of
birds, set out on an unreturning journey. Without any endeavour (for
obtaining food) and living upon air alone, he cast off all affections
from desire of acquiring heaven. After he had proceeded for some
distance, he saw an extensive and delightful lake full of cool and pure
water, and adorned with lotuses and teeming with diverse kinds of
water-fowl. Without doubt, the very sight of such a lake is capable of
slaking the desire for drink of a thirsty person. Emaciated with fasts,
the fowler, however, O king, without casting his eyes upon it, gladly
penetrated a forest inhabited by beasts of prey, having ascertained
previously its wide extent. After he had entered the forest he became
much afflicted by sharp pointed thorns. Lacerated and torn by prickles,
and covered all over with blood, he began to wander in that forest
destitute of men but abounding with animals of diverse species. Sometime
after, in consequence of the friction of some mighty trees caused by a
powerful wind, a widespread bush fire arose. The raging element,
displaying a splendour like to what it assumes at the end of the Yuga,
began to consume that large forest teeming with tall trees and thick
bushes and creepers. Indeed, with flames fanned by the wind and myriads
of sparks flying about in all directions, the all-consuming deity began
to burn that dense forest abounding with birds and beasts. The fowler,
desirous of casting off his body, ran with a delighted heart towards that
spreading conflagration. Consumed by that fire the fowler became cleansed
of all his sins and attained, O best of the Bharatas, to high success.
The fever of his heart dispelled, he at last beheld himself in heaven,
shining in splendour like Indra in the midst of Yakshas and Gandharvas
and persons crowned with ascetic success. Thus, indeed, the pigeon and
his devoted spouse, with the fowler, ascended to heaven for their
meritorious acts, The woman who thus follows her lord speedily ascends to
heaven and shines in splendour there like the she-pigeon of whom I have
spoken. Even thus is the old history of the high-souled fowler and the
pigeon. Even thus did they earn a highly meritorious end by their
righteous acts. No evil befalls the person who listens every day to this
story or who recites it every day, even if error invades his mind.[437] O
Yudhishthira, O foremost of all righteous persons, the protection of a
suppliant is truly a high act of merit. Even the slayer of a cow, by
practising this duty, maybe cleansed of sin. That man, however, will
never be cleansed who slays a suppliant. By listening to this sacred and
sin-cleansing story one becomes freed from distress and attains to heaven
at last."'"