Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— गते तु रघुशार्दूले सानुजे शबरीगृहात्। मुनयो ब्राह्मणाश्चेत्थमूचुस्तद्वनवास्तवः॥१॥
Brahmā said: When the tiger among the Raghus had left Śabarī's home with his younger brother, the sages and brāhmaṇas who lived in that forest spoke as follows.
Passage 2
अहो बुद्धिविपर्यासो महतामपि दृश्यते। प्रायोऽखिलक्षोभकृतः कालस्यैव विपर्ययात्॥२॥
“Alas, even among great persons the inversion of judgment is seen, apparently through a reversal of time that throws everything into disorder.
Passage 3
यदेष सम्मतः शिष्टै रामो रघुकुलोद्भवः। शबर्या गृहमागच्छेदनादृत्य मुनीनपि॥३॥
“For this Rāma, born in Raghu's line and esteemed by the cultivated, went to Śabarī's home while disregarding even the sages.
Passage 4
प्रायो हि श्रोत्रियस्यान्नं पुनाति सकुलं जनम्। दुर्लभं सर्वथा चेह तदभावे जलं पिबेत्॥४॥
“Food from a learned Vedic brāhmaṇa ordinarily purifies a person together with his family. It is exceedingly rare here; in its absence one should drink water.
Passage 5
याचित्वापि जनेन ग्राह्यं श्रोत्रियान्नं सुदुर्लभम्। येन भक्षितमात्रेण पूयते सकुलो जनः॥५॥
“Even by begging, a person should obtain that rare food of a Vedic scholar, merely by eating which one is purified together with one's family.
Passage 6
ते वयं श्रोत्रिया विप्राः प्राप्तज्ञाना गुरोर्मुखात्। वेदे चाधीतिनः साङ्गे शुद्धकर्माण एव च॥६॥
“We are those learned brāhmaṇas: we received knowledge from the guru's mouth, studied the Veda with its limbs, and perform pure rites.
Passage 7
शिष्टसम्मतमाज्ञाय रामं रघुकुलोद्भवम्। सार्घहस्ता अतिष्ठाम पश्यन्तः स्वगृहागमम्॥७॥
“Knowing Rāma of Raghu's line to be approved by the cultivated, we stood with offerings in our hands, watching for him to come to our homes.
Passage 8
स एषोऽस्माननादृत्य सार्घहस्तान् द्विजन्मनः। सानुजोऽद्यातिथिर्भूत्वा विवेश शबरीगृहम्॥८॥
“Yet today he disregarded us twice-born men standing with offerings and, accompanied by his younger brother, entered Śabarī's house as her guest.
Passage 9
सातिमन्दा दुराचाराधमा जात्या च कर्मणा। चकार कथमातिथ्यं रामे शिष्टेषु सम्मते॥९॥
“She is utterly dull, ill-behaved, and low by both birth and action. How could she offer hospitality to Rāma, who is esteemed among cultivated people?
Passage 10
अग्राह्यं जलमप्यस्याः का कथान्नस्य वाडवाः। अहो बुद्धिविपर्यासो राघवस्य बतेदृशः॥१०॥
“Brāhmaṇas, even her water is unacceptable; what need is there to speak of her food? Alas, see how Rāghava's judgment has been inverted!
Passage 11
नास्मान् दृष्ट्वाप्यसौ शिष्टो जग्राह क नु वाक्यतः। पश्यतोऽस्मानतिक्रम्य ययौ तस्या निकेतनम्॥११॥
“Although this cultivated man saw us, why did he not even acknowledge us with a word? Passing us while we watched, he went to her dwelling.
Passage 12
अहो शीलमहो प्रज्ञा अहो कुलमहो क्रिया। शबर्या अतिथीभूतरामचन्द्रप्रपूजने॥१२॥
“What character! What wisdom! What lineage and conduct Śabarī displayed in worshiping Rāmacandra as her guest!”
Passage 13
धर्मः कृते चतुष्पादस्त्रेतायां त्रिपदात्मकः। द्वापरे च द्विपादेकपादश्चाग्रे भविष्यति॥१३॥
“Dharma stood on four feet in the Kṛta age and on three in Tretā. In Dvāpara it will have two, and in the age ahead only one.
Passage 14
नष्टप्रायं वयं विद्मोऽधुनैवाग्रेऽस्य का कथा। यत्रेदृशः कुलीनोऽपि यातो बुद्धिविपर्ययम्॥१४॥
“We know it to be nearly lost even now; what then can be said of the coming age, when even one so nobly born has undergone such an inversion of judgment?”
Passage 15
इत्थं विकत्थमानास्ते मुनयः श्रोत्रगर्विताः। निनिन्दुः शबरीं तस्या अतिथिं च रघूद्वहम्॥१५॥
Boasting in this way, those sages—proud of their sacred learning—reviled Śabarī and her guest, the scion of Raghu. The Immediate Consequence
Passage 16
हीयेतामुत्रिकं श्रेयो भगवन्मात्रनिन्दया। ऐहिकं चामुत्रिकं च श्रेयस्तद्भक्तनिन्दया॥१६॥
By reviling the Lord alone, one's welfare in the next world is lost; by reviling his devotee, one's welfare both here and hereafter is lost.
Passage 17
क्षमेताप्यपराधं स्वं धीरोदात्तगुणो हरिः। भक्तप्रियो न क्षमते स्वभक्तस्यापराधनम्॥१७॥
Hari, steadfast and noble in character, may forgive an offense against himself; but because he loves his devotees, he does not tolerate an offense against his devotee.
Passage 18
शोणितौघवहा सद्यस्तेषामाश्रमगा सरित्। कृमिविड्भस्मबहुला चाभवद्दुर्गमा क्षणात्॥१८॥
At once the river flowing through their hermitage ran with streams of blood; within a moment it became impassable, filled with worms, excrement, and ashes.
Passage 19
अग्निहोत्रे स्थितश्चाग्निस्तत्क्षणात्प्रशमं ययौ। रामभक्तविनिन्दायाः फलं सद्यो व्यदृश्यत॥१९॥
The fire established for the agnihotra went out at that very moment. The fruit of reviling Rāma's devotee became visible immediately.
Passage 20
निन्द्यन्ते यत्र शुचयो रामभक्ता दृढव्रताः। कुतस्तत्र भवेत् क्षेममापदश्च पदे पदे॥२०॥
Where pure, firm-vowed devotees of Rāma are reviled, how could well-being exist? Calamities arise at every step.
Passage 21
ततो हाहाकृतमभूत् सर्वमाश्रममण्डलम्। ब्राह्मणाश्च समुद्विग्ना बभूवुः स्वस्वसद्मनि॥२१॥
Then cries of distress filled the entire hermitage settlement, and the brāhmaṇas became deeply agitated in their respective homes.
Passage 22
नित्यस्नानक्रियास्तेषां प्रतिबद्धास्तदाभवन्। अकस्माद्रक्तवाहिन्यां जातायां सरिति क्षणात्॥२२॥
Their daily bathing rites were obstructed when the river suddenly began carrying blood in an instant.
Passage 23
अभूज्जलं निपानेषु कृमिविड्भस्ममिश्रितम्। ततश्च ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे शुशुचुः स्वस्वचेतसि॥२३॥
The water in the drinking places became mixed with worms, excrement, and ashes. All the brāhmaṇas then grieved within their own hearts.
Passage 24
अहो किमेतत्संजातमकस्माद्विषमं फलम्। उपस्थितो हि सर्वेषां धर्मनाशोऽसुसंक्षयः॥२४॥
“Alas, what is this terrible result that has suddenly arisen? The destruction of our dharma and the ending of our lives confront us all.
Passage 25
एकदैव महत्पापं सर्वेषां समुपस्थितम्। किं कुर्मः क्व नु गच्छामः कृच्छ्र ईदृग्विधोऽद्य नः॥२५॥
“Some great sin has confronted us all at once. What should we do? Where can we go? Today a calamity of this kind has overtaken us.
Passage 26
गोवधो ब्रह्महत्या वा पापमन्यदथापि वा। संलग्नं नु सुविषमं यस्येदं समभूत्फलम्॥२६॥
“Perhaps the slaughter of a cow, the killing of a brāhmaṇa, or some other exceedingly dreadful sin has attached itself to us, producing this result.”
Passage 27
इतीव शोचयन्तस्ते ब्राह्मणा हीनवर्चसः। नाधिजग्मुः स्वदुःखान्तं प्रतिबद्धक्रियाकुलाः॥२७॥
Lamenting in this way, those brāhmaṇas, their spiritual radiance diminished and their rites obstructed, found no end to their distress. Agastya Identifies the Cause
Passage 28
तेषामाविरभूद्योगी भगवान् कुम्भसम्भवः। ववन्दिरे तं सर्वेऽपि संक्षीणब्रह्मवर्चसः॥२८॥
The blessed yogin born from the jar appeared before them, and all whose sacred radiance had waned bowed to him.
Passage 29
तानुवाच ततोऽगस्त्यो विषण्णमनसो द्विजान्। अहो म्लानश्रियो जाताः कथं सर्वे द्विजोत्तमाः॥२९॥
Agastya then addressed the despondent twice-born men: “Best of the twice-born, how have all of you come to possess such faded splendor?
Passage 30
त ऊचुस्तेन सम्पृष्टा मुनिना वाडवोत्तमाः। उपजातं यथावृत्तमकस्मादाश्रमे निजे॥३०॥
Questioned by the sage, those eminent brāhmaṇas told him exactly what had suddenly arisen in their hermitage.
Passage 31
श्रुत्वा तेषां तथा वृत्तमगस्त्यो योगचक्षुषा। तत्कारणमपश्यद्वोऽपराधं महीयसः॥३१॥
Hearing what had happened to them, Agastya saw with yogic vision its cause: their offense against a great person.
Passage 32
ततस्तानुक्तवानेष भगवान् सर्वदर्शनः। शृणुध्वं मुनयो यूयं महीयस्यपराधिनः॥३२॥
The blessed seer of all then said to them, “Listen, sages: you have offended a great person.
Passage 33
महतो ह्यपराधेन किं किं दुःखं न जायते। तद्यूयं ब्रूत धर्मज्ञा यथा वृत्तमभूदिह॥३३॥
“What suffering does not arise from an offense against a great one? Therefore, knowers of dharma, tell me exactly what occurred here.
Passage 34
कः स्विद्धि सुमहानत्र भवदाश्रममण्डले। आगन्तुको वा स्थायी वा यूयं यदपराधिनः॥३४॥
“Who indeed was the exalted person here in your hermitage settlement—whether a visitor or a resident—against whom you committed an offense?”
Passage 35
इत्थं वचः कुम्भयोनेर्निशम्य तेऽन्योन्यवक्त्रेक्षणकारिणो द्विजाः। स्मृत्वाऽऽत्मना जातमज्ञानतस्तद् बभाषिरे ते महतोऽपराधनम्॥३५॥
Hearing these words from the jar-born sage, the twice-born men looked into one another's faces. Remembering what they had ignorantly done, they spoke of their offense against the great one.