जलां चोपजलां चैव यमुनाम् अभितो नदीम् ॥
उशीनरो वै यत्रेष्ट्वा वासवाद् अत्यरिच्यत ॥
तां देवसमितिं तस्य वासवश् च विशां पते ॥
अभ्यगच्छत राजानं ज्ञातुम् अग्निश् च भारत ॥
जिज्ञासमानौ वरदौ महात्मानम् उशीनरम् ॥
इन्द्रः श्येनः कपोतो ऽग्निर् भूत्वा यज्ञे ऽभिजग्मतुः ॥
ऊरुं राज्ञः समासाद्य कपोतः श्येनजाद् भयात् ॥
शरणार्थी तदा राजन् निलिल्ये भयपीडितः ॥
jalāṃ copajalāṃ caiva yamunām abhito nadīm ||
uśīnaro vai yatreṣṭvā vāsavād atyaricyata ||
tāṃ devasamitiṃ tasya vāsavaś ca viśāṃ pate ||
abhyagacchata rājānaṃ jñātum agniś ca bhārata ||
jijñāsamānau varadau mahātmānam uśīnaram ||
indraḥ śyenaḥ kapoto 'gnir bhūtvā yajñe 'bhijagmatuḥ ||
ūruṃ rājñaḥ samāsādya kapotaḥ śyenajād bhayāt ||
śaraṇārthī tadā rājan nililye bhayapīḍitaḥ ||
'Here are Jala and Upajala, rivers on either side of the Yamuna; there Ushinara, having performed a sacrifice, surpassed Vasava. To his assembly of gods, lord of the people, came Vasava and Agni, wishing to learn about the king, O Bharata. Wishing to test the great Ushinara, the two boon-granters -- Indra and Agni -- came to the sacrifice: Indra became a hawk, and Agni a dove. The dove, tormented by fear of the hawk, came to the king's thigh and, seeking refuge, hid there, stricken with fear.'
fee890985d48 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:19 PM UTC
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The chapter breaks off on its central gesture: the weak seeks protection from the king. Ushinara's trial begins with the question of whether power will become a refuge for a frightened living being.