श्येन उवाच
धर्मात्मानं त्व् आहुर् एकं सर्वे राजन् महीक्षितः ॥
स वै धर्मविरुद्धं त्वं कस्मात् कर्म चिकीर्षसि ॥
विहितं भक्षणं राजन् पीड्यमानस्य मे क्षुधा ॥
मा भाङ्क्षीर् धर्मलोभेन धर्मम् उत्सृष्टवान् असि ॥
राजोवाच
संत्रस्तरूपस् त्राणार्थी त्वत्तो भीतो महाद्विज ॥
मत्सकाशम् अनुप्राप्तः प्राणगृध्नुर् अयं द्विजः ॥
एवम् अभ्यागतस्येह कपोतस्याभयार्थिनः ॥
अप्रदाने परो ऽधर्मः किं त्वं श्येन प्रपश्यसि ॥
प्रस्पन्दमानः संभ्रान्तः कपोतः श्येन लक्ष्यते ॥
मत्सकाशं जीवितार्थी तस्य त्यागो विगर्हितः ॥
श्येन उवाच
आहारात् सर्वभूतानि संभवन्ति महीपते ॥
आहारेण विवर्धन्ते तेन जीवन्ति जन्तवः ॥
शक्यते दुस्त्यजे ऽप्य् अर्थे चिररात्राय जीवितुम् ॥
न तु भोजनम् उत्सृज्य शक्यं वर्तयितुं चिरम् ॥
भक्ष्याद् विलोपितस्याद्य मम प्राणा विशां पते ॥
विसृज्य कायम् एष्यन्ति पन्थानम् अपुनर्भवम् ॥
प्रमृते मयि धर्मात्मन् पुत्रदारं नशिष्यति ॥
रक्षमाणः कपोतं त्वं बहून् प्राणान् नशिष्यसि ॥
धर्मं यो बाधते धर्मो न स धर्मः कुधर्म तत् ॥
अविरोधी तु यो धर्मः स धर्मः सत्यविक्रम ॥
विरोधिषु महीपाल निश्चित्य गुरुलाघवम् ॥
न बाधा विद्यते यत्र तं धर्मं समुदाचरेत् ॥
गुरुलाघवम् आज्ञाय धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये ॥
यतो भूयांस् ततो राजन् कुरु धर्मविनिश्चयम् ॥
śyena uvāca
dharmātmānaṃ tv āhur ekaṃ sarve rājan mahīkṣitaḥ ||
sa vai dharmaviruddhaṃ tvaṃ kasmāt karma cikīrṣasi ||
vihitaṃ bhakṣaṇaṃ rājan pīḍyamānasya me kṣudhā ||
mā bhāṅkṣīr dharmalobhena dharmam utsṛṣṭavān asi ||
rājovāca
saṃtrastarūpas trāṇārthī tvatto bhīto mahādvija ||
matsakāśam anuprāptaḥ prāṇagṛdhnur ayaṃ dvijaḥ ||
evam abhyāgatasyeha kapotasyābhayārthinaḥ ||
apradāne paro 'dharmaḥ kiṃ tvaṃ śyena prapaśyasi ||
praspandamānaḥ saṃbhrāntaḥ kapotaḥ śyena lakṣyate ||
matsakāśaṃ jīvitārthī tasya tyāgo vigarhitaḥ ||
śyena uvāca
āhārāt sarvabhūtāni saṃbhavanti mahīpate ||
āhāreṇa vivardhante tena jīvanti jantavaḥ ||
śakyate dustyaje 'py arthe cirarātrāya jīvitum ||
na tu bhojanam utsṛjya śakyaṃ vartayituṃ ciram ||
bhakṣyād vilopitasyādya mama prāṇā viśāṃ pate ||
visṛjya kāyam eṣyanti panthānam apunarbhavam ||
pramṛte mayi dharmātman putradāraṃ naśiṣyati ||
rakṣamāṇaḥ kapotaṃ tvaṃ bahūn prāṇān naśiṣyasi ||
dharmaṃ yo bādhate dharmo na sa dharmaḥ kudharma tat ||
avirodhī tu yo dharmaḥ sa dharmaḥ satyavikrama ||
virodhiṣu mahīpāla niścitya gurulāghavam ||
na bādhā vidyate yatra taṃ dharmaṃ samudācaret ||
gurulāghavam ājñāya dharmādharmaviniścaye ||
yato bhūyāṃs tato rājan kuru dharmaviniścayam ||
The hawk said: "O king, all the rulers of the earth call you the one righteous man. Why then do you wish to do a deed opposed to dharma? This food, O king, has been ordained for me, tormented as I am by hunger. Do not destroy my dharma out of greed for dharma — in doing so you yourself abandon dharma." The king said: "This twice-born one came to me in fear, seeking protection, afraid of you, great brahmin, and wishing to preserve his life. For a dove who has come thus and asks for fearlessness, to refuse protection is the highest adharma. Hawk, this dove is seen trembling and terrified; he came to me for the sake of his life. To abandon him would be blameworthy." The hawk said: "Lord of the earth, all beings arise from food; by food they grow, by it living creatures live. Without even a hard-won good one may live long, but having given up food, one cannot go on for long. If today I am robbed of my prey, lord of the people, my life-breaths will leave this body and set out on the road of no return. If I die, righteous one, my wife and children will perish. In protecting one dove, you will destroy many lives. A dharma that obstructs dharma is not dharma — it is false dharma. But the dharma that does not conflict with another, O you of true valor, that alone is dharma. When dharmas conflict, lord of the earth, one must determine what is heavier and what is lighter; one should follow the dharma in which no obstruction exists. Having learned to weigh the heavier against the lighter in judging dharma from adharma, O king, choose the side where dharma is greater."
08848cdce442 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 17:06:19 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The hawk speaks not as a mere predator but sets before the king a genuine conflict of duties. Dharma is not always given as an easy feeling of compassion; it must be weighed so that protecting one being does not become an injustice to others.