Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 64
Kṛṣṇa’s Impending Departure; Uddhava’s Surrender; King Yadu and the Avadhūta’s Twenty-Four Gurus
Beginnings
कपोतश्च कपोती च प्रजापोषे सदोत्सुकौ । गतौ पोषणमादाय स्वनीडमुपजग्मतु: ॥ ६४ ॥
kapotaś ca kapotī ca prajā-poṣe sadotsukau gatau poṣaṇam ādāya sva-nīḍam upajagmatuḥ
The pigeon and his wife were always anxious for the maintenance of their children, and they were wandering in the forest for that purpose. Having obtained proper food, they now returned to their nest.
FAQs
This verse sets the scene of the pigeon couple absorbed in maintaining and feeding their young—an example used in this chapter to illustrate how intense household attachment can bind the mind and lead to suffering when circumstances change.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to King Parīkṣit while narrating the Avadhūta’s teachings, which include instructive examples drawn from nature and daily life.
Perform family duties responsibly, but cultivate inner detachment—remembering that loved ones and outcomes are ultimately under the Lord’s control—so that service, not possessiveness, guides one’s actions.