Shloka 10

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

कदा मे सहजा कान्तिः पांशुना नाशमेष्यति ।

एषां पक्षानिलोत्थेन मत्समीपविचारिणाम् ॥

Transliteration

kadā me sahajā kāntiḥ pāṁśunā nāśam eṣyati |

eṣāṁ pakṣānilotthena matsamīpa-vicāriṇām ||

Translation

متى يكفّ بهائي الفطري عن أن يُفسده الغبار—الغبار الذي تثيره الريح من أجنحة هذه (الطيور) التي تتحرّك بقربي؟

Speakers

• A forest-dwelling ascetic/character in the frame narrative addressing the situation near him (with birds nearby); exact speaker varies by recension/edition

Key Themes

• Forest-āśrama life
• Austerity and discomfort
• Detachment vs. concern for bodily appearance
• Frame-story setup (Dharmapakṣi milieu)