Shloka 42
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
तथा त्वमपि दुष्टात्मन् बैडालं व्रतमास्थित: । चरसि ज्ञातिषु सदा बिडालो मूषिकेष्विव
tathā tvam api duṣṭātman baiḍālaṁ vratam āsthitaḥ | carasi jñātiṣu sadā biḍālo mūṣikeṣv iva ||
“দুষ্টচিত্ত! তুমিও তেমনি ‘বৈডাল-ব্রত’ ধারণ করেছ। যেমন ইঁদুরদের মধ্যে বিড়াল ধর্মের ভান করে ঘোরে, তেমনি তুমি নিজের জ্ঞাতিদের মধ্যে ধার্মিক সেজে বিচরণ করছ।”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns hypocritical displays of dharma used as a cover for harmful intent. True righteousness is measured by conduct and motive, not by outward observance; feigned piety that exploits one’s own community is especially blameworthy.
Sañjaya reports a sharp rebuke in which the addressed person is accused of adopting ‘baiḍāla-vrata’—a metaphor for a cat that pretends to be harmless or pious while stalking prey. The comparison frames the person’s behavior among relatives as deceitful and predatory rather than genuinely dharmic.