Shloka 16
स चिन्तयन्नभ्यगच्छत् सुबहुप्रसवान् खगान् । शार््धिकां शार््रिको भूत्वा जरितां समुपेयिवान्
sa cintayann abhyagacchat subahuprasavān khagān | śārdhikāṃ śārdhiko bhūtvā jaritāṃ samupeyivān ||
Reflecting on his purpose, he went to the birds known for producing many offspring. Assuming the form of a śārdhika (a male of that bird-kind), he approached Jaritā, the śārdhikā (female), and entered into union with her.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between an intended goal (securing progeny/continuity) and the chosen means (assuming another form and seeking union). In Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, outcomes matter, but the manner of pursuing them also invites scrutiny regarding propriety, intention, and consequences.
The narrator says that the person in question, after deliberation, goes to a group of birds famed for many offspring. He takes on the form of a male śārdhika and approaches Jaritā, the female śārdhikā, establishing a conjugal connection with her to achieve the aim of begetting children.