Shloka 16
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
प्रभुत्वं हि पराक्रम्य सम्यक् पक्षहरेषु ते । यदि त्वमिह धर्मार्थी मामपि द्रष्टमहसि
prabhutvaṁ hi parākramya samyak pakṣahareṣu te | yadi tvam iha dharmārthī mām api draṣṭum arhasi ||
The hawk said: “It may indeed be fitting for you to display your sovereignty by exerting your valor against those who would violate your command—those who prey upon winged creatures. But if you are truly here for the sake of dharma, intent on protecting the dove, then you must also extend your regard to me, a hungry bird.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma must be consistent and comprehensive: protecting the weak (the dove) cannot ignore the legitimate need of another being (the hungry hawk). The verse frames a moral test—true righteousness considers all affected parties, not only the most sympathetic.
The hawk challenges the protector’s stance: if the protector claims to act for dharma by saving the dove, he must also acknowledge the hawk’s hunger and right to sustenance. The hawk argues that authority and moral duty should address both the prey’s safety and the predator’s need.