Shloka 23
Śibi’s Weighing of Dharma
The Hawk and the Dove Trial) — शिबेर्धर्मतुला (श्येन-कपोतोक्तिः
जिज्ञासमानौ वरदौ महात्मानमुशीनरम् । इन्द्र: श्येन: कपोतो<ग्निर्भूत्वा यज्ञेडभिजग्मतु:,वे दोनों वरदायक महात्मा उस समय उशीनरकी परीक्षा लेना चाहते थे; अतः इन्द्रने बाज पक्षीका रूप धारण किया और अग्निने कबूतरका। इस प्रकार वे राजाके यज्ञमण्डपमें गये
jijñāsamānau varadau mahātmānam uśīnaram | indraḥ śyenaḥ kapoto 'gnir bhūtvā yajñe 'bhijagmatuḥ ||
Wishing to test the great-souled king Uśīnara, the two boons-givers set out: Indra assumed the form of a hawk, and Agni became a dove, and thus they came to the king’s sacrificial arena.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is tested in concrete choices: a righteous ruler must protect one who seeks refuge and uphold moral duty even when challenged by powerful forces. The gods’ disguise highlights that ethical integrity should not depend on who is watching or on expected reward.
Indra and Agni, described as boon-givers, decide to examine King Uśīnara’s virtue. They take animal forms—Indra as a hawk and Agni as a dove—and enter the king’s sacrificial setting, initiating a trial that will force the king to choose between competing claims and duties.