Shloka 20
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
श्येन: कपोतानत्तीति स्थितिरेषा सनातनी । मा राजन् सारमज्ञात्वा कदलीस्कन्धमाश्रय,यह सनातन कालसे चला आ रहा है कि बाज कबूतरोंको खाता है। राजन! धर्मके सारभूत तत्त्वको न जानकर आप केलेके खम्भे (-जैसे सारहीन धर्म) का आश्रय न लीजिये
śyenaḥ uvāca | kapotān attīti sthitir eṣā sanātanī | mā rājan sāram ajñātvā kadalī-skandham āśraya ||
The hawk said: “It is an ancient, time-honoured order of things that a hawk eats pigeons. O King, without understanding the true essence of dharma, do not take refuge in something hollow—like a banana-stalk.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should grasp the true essence (sāra) of dharma rather than clinging to a superficial or sentimental rule. The hawk argues that dharma must account for the established order of life and one’s rightful means of sustenance, not merely an outward show of righteousness.
In the hawk–pigeon episode, the hawk addresses the king, defending its claim to prey by appealing to the ancient natural order: hawks eat pigeons. It warns the king not to support a hollow, misguided notion of dharma—likened to a banana-stalk—without understanding dharma’s real substance.