Shloka 40
ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः
Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction
यथा ह्यामिषमाकाशे पक्षिश्रि: श्वापदैर्भुवि । भक्ष्यते सलिले मत्स्यैस्तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान्,'जैसे मांसके टुकड़ेको आकाशमें पक्षी, पृथ्वीपर हिंस्र जन्तु तथा जलमें मछलियाँ खा जाती हैं, उसी प्रकार धनवान् पुरुषको सब लोग सर्वत्र नोचते रहते हैं
yathā hy āmiṣam ākāśe pakṣiśriḥ śvāpadair bhuvi | bhakṣyate salile matsyais tathā sarvatra vittavān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Just as a piece of flesh is seized and eaten—by birds in the sky, by beasts on the earth, and by fish in the water—so too, everywhere, the man of wealth is continually preyed upon by others.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth functions like bait: it draws attention and exploitation from all directions. The ethical lesson is to handle riches with vigilance, restraint, and dharmic discernment, recognizing that possessions can invite danger and manipulation.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a proverbial comparison within the Vana Parva discourse, using a vivid natural image—meat being devoured by creatures of sky, land, and water—to comment on how society often treats a wealthy person as a target for constant taking.