Shloka 16

Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra

Devanagari script

शरणैषिपरित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे । आहारार्थ समारम्भस्तव चायं॑ विहंगम

Transliteration

śaraṇaiṣiparityāgaṃ kathaṃ sādhv iti manyase | āhārārtha-samārambhas tava cāyaṃ vihaṅgama ||

Translation

Dijo el halcón: «¿Cómo puedes pensar que es justo abandonar a quien busca refugio? Y además, oh ave, este empeño tuyo es por causa del alimento».

Word by Word

• शरणैषि: O seeker of refuge
• शरणैषि: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरणैषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परित्यागम्: abandonment, giving up
• परित्यागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परित्याग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• साधु: rightly, well
• साधु: Visheshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyaparichchheda
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• मन्यसे: you think, you consider
• मन्यसे: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• आहारार्थ: for the sake of food
• आहारार्थ: Hetu
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समारम्भः: undertaking, attempt
• समारम्भः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समारम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विहंगम: O bird
• विहंगम: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहंगम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

श्येन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• śyena (hawk)
• vihaṅgama (a bird addressed; refuge-seeker context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-question: abandoning a refuge-seeker is portrayed as morally improper, while also exposing the counter-motive of “food” behind the other bird’s action—highlighting how ethical claims can be entangled with self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogue involving the hawk, the hawk challenges another bird about the propriety of giving up someone who has sought protection, and points out that the other’s initiative is driven by the need for sustenance.