Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शाड्गका ऊचु. न विद्यहे हृतं मात: श्येनेनाखुं कथंचन । अविज्ञाय न शक्‍्याम: प्रवेष्ट विवरं भुवः,शार्ड्गका बोले--माँ! बाजने चूहेकी पकड़ लिया, इसको हम नहीं जानते और जाने बिना हम इस बिलमें कभी प्रवेश नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

śārḍgakā ūcuḥ | na vidyahe hṛtaṃ mātaḥ śyenena ākhum kathaṃcana | avijñāya na śakyāmaḥ praveṣṭuṃ vivaraṃ bhuvaḥ |

Translation

Les oiseaux Śārḍgaka dirent : «Mère, nous ne savons nullement que la souris ait été emportée par l’épervier. Sans connaître ce qui s’est passé, nous ne pouvons entrer dans ce trou de la terre.»

Word by Word

शार्ङ्गकाःthe shārṅgaka-s (a group/name)

ऊचुःsaid

नnot

विद्महेwe know

हृतम्taken away, seized

मातःO mother

श्येनेनby a hawk

आखुम्a mouse/rat

कथंचनin any way; at all

अविज्ञायwithout knowing; not having ascertained

नnot

शक्यामःwe are able

प्रवेष्टुम्to enter

विवरम्the hole, burrow

भुवःof the earth/ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śārḍgaka birds

Mother (addressed figure)

Hawk (śyena)

Mouse (ākhu)

Earth-hole/burrow (vivara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent restraint: when facts are unclear, one should not act rashly. Ethical action in dharma often begins with proper knowledge (jñāna) and careful assessment before taking a risky step.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of birds (Śārḍgakas) speak to their mother, saying they do not know whether a hawk has seized the mouse, and therefore they cannot safely enter the burrow in the ground without first understanding the situation.