Shloka 34

Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances

Devanagari script

यदि त्वेतन्मया कार्य मृगेन्द्र यदि मन्यसे । समयं कृतमिच्छामि वर्तितव्यं यथा मयि,मृगराज! यदि आप मुझसे मन्त्रित्वका कार्य लेना ही ठीक समझते हैं तो मैं आपसे एक शर्त कराना चाहता हूँ, उसीके अनुसार आपको मेरे साथ बर्ताव करना उचित होगा

Transliteration

yadi tv etan mayā kārya mṛgendra yadi manyase | samayaṁ kṛtam icchāmi vartitavyaṁ yathā mayi, mṛgarāja |

Translation

Śārṭūla dit : «Si toi, ô seigneur des bêtes, tu juges vraiment juste de me confier l’office du conseil, alors je demande qu’un accord net soit conclu. Que ta conduite envers moi soit conforme à ce pacte, ô roi des animaux.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'yadi', 'definition': 'if'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but/indeed (emphatic particle)'}, {'term': 'etat', 'definition': 'this (matter/proposal)'}, {'term': 'mayā', 'definition': 'by me / with me (instrumental of aham)'}, {'term': 'kāryam', 'definition': 'a task, duty, work to be done'}, {'term': 'mṛgendra', 'definition': 'lord of beasts

• lion (vocative)'}, {'term': 'manyase', 'definition': 'you think, you consider'}, {'term': 'samayam', 'definition': 'agreement, compact, condition, stipulated rule'}, {'term': 'kṛtam', 'definition': 'made, established'}, {'term': 'icchāmi', 'definition': 'I desire, I request'}, {'term': 'vartitavyam', 'definition': 'should be behaved/acted (gerundive: ‘ought to be done’)'}, {'term': 'yathā', 'definition': 'as, in the manner that'}, {'term': 'mayi', 'definition': 'toward me / with respect to me (locative)'}, {'term': 'mṛgarāja', 'definition': 'king of beasts

Speaker

शार्टूल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शार्टूल (Śārṭūla)
• मृगेन्द्र / मृगराज (lion; lord/king of beasts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before accepting a role of responsibility—especially counsel close to power—one should establish clear terms of conduct (samaya). Ethical governance depends not only on wise advice but also on honoring agreed boundaries and respectful treatment of the adviser.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śārṭūla addresses the lion (mṛgendra/mṛgarāja). The lion wishes to employ him for ministerial or advisory work; Śārṭūla agrees in principle but asks first for a formal condition or compact that will regulate how the lion must behave toward him.