Shloka 58
मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः
Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities
हंसारावै: कोकरवै रवैरन्यैश्व पक्षिणाम् । पस्पर्थ गज गन्धर्वान् पुलिनैश्व शिलोच्चयान्
haṃsārāvaiḥ kokaravaiḥ ravair anyaiś ca pakṣiṇām | paspartha gaṅgā gandharvān pulinaiś ca śiloccayān ||
Dengan panggilan merdu angsa, suara manis burung cakravāka, dan kicau beraneka burung lainnya, Gaṅgā seakan menandingi para Gandharva; dan dengan gosong-gosong pasir serta tebingnya yang menjulang, ia tampak bersaing dengan puncak-puncak batu pegunungan.
सिद्ध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excellence need not be expressed through force: Gaṅgā’s ‘competition’ is through sweetness of sound and dignified grandeur. The verse implicitly praises refined qualities—harmony, restraint, and elevating beauty—as ethically superior modes of greatness.
A Siddha poetically describes the Gaṅgā: her banks and sandbars look like mountain-heights, and the chorus of swans, cakravākas, and other birds makes her seem to rival the celestial Gandharvas famed for music.