Shloka 23
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
स तु मामब्रवीद् राजन् मम पूर्वपरिग्रह: । मृगयाधर्ममुत्स॒ज्य किमर्थ ताडितस्त्वया,राजन्! फिर वह किरात मुझसे बोला--'“यह सूअर तो पहले मेरा निशाना बन चुका था, फिर तुमने आखेटके नियमको छोड़कर उसपर प्रहार क्यों किया?”
sa tu mām abravīd rājan mama pūrva-parigrahaḥ | mṛgayā-dharmam utsṛjya kimarthaṁ tāḍitas tvayā, rājan ||
Lalu pemburu itu berkata kepadaku, “Wahai Raja, babi hutan ini telah lebih dahulu menjadi buruanku. Mengapa engkau memukulnya dengan meninggalkan tata-aturan perburuan?”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds mṛgayā-dharma—ethical rules even within hunting—especially the principle of respecting a prior claim (pūrva-parigraha) and not violating agreed norms for personal advantage.
Arjuna reports that the Kirāta confronts him after the boar is struck, asserting that the animal was already his quarry and accusing Arjuna of disregarding the proper hunting code by attacking it.