Shloka 16
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
शरणैषिपरित्यागं कथं साध्विति मन्यसे । आहारार्थ समारम्भस्तव चायं॑ विहंगम
śaraṇaiṣiparityāgaṃ kathaṃ sādhv iti manyase | āhārārtha-samārambhas tava cāyaṃ vihaṅgama ||
The hawk said: “How can you think it is right to abandon one who seeks refuge? And besides, O bird, this effort of yours is for the sake of food.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.