Shloka 20
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
श्येन उवाच न वराहं न चोक्षाणं न चान्यान् विविधान् द्विजान् | भ्रक्षयामि महाराज किमन्याद्येन तेन मे,बाजने कहा--महाराज! मैं न तो सूअर, न बैल और न दूसरे ही नाना प्रकारके पक्षियोंका मांस खाऊँगा। जो दूसरोंका भोजन है उसे लेकर मैं क्या करूँगा
śyena uvāca na varāhaṁ na cokṣāṇaṁ na cānyān vividhān dvijān | bhakṣayāmi mahārāja kim anyādyena tena me ||
പരുന്ത് പറഞ്ഞു— “മഹാരാജാ! ഞാൻ കാട്ടുപന്നിയെയോ കാളയെയോ മറ്റു പലവിധ പക്ഷികളെയോ ഭക്ഷിക്കില്ല. മറ്റൊരാളുടെ യോജ്യഭക്ഷണം എടുത്ത് ഞാൻ എന്തു ചെയ്യും?”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for acting according to one’s own rightful nature and sustenance (svadharma): the hawk refuses foods that are not its proper fare and questions the ethics of taking what belongs to another’s rightful share.
In a dialogue addressed to a king, the hawk explains its dietary rule: it will not eat boar, ox, or other birds; it insists on its own appropriate prey and rejects the idea of appropriating another creature’s rightful food.