Shloka 57
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
अभ्यद्रवच्च तं सद्यो दृष्टवैवामिषशड्कया । तुण्डयुद्धमथाकाशे तावुभौ सम्प्रचक्रतु:
abhyadravac ca taṃ sadyo dṛṣṭvaivāmiṣaśaṅkayā | tuṇḍayuddham athākāśe tāv ubhau sampracakratuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihatnya dan menyangka dia membawa daging, helang yang satu lagi segera menyambar turun. Lalu, di langit terbuka, kedua-duanya bertempur paruh dengan paruh, saling mematuk ketika beradu.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how suspicion and craving for gain (here, meat as prey) can immediately trigger aggression and conflict. It sets a moral backdrop often used in the Mahābhārata to contrast instinct-driven violence with dharma-guided restraint.
One hawk, suspecting the other has flesh, instantly attacks. The two then engage in an aerial fight, striking each other with their beaks.