Shloka 12
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
तृष्णा मे बाधतेत्युग्रा क्षुधा निर्दहतीव माम् । मुज्चैनं न हि शक्ष्यामि राजन् मन्दयितु क्षुधाम्
tṛṣṇā me bādhate tyugrā kṣudhā nirdahatīva mām | muñcainaṃ na hi śakṣyāmi rājan mandayituṃ kṣudhām ||
Burung helang berkata: “Dahaga yang ganas menekanku, dan lapar membakar aku seolah-olah api. Wahai Raja, lepaskan dia; aku tidak mampu menahan atau meredakan laparku.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma: compassion must be balanced with the realities of survival. The hawk argues that hunger and thirst are compelling forces, urging the king to consider that protecting one life may endanger another, and that ethical judgment must account for competing claims.
The hawk addresses the king, insisting that intense thirst and hunger are consuming it and demanding the release of its prey. The plea sets up a moral contest in which the king must decide how to act justly when two beings’ lives and needs conflict.