Shloka 60
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
भक्ष्यार्थ क्रीडनार्थ च नरा वाउछन्ति पक्षिण: । तृतीयो नास्ति संयोगो वधबन्धादृते क्षम:
bhakṣyārtha-krīḍanārtha ca narā vāñchanti pakṣiṇaḥ | tṛtīyo nāsti saṃyogo vadha-bandhād ṛte kṣamaḥ ||
Brahmadatta berkata: “Manusia menginginkan burung hanya untuk dua tujuan—makanan dan hiburan. Selain membunuhnya atau mengikatnya dalam kurungan, jarang terlihat bentuk hubungan ketiga antara manusia dan burung.”
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse criticizes the utilitarian and harmful way humans often relate to other beings—seeking birds mainly for consumption or entertainment—highlighting an ethical failure where association becomes either killing or captivity rather than compassionate coexistence.
In Śānti Parva’s moral-discourse setting, Brahmadatta delivers an observation meant to instruct: he points out that human contact with birds is typically limited to hunting for food or capturing for sport, underscoring a broader reflection on dharma and non-cruelty.