Shloka 1
Gṛdhra–Jambuka Saṃvāda (Dialogue of the Vulture and the Jackal) — On Grief, Kāla, and Resolve
#.००3८६>- हज है अष्टचत्वारिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: कबूतरीका विलाप और अन्निमें प्रवेश तथा उन दोनोंको स्वर्गलोककी प्राप्ति भीष्म उवाच ततो गते शाकुनिके कपोती प्राह दुःखिता । संस्मृत्य सा च भर्तारें रुवती शोककर्शिता,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! उस बहेलियेके चले जानेपर कबूतरी अपने पतिका स्मरण करके शोकसे कातर हो उठी और दुःखमग्न हो रोती हुई विलाप करने लगी
bhīṣma uvāca | tato gate śākunike kapotī prāha duḥkhitā | saṁsmṛtya sā ca bhartāraṁ ruvatī śokakarśitā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira! Setelah si penangkap burung itu pergi, merpati betina yang diliputi dukacita pun mula meratap. Mengenang suaminya, ia menangis; tubuh dan jiwanya luluh oleh kesedihan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse initiates an ethical exemplum: even in personal devastation, dharma expresses itself through steadfast loyalty, compassion, and the willingness to uphold relational duties. Grief is not denied, but it becomes the ground from which higher conduct and moral resolve emerge.
After the fowler departs, the she-dove remembers her slain/captured mate and begins to lament aloud, crying in intense sorrow. This sets up the subsequent actions in the episode (her response to loss and the moral consequences that follow).