Shloka 14
Śibi’s Weighing of Dharma
The Hawk and the Dove Trial) — शिबेर्धर्मतुला (श्येन-कपोतोक्तिः
इदमाश्चर्यमपरं देशेडस्मिन् पुरुषर्षभ । क्षीणे युगे तु कौन्तेय शर्वस्य सह पार्षदै:
idam āścaryam aparaṁ deśe 'smin puruṣarṣabha | kṣīṇe yuge tu kaunteya śarvasya saha pārṣadaiḥ ||
“Wahai banteng di antara manusia, di wilayah ini ada lagi satu keajaiban. Wahai putera Kuntī, ketika zaman telah merosot, Śarva (Śiva) menampakkan diri bersama para pengiringnya.”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames sacred history as a source of moral and spiritual orientation: even as an age declines, the divine can manifest, reminding listeners that dharma and reverence for the sacred are upheld through recognition of holy places and divine presence.
The speaker points out a further wonder connected with the very place they are discussing, addressing a Pāṇḍava as ‘Kaunteya’ and ‘best of men,’ and introduces an episode in which Śiva (Śarva) appears there accompanied by his attendants.