Shloka 19
शाड्गका ऊचु. अबर्हन् मांसभूतान् न: क्रव्यादाखुर्विनाशयेत् । पश्यमाना भयमिदं प्रवेष्टं नात्र शकनुम:,शार्ड्गक बोले--अभी हम बिना पंखोंके बच्चे हैं, हमारा शरीर मांसका लोथड़ामात्र है। चूहा मांसभक्षी जीव है, वह हमें नष्ट कर देगा। इस भयको देखते हुए हम इस बिलमें प्रवेश नहीं कर सकते
śāḍgakā ūcuḥ | abarhan māṃsabhūtān naḥ kravyād ākhur vināśayet | paśyamānā bhayam idaṃ praveṣṭuṃ nātra śaknūmaḥ |
Os filhotes Śāḍgaka disseram: “Ainda estamos sem penas; nossos corpos são apenas carne tenra. Um rato é uma criatura que come carne — ele nos destruiria. Vendo esse perigo, não podemos entrar nesta toca.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights prudent discernment: the vulnerable should not rush into a place that appears to offer shelter if it also contains a clear threat. Ethical action includes realistic assessment of danger and protecting life through caution.
The Śāḍgaka chicks, still unfledged and defenseless, refuse to enter a burrow because they fear a mouse/rat inside—described as a flesh-eater—will kill them. Their decision is driven by immediate survival risk.