Shloka 11
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
इसके रक्त, मांस, मज्जा और मेदा सभी मेरे लिये हितकर हैं। यह कबूतर मेरी क्षुधा मिटाकर मुझे पूर्णतः तृप्त कर देगा; अतः आप इस मेरे आहारके आगे आकर विघध्न न डालिये
asya raktaṁ māṁsaṁ majjā medaś ca sarvaṁ mama hitakaram | eṣa kapotaḥ mama kṣudhāṁ nivārya māṁ pūrṇataḥ tṛptam kariṣyati; ataḥ bhavān mama āhārasya agre āgatya vighnaṁ mā kṛthāḥ |
O falcão disse: “Seu sangue, sua carne, sua medula e sua gordura são todos benéficos para mim. Esta pomba porá fim à minha fome e me saciará por completo. Portanto, não te coloques diante do meu alimento legítimo nem ponhas obstáculo em meu caminho.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-conflict: one being asserts a natural and ‘rightful’ claim to sustenance, while another (implicitly the protector) may prioritize compassion and refuge. It highlights how ethical reasoning must weigh competing duties—non-violence and protection versus survival and the order of nature.
In the hawk–pigeon episode, the hawk argues that the pigeon is its proper prey and that intervening would unjustly obstruct its food. The hawk emphasizes its hunger and the nourishment it expects from the pigeon, pressing its claim against the would-be protector.