Shloka 13
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
मया हानुसृतो होष मत्पक्षनखविक्षत: । किंचिदुच्छवासनि:श्चवासं न राजन् गोप्तुमहसि
mayā hānusṛto hoṣa matpakṣanakha-vikṣataḥ | kiñcid ucchvāsa-niḥśvāsaṃ na rājan goptum arhasi ||
O falcão disse: “Eu o persegui por longa distância, e ele já foi rasgado por minhas asas e garras. Agora lhe resta apenas um pouco de fôlego. Ó rei, em tal condição não deverias protegê-lo (de mim).”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic dilemma: whether a ruler’s duty to protect the vulnerable can override another being’s claim grounded in natural need and prior effort. It sets up a debate on justice, compassion, and the limits of protection when competing rights collide.
A hawk addresses a king, asserting that it has chased and already wounded its prey, which is now barely alive. The hawk argues that the king should not intervene to protect the prey from being taken.