Shloka 50

Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances

Devanagari script

सचिवेनापनीतं ते विदुषा प्राज्ञमानिना । तब मृगराजने सेवकोंको आज्ञा दी कि चोरका पता लगाओ। तब जिनकी यह करतूत थी

Transliteration

sacivenāpanītaṃ te viduṣā prājñamāninā | tataḥ mṛgarājena sevakān ājñā dī—coraṃ paryeṣata | tataḥ yeṣāṃ eṣā kartūt āsīt te eva janāḥ tasmin māṃse siṃhaṃ nyavedayan—“mahārāja! ātmānaṃ atyanta-buddhimantaṃ paṇḍitaṃ ca manyamānaḥ tava saciva eva etat māṃsam apāharat” || (49) kṛta-saroṣas tv atha śārṭūlaḥ śrutvā gomāyu-cāpalam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Essa carne, que era tua, foi levada por um ministro —homem instruído, mas orgulhoso de se julgar sábio. Então o rei-leão ordenou aos seus servidores que encontrassem o ladrão. Porém os próprios autores do feito foram informar o leão sobre a carne, dizendo: ‘Ó Rei! Foi o teu ministro —aquele que se considera extremamente inteligente e erudito— quem roubou esta carne.’ Ao ouvir tal atrevimento de chacal, o leão enfureceu-se.”

Word by Word

• {'sacivena': 'by the minister/counsellor (instrumental singular of saciva)', 'apanitam': 'carried away, removed, stolen (past passive participle of apa-nī)', 'viduṣā': 'by a learned man (instrumental singular of vidvas)', 'prājñamāninā': 'by one who thinks himself wise

• self-conceited about wisdom (instrumental singular)', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'mṛgarājena': 'by the king of beasts (lion) (instrumental singular)', 'sevakān': 'servants, attendants (accusative plural)', 'ājñā dī': 'gave an order, commanded', 'cora': 'thief', 'paryeṣata': 'seek, search for (imperative/command sense)', 'kartūt': 'deed, misdeed, act (here: wrongdoing)', 'māṃsa': 'meat', 'siṃha': 'lion', 'mahārāja': 'O great king', 'apāharat': 'stole, carried off (imperfect/aorist sense of apa-hṛ)', 'sarōṣa': 'angry, enraged', 'śārṭūla': 'tiger

• in fable-style usage, a fierce beast/kingly predator', 'gomāyu': 'jackal', 'cāpalam': 'impudence, fickle insolence'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• saciva (minister/counsellor)
• mṛgarāja (lion-king)
• sevaka (attendants/servants)
• cora (thief)
• siṃha (lion)
• śārṭūla (tiger/fierce beast)
• gomāyu (jackal)
• māṃsa (meat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage warns that wrongdoing is often hidden through scapegoating—especially by blaming respected officials—and that self-conceit (prājñamāna) combined with deceit undermines righteous governance. A king must investigate carefully rather than accept convenient accusations.

What is happening in the narrative?

A piece of meat is stolen. The lion-king orders his servants to find the thief. The actual culprits try to divert blame by accusing the minister, portraying him as a proud ‘wise man.’ Hearing this jackal-like impudence, the fierce beast becomes angry.