Shloka 8
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
उन्होंने क्षेमदर्शीके सारे देशमें, उस राज्यका समाचार जाननेके लिये एक कौएको पिंजड़ेमें बाँधकर साथ ले बड़ी सावधानीके साथ बारंबार चक्कर लगाया ।। अधीध्वं वायसीं विद्यां शंसन्ति मम वायसा: । अनागतमतीतं च यच्च सम्प्रति वर्तते,घूमते समय वे लोगोंसे कहते थे, 'सज्जनो! तुमलोग मुझसे वायसी विद्या (कौओंकी बोली समझनेकी कला) सीखो। मैंने सीखी है, इसलिये कौए मुझसे भूत, भविष्य तथा इस समय जो वर्तमान है, वह सब बता देते हैं!
adhīdhvaṁ vāyasīṁ vidyāṁ śaṁsanti mama vāyasāḥ | anāgatam atītaṁ ca yac ca samprati vartate ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Para conhecer as notícias de todo o reino, levavam consigo um corvo preso numa gaiola e, com grande cautela, davam voltas e mais voltas. Enquanto caminhavam, proclamavam ao povo: ‘Ó homens de bem! Aprendei comigo a vayasī-vidyā, a arte de compreender a fala dos corvos. Eu a dominei; por isso os corvos me contam tudo: o passado, o que ainda há de vir e o que acontece neste instante.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how claims of extraordinary knowledge (here, understanding crows) can be used to gain information and authority. Ethically, it invites reflection on rajadharma: prudent governance may require vigilance and intelligence, but public manipulation through deceptive spectacle risks undermining trust and dharmic integrity.
A group moves around repeatedly and carefully, publicly urging people to learn ‘crow-speech’ from them. They claim that because they know this art, crows reveal to them the past, the future, and the present—implying a method to collect news and assess the state of the realm while impressing or influencing the populace.