Shloka 41
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
विप्रवर! तदनन्तर तोतेने अग्निका पता बता दिया। फिर तो देवता शमीवृक्षकी ओर दौड़े। यह देख अग्निने तोतेको शाप दे दिया--'तू वाणीसे रहित हो जायगा” ।। जिह्दामावर्तयामास तस्यापि हुतभुक् तथा । दृष्टवा तु ज्वलनं देवा: शुकमूचुर्दयान्विता:
jihdām āvartayāmāsa tasyāpi hutabhuk tathā | dṛṣṭvā tu jvalanaṃ devāḥ śukam ūcur dayānvitāḥ ||
भीष्म उवाच—ततः स हुतभुक् शुकस्यापि जिह्वामावर्तयामास, येन स वाचं नाशक्नोत् प्रवक्तुम्। ज्वलनं तु दृष्ट्वा देवाः करुणया समन्विताः शुकमूचुः।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that anger and punitive impulses (even when provoked) can lead to disproportionate harm—here, the loss of speech—whereas compassion and restraint are portrayed as the nobler, dharmic response.
Agni (Hutabhuk) renders the parrot speechless by causing its tongue to retract; the gods, seeing the blazing fire and moved by pity, then speak to the parrot, indicating an intervention motivated by compassion.