Shloka 4

कपोती-विलापः स्वर्गसंयोगश्च

The Dove’s Lament and Celestial Reunion

Devanagari script

राजन! शिबि आदि महात्मा राजाओंने तो शरणागतोंकी रक्षा करके ही परम सिद्धि प्राप्त कर ली थी ।। श्रूयते च कपोतेन शत्रु: शरणमागत: । पूजितश्न यथान्यायं स्वैश्व मांसैर्निमन्त्रित:

Transliteration

rājan! śibi-ādayo mahātmā rājānaḥ tu śaraṇāgatānāṃ rakṣāṃ kṛtvā eva paramāṃ siddhiṃ prāptāḥ. śrūyate ca kapotena śatruḥ śaraṇam āgataḥ; pūjitaś ca yathā-nyāyaṃ svaiś ca māṃsair nimantritaḥ.

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—राजन्, शिब्यादयो महात्मानो राजानः शरणागतान् परिरक्ष्यैव परमां सिद्धिं प्राप्तवन्तः। श्रूयते च—कपोतेनापि शत्रुः शरणमागतः यथान्यायं पूजितः, स्वैरेव मांसैर्निमन्त्रितश्च।

Word by Word

श्रूयतेis heard / is said

चand

कपोतेनby the pigeon

शत्रुःan enemy

शरणम्refuge

आगतःhaving come / come

पूजितःhonored / worshipped

चand

यथाas / according to

न्यायम्rule, propriety, due manner

स्वैःwith his own

मांसैःwith (his) flesh

निमन्त्रितःinvited / offered (as a guest)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Rājan)

Śibi

Kapota (pigeon/dove)

Śatru (enemy, as a role)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The highest ethical and spiritual success for a ruler lies in protecting those who seek refuge (śaraṇāgata-rakṣā). Dharma demands that even an enemy who comes surrendering be treated with due honour and safeguarded, even at personal cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira by citing famous exemplars: kings like Śibi achieved supreme attainment through protecting suppliants. He further recalls a traditional tale in which a pigeon receives an enemy seeking shelter and, observing proper hospitality, offers even its own flesh—an extreme illustration of refuge-protection and guest-duty.