Shloka 73
Adhyaya 3 — Birth of the Birds
एवं प्रणष्टबुद्धीनां रागलोभानुवर्तिनाम् ।
जीविते च सलोभानां प्रसादं कुरु सत्तम ॥
evaṃ praṇaṣṭa-buddhīnāṃ rāga-lobhānuvartinām |
jīvite ca sa-lobhānāṃ prasādaṃ kuru sattama ||
एवं रागलोभानुगताः तृष्णया जीविते स्पृहयन्तो ये नष्टबुद्धयः। तेषां कृपां विधेहि, भूतश्रेष्ठ॥
FAQs
The verse frames rāga (attachment) and lobha (greed) as forces that eclipse buddhi (discernment). The ethical lesson is that craving-driven life leads to loss of right judgment; restoration comes not merely from effort but from prasāda—grace that reorients the mind toward clarity and dharmic choice.
This verse is best classified under Dharma/Upadeśa (instructional-ethical material) rather than the core pañcalakṣaṇa items (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It functions as a moral-psychological observation within the narrative frame.
Esoterically, 'lost intellect' signifies the obscuration of sattva by rajas (rāga) and tamas (delusion sustaining greed). 'Prasāda' implies both divine favor and inner lucidity—an awakened state where the mind becomes transparent, enabling liberation from compulsive clinging (abhiniveśa) to life and possession.