Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शाड्गका ऊचु. न विद्यहे हृतं मात: श्येनेनाखुं कथंचन । अविज्ञाय न शक्‍्याम: प्रवेष्ट विवरं भुवः,शार्ड्गका बोले--माँ! बाजने चूहेकी पकड़ लिया, इसको हम नहीं जानते और जाने बिना हम इस बिलमें कभी प्रवेश नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

śārḍgakā ūcuḥ | na vidyahe hṛtaṃ mātaḥ śyenena ākhum kathaṃcana | avijñāya na śakyāmaḥ praveṣṭuṃ vivaraṃ bhuvaḥ |

Translation

శార్ఙ్గక పక్షులు పలికిరి—అమ్మా! గద్ద ఎలుకను ఎత్తుకుపోయిందని మాకు ఏ విధంగానూ తెలియదు. ఏమి జరిగిందో తెలియక నేలలోని ఈ బిలంలోకి మేము ప్రవేశించలేము.

Word by Word

शार्ङ्गकाःthe shārṅgaka-s (a group/name)

ऊचुःsaid

नnot

विद्महेwe know

हृतम्taken away, seized

मातःO mother

श्येनेनby a hawk

आखुम्a mouse/rat

कथंचनin any way; at all

अविज्ञायwithout knowing; not having ascertained

नnot

शक्यामःwe are able

प्रवेष्टुम्to enter

विवरम्the hole, burrow

भुवःof the earth/ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śārḍgaka birds

Mother (addressed figure)

Hawk (śyena)

Mouse (ākhu)

Earth-hole/burrow (vivara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent restraint: when facts are unclear, one should not act rashly. Ethical action in dharma often begins with proper knowledge (jñāna) and careful assessment before taking a risky step.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of birds (Śārḍgakas) speak to their mother, saying they do not know whether a hawk has seized the mouse, and therefore they cannot safely enter the burrow in the ground without first understanding the situation.