Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पूज्यमानस्तु तै: सर्वे: पक्षिभि: पक्षिभोजन: । आत्मकार्य कृतं मेने चर्यायाश्व॒ कृतं फलम्‌,'पक्षियोंको अपना आहार बनानेवाला वह बिलाव जब उन समस्त पक्षियोंद्वारा अधिक आदर-सत्कार पाने लगा, तब उसने यह समझ लिया कि मेरा काम बन गया और मुझे धर्मानुष्ठानका भी अभीष्ट फल प्राप्त हो गया

Transliteration

pūjyamānas tu taiḥ sarvaiḥ pakṣibhiḥ pakṣibhojanaḥ | ātmakārya-kṛtaṃ mene caryāyāś ca kṛtaṃ phalam ||

Translation

ان سب پرندوں کی طرف سے تعظیم و تکریم پا کر—حالانکہ حقیقت میں وہ پرندوں ہی کو اپنا خوراک بناتا تھا—اس بلی نے سمجھ لیا کہ ‘میرا مقصد پورا ہو گیا اور میری اس ظاہری پارسائی کا پھل بھی مل گیا۔’

Word by Word

पूज्यमानःbeing honored

तुbut/indeed

तैःby them

सर्वैःby all

पक्षिभिःby birds

पक्षिभोजनःone whose food is birds (bird-eater)

आत्मकार्यंhis own purpose/task

कृतम्done/accomplished

मेनेhe thought/considered

चर्यायाःof (his) conduct/practice

चand

कृतम्done/obtained

फलम्fruit/result

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

cat (bilāva/mārjāra)

birds (pakṣi)

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?

External piety and disciplined ‘conduct’ can be used as a mask for selfish ends; true dharma is measured by intent and non-harm, not by the appearance of religious practice or the praise it attracts.

What is happening in the narrative?

A cat that preys on birds receives honour from the birds (having deceived them through seemingly virtuous behaviour). Seeing their respect, it believes its personal scheme has succeeded and that it has gained the ‘reward’ of its ostentatious observance.