Shloka 1
लुब्धक-कपोत-कपोती-आख्यानम्
The Hunter and the Pigeon Couple: Expiation and Refuge-Ethics
चतुश्नत्वारिशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: कबूतरद्वारा अपनी भार्याका गुणगान तथा पतिव्रता स्त्रीकी प्रशंसा भीष्म उवाच अथ वृक्षस्य शाखायां विहड़: ससुहृज्जनः । दीर्घकालोषितो राजंस्तत्र चित्रतनूरुह:
Bhīṣma uvāca: atha vṛkṣasya śākhāyāṃ vihaṅgaḥ sa-suhṛj-janaḥ | dīrgha-kāloṣito rājan tatra citra-tanūruhaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，在某棵树的一根枝上，有一只鸟与其亲善的同伴们久居其间。它的身躯覆着斑斓杂色的羽毛。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse initiates a moral exemplum: through the pigeon’s household life, the discourse will highlight dharma in domestic relations—especially the virtues of fidelity, mutual support, and the ideal of the devoted wife (pativratā) within righteous living.
Bhishma begins a story by describing the setting: a long-resident bird (understood as a pigeon in this episode) lives on a tree branch with its companions, characterized by mottled feathers—preparing the listener for the ensuing ethical narrative.