OF CROWS AND OWLS- KAKOLUKIYAM-PTKU19

 SUBHASHITHANI:436

The wise old crow mentioned to owl king,Arimardana, that he was wounded, punished and banished for advising to have peace with owls and not entertain enmity. He wanted to take revenge on the crows by seeking refuge of the owl king. The owl king, before trusting the crow, wanted to take the counsel of his ministers. He asked his first minister, Raktaksha, “Friend, our enemy’s minister is in our custody. What shall we do with him?”

हीनः शत्रुर् निहन्तव्यो यावन् न बलवान् भवेत् ।
प्राप्त-स्व-पौरुष-बलः पश्चाद् भवति दुर्जयः ॥ १३० ॥

hīnaḥ śatrur nihantavyo yāvan na balavān bhavet |
prāpta-sva-pauruṣa-balaḥ paścād bhavati durjayaḥ || 3.130 ||

A weak enemy should be killed before he gains strength; once he regains his strength it will be difficult to overpower him. ( Raktaksha-red eyed )

कालो हि सकृद् अभ्येति यन् नरं काल-काङ्क्षिणम् ।
दुर्लभः स पुनस् तेन काल-कर्माचिकीर्षता ॥ १३१ ॥

kālo hi sakṛd abhyeti yan naraṃ kāla-kāṅkṣiṇam |
durlabhaḥ sa punas tena kāla-karmācikīrṣatā || 3.131 ||

An opportunity occurs to a man once in a way, eagerly waiting for it. If he misses the opportunity by not taking advantage of it, seldom there will be another opportunity.

भूतान् यो नानुगृह्णाति ह्य् आत्मनः शरणागतान् ।
भूतार्थास् तस्य नश्यन्ति हंसाः पद्म-वने यथा ॥ १३३ ॥

bhūtān yo nānugṛhṇāti hy ātmanaḥ śaraṇāgatān |
bhūtārthās tasya naśyanti haṃsāḥ padma-vane yathā || 3.133 ||

Those who fail to help those who seek their refuge, will lose their prosperity, much like the swan in Padmasara. 

After listening to Raktaksha patiently, the king of owls turned to his second minister Kruraksha and asked him for his opinion. Kruraksha mentioned:
We should never kill a person seeking asylum. There is a story about how, knowing that a hunter who sought shelter had in fact come to kill him, a dove offered himself as food to the hunter.”

कपोतलुब्धककथा - The pigeon and the hunter 

श्रूयते हि कपोतेन शत्रुः शरणम् आगतः ।
पूजितश् च यथा-न्यायं स्वैश् च मांसैर् निमन्त्रितः ॥ १३४ ॥

śrūyate hi kapotena śatruḥ śaraṇam āgataḥ |
pūjitaś ca yathā-nyāyaṃ svaiś ca māṃsair nimantritaḥ || 3.134 ||

The story is heard that an enemy who sought refuge was duly honoured and even offered its own flesh by a pigeon.

कश्चिद् क्षुद्र-समाचारः प्राणिनां काल-सन्निभः ।
विचचार महारण्ये घोरः शकुनि-लुब्धकः ॥ १३५ ॥
kaścid kṣudra-samācāraḥ prāṇināṃ kāla-sannibhaḥ |
vicacāra mahāraṇye ghoraḥ śakuni-lubdhakaḥ || 3.135 ||
A fowler of mean character and like Yama to animals, used to roam around in a great forest.

नैव कश्चित् सुहृत् तस्य न सम्बन्धी न बान्धवः ।
स तैः सर्वैः परित्यक्तस् तेन रौद्रेण कर्मणा ॥ १३६ ॥
naiva kaścit suhṛt tasya na sambandhī na bāndhavaḥ |
sa taiḥ sarvaiḥ parityaktas tena raudreṇa karmaṇā || 3.136 ||

He had no friends, nor relatives, nor anyone to call his own. They all kept away from him, due to his cruel acts.

ये नृशंसा दुरात्मनः प्राणिनां प्राण-नाशकाः ।
उद्वेजनीया भूतानां व्याला इव भवन्ति ते ॥ १३७ ॥

ye nṛśaṃsā durātmanaḥ prāṇināṃ prāṇa-nāśakāḥ |
udvejanīyā bhūtānāṃ vyālā iva bhavanti te || 3.137 ||

Wicked and cruel men, who ruthlessly hunt innocent animals and cause terror in the minds of creatures, are like serpents.

स पञ्जरकम् आदाय पाशं च लगुडं तथा ।
नित्यम् एव वनं याति सर्व-प्राणि-विहिंसकः ॥ १३८ ॥
sa pañjarakam ādāya pāśaṃ ca laguḍaṃ tathā |
nityam eva vanaṃ yāti sarva-prāṇi-vihiṃsakaḥ || 3.138 ||
Wandering daily in the wood, he took a net, a cage, a club to snare, to imprison  and to  drub innocent creatures;  he brought all creatures to harm.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH