Hitopdesh • Chapter 5 • Shloka 62
इति संचिन्त्य
सर्वे सिंहान्तिकं जग्मुः । सिंहेनोक्तम् -- आहारार्थं किंचित् प्राप्तम् ।
तैरुक्तम् -- यत्नादपि न प्राप्तं किंचित् ।
सिंहेनोक्तं -- कोऽधुना जीवनोपायः ।
काको वदति --
देव स्वाधीनाहारपरित्यागात्सर्वनाशोऽयमुपस्थितः ।
सिंहेनोक्तम् अत्राहारः कः स्वाधीनः ।
काकः कर्णे कथयति -- चित्रकर्णः इति ।
सिंहो भूमिं स्पृष्ट्वा कर्णौ स्पृशति ।
अभयवाचं दत्त्वा धृतोऽयमस्माभिः । तत्कथमेवं संभवति । तथा च ।
न भूप्रदानं न सुवर्णदानं न गोप्रदानं न तथान्नदानम् ।
यथा वदन्तीह महाप्रदानं सर्वेषु दानेष्वभयप्रदानम् ॥
Having thus deliberated they went to the lion. The lion asked - Have you got anything for food? They said - We have found nothing, even after an effort. The lion asked - What is the means of our sustenance now? The crow replied - By your not availing yourself of the food at command we are all in the jaws of death. What is the food at my command? - asked the lion. The crow whispered into his ear - Chitrakarna. The lion having touched the ground and then his ears, said - We have retained him here by pledging our word of safety. So how can this be possible? As they (the wise) speak of the gift of safety as the greatest of all gifts, so they do not talk of land, nor of gold, nor of a cow, nor of food.
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