निर्वनो वध्यते व्याघ्रो निर्व्याघ्रं छिद्यते वनम्। तस्माद् व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेद् वनं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत्॥
nirvano vadhyate vyāghro nirvyāghraṃ chidyate vanam । tasmād vyāghro vanaṃ rakṣed vanaṃ vyāghraṃ ca pālayet ॥
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Meaning of Nirvano Vadhyate Vyāghro Nirvyāghraṃ
Without the forest, the tiger is killed; and without the tiger, the forest is cut down. Therefore, the tiger should protect the forest, and the forest should protect the tiger.
Word by word
- निर्वनःnirvanaḥ
without the forest
निस् + वन
- वध्यतेvadhyate
is killed
√वध्
- व्याघ्रःvyāghraḥ
the tiger
व्याघ्र
- निर्व्याघ्रम्nirvyāghram
without the tiger
निस् + व्याघ्र
- छिद्यतेchidyate
is cut down
√छिद्
- वनम्vanam
the forest
वन
- तस्मात्tasmāt
therefore
तद्
- रक्षेत्rakṣet
should guard
√रक्ष्
- चca
and
- पालयेत्pālayet
should protect
√पाल्
Commentary
This subhashita from the Vidura Niti section of the Mahabharata masterfully explains the ecological principle of mutualism. The tiger depends on the forest for cover and sustenance, while the forest depends on the tiger's presence to deter humans from destroying it. It serves as a timeless reminder that human survival is inextricably linked to the health of our ecosystems and the protection of wildlife. The 'Tiger' here represents the apex predator that maintains the balance, and the 'Forest' represents the environment that sustains life. The verse is built as a mirror: tiger then forest in the first line, forest then tiger in the second, so the form performs the mutual dependence it describes. In the Udyoga Parva it arrives as political counsel, the tiger standing for the ruler and the forest for the people who shelter and are sheltered by him. The ecological reading it is now quoted for is a later extension, and an unusually apt one, since the original already argues that neither party survives the other's loss.
Sources and textual variants
Original Post
More from Mahabharata
View source pageनित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम्। कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान् प्राप्स्यसे राजसत्तम॥
nityaṃ paricareccaiva tadvai sukṛtamuttamam । kīrtiṃ puṇyaṃ yaśo lokān prāpsyase rājasattama ॥
Daily service is praised as an excellent deed that brings merit, renown and higher realms.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥
The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु॥
sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ । svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu ॥
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that devotion to one's own work is a path to perfection.
More subhashitams on Nature
View topic pageअद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥
The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.
सुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
सहृदयं सांमनस्यमविद्वेषं कृणोमि वः। अन्यो अन्यमभि हर्यत वत्सं जातमिवाघ्न्या॥
sahṛdayaṁ sāṃmanasyam avidveṣaṁ kṛṇomi vaḥ । anyo anyam abhi haryata vatsaṁ jātam ivāghnyā ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra calls people to shared feeling, concord and freedom from hatred, with a cow's tenderness for her newborn calf as its model.