शैब्यः श्येनकपोतीये स्वमांसं पक्षिणे ददौ। अलर्कश्चक्षुषी दत्त्वा जगाम गतिमुत्तमाम्॥
śaibyaḥ śyenakapotīye svamāṃsaṃ pakṣiṇe dadau| alarkaścakṣuṣī dattvā jagāma gatimuttamām||
English Meaning
Śaibya granted his own flesh to the bird in the matter of the hawk and the pigeon.* And Alarka, having granted his eyes (to a blind Brahmin) attained excellent state. *The story goes that desirous of testing the charity of Saibya, Indra and Agni assuming the forms of a hawk and a pigeon respectively, went to the king, the former pursuing the latter. The pigeon in a fright asked the protection of the monarch, whereon he granted it. But the hawk urged, 'why do you retain the food that has been appointed by Providence?' But the king declined, and cut off his own flesh and gave it to the hawk.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)