अहस्तानि सहस्तानामपदानि चतुष्पदाम् । फल्गूनि तत्र महतां जीवो जीवस्य जीवनम् ॥ ४७ ॥
ahastani sahastanam apadani catus-padam phalguni tatra mahatam jivo jivasya jivanam
- ahastani
- those who are devoid of hands
- sa-hastanam
- of those who are endowed with hands
- apadani
- those who are devoid of legs
- catuh-padam
- of those who have four legs
- phalguni
- those who are weak
- tatra
- there
- mahatam
- of the powerful
- jivah
- the living being
- jivasya
- of the living being
- jivanam
- subsistence.
Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.