Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.13
तथा तु तं द्विजं दृष्ट्वा निषादेन निपातितम्।
ऋषेर्धर्मात्मनस्तस्य कारुण्यं समपद्यत॥
tathā tu taṁ dvijaṁ dṛṣṭvā niṣādena nipātitam
ṛṣer dharmātmanas tasya kāruṇyaṁ samapadyata
tathā tu tam = the; dvijam = [male] bird; dṛṣṭvā = seeing; niṣādena = by the hunter; nipātitam = [violently] killed; tasya = the; ṛṣeḥ = in sage; dharma-ātmanaḥ = [of a] dhārmika mind; kāruṇyam = compassion; samapadyata = arose.
Seeing the male bird violently killed by the hunter, compassion arose in the sage of a dhārmika mind.
The male bird was killed in violence. His body was covered with blood and he was rolling on the ground. The sage was an adherent of Vedic dharma by nature.
NOTE. According to Bhagavad-gītā 16.2, dayā bhūteṣu or “compassion for all living entities” is a transcendental quality belonging to godly persons endowed with a divine nature.