Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 23: Khara Disregards Evil Omens on the Way
Text 3.23.15
उद्धूश्च विना वातं रेणुर्जलधरारुणः।
वीचीकूचीति वाश्यन्त्यो बभूवुस्तत्र शारिकाः॥
uddhūtaś ca vinā vātaṁ reṇur jaladharāruṇaḥ
vīcī-kūcīti vāśyantyo babhūvus tatra śārikāḥ
uddhūtaḥ ca = rose up; vinā = [even though] there was no; vātam = wind; reṇuḥ = dust; jaladhara-aruṇaḥ = that was as grey as a cloud; vīcī-kūcī-iti = “vī-cī! kū-cī”; vāśyantyaḥ babhūvuḥ = sounded; tatra = there; śārikāḥ = the female parrots.
Dust that was as grey as a cloud rose up [even though] there was no wind. The female parrots there sounded “Vī-cī! Kū-cī!”1
1 The parrots didn’t mimic any sound that they had been taught. Technical note: na tu śikṣitaṁ śabdam ity arthaḥ.