expression, godan verb (-ku)
greed leads to ruin; grasp all, lose all
Proverb warning that excessive greed causes self-destruction. The literal image is of a hawk-eagle trying to catch two boars at once and splitting apart.
欲の熊鷹股裂くというように、欲張りすぎると結局何も得られない。
As the proverb 'the greedy hawk-eagle splits in half' says, if you are too greedy, you end up with nothing.
A more common proverb with a similar meaning: 'If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.' 欲の熊鷹股裂く is rarer and more vivid, with a specific animal image.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it uses the image of a hawk-eagle (熊鷹) splitting apart when trying to seize two boars at once, symbolizing the danger of greed.