Shloka 65
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
“इन्द्रदेवताका जो पालनरूप धर्म है, वही क्षत्रियोंका भी है और अग्निदेवका जो सर्वभक्षित्व नामक गुण है, वह ब्राह्मणोंका है। मेरा बल वेदरूपी अग्नि है; अतः मैं क्षुधाकी शान्तिके लिये सब कुछ भक्षण करूँगा ।। यथा यथैव जीवेद्धि तत् कर्तव्यमहेलया । जीवितं मरणाच्छेयो जीवन् धर्ममवाप्लुयात्
indradevatākā yo pālanarūpa dharmaḥ, sa eva kṣatriyāṇām api; agnidevasya ca yaḥ sarvabhakṣitva-nāmā guṇaḥ, sa brāhmaṇānām. mama balaṃ veda-rūpo 'gniḥ; ataḥ kṣudhā-śāntyai sarvaṃ kiñcid bhakṣayiṣyāmi. yathā yathaiva jīved dhi tat kartavyam ahelayā; jīvitaṃ maraṇāc chreyo jīvan dharmam avāpnuyāt.
قال: «إن واجب الحماية الذي هو لإندرا هو بعينه دَارما الكشاتريا؛ وإن صفة أغني—القدرة على التهام كل شيء—هي للبراهمة. قوتي هي نارُ الفيدا؛ لذلك، لإسكات جوعي، سأأكل كل ما وُجد. وبأي طريقةٍ يستطيع المرء أن يبقى حيًّا فذلك ينبغي فعله بلا تردد؛ فالحياة خيرٌ من الموت، لأن الحيّ قد ينال الدارما.»
घपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for a pragmatic ethic: preserving life is preferable to death because continued living keeps open the possibility of practicing and attaining dharma. It frames this within varṇa-based ideals—kṣatriyas protect like Indra, brāhmaṇas are linked to Agni’s consuming sacrificial power—and uses that logic to justify action taken to relieve hunger.
A speaker (as given in the citation) defends an intention to consume whatever is available to end hunger, grounding the justification in traditional associations: Indra’s protective dharma aligns with kṣatriya duty, and Agni’s all-consuming nature aligns with brāhmaṇas through the Veda and sacrifice. The conclusion is that one should do what is necessary to survive, without wavering, since life enables the pursuit of dharma.