Shloka 23
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: On the Superiority of Giving
Maitreya–Vyāsa Exemplum
गुप्त शरणमाश्रित्य भयेषु शरणागता: । अकस्मात् ते मया त्यक्ता न त्राता अभयैषिण:
gupta-śaraṇam āśritya bhayeṣu śaraṇāgatāḥ | akasmāt te mayā tyaktā na trātā abhayaiṣiṇaḥ ||
ভয়ৰ সময়ত অভয় বিচাৰি বহু শৰণাৰ্থী মোৰ ওচৰলৈ আহিছিল। মই তেওঁলোকক গোপন সুৰক্ষিত আশ্ৰয়লৈ লৈ গৈও হঠাৎ তাতৰ পৰা ত্যাগ কৰিছিলোঁ; অভয় প্ৰাৰ্থী শৰণাগতসকলক মই ৰক্ষা কৰা নাছিলোঁ।
कीट उवाच
Educational Q&A
One who accepts others as śaraṇāgata (refuge-seekers) incurs a dharmic duty to protect them; abandoning them after offering shelter is a grave ethical failure and a betrayal of trust.
The speaker (the kīṭa) confesses a past wrongdoing: people seeking safety in fearful times came to him for refuge, but he suddenly cast them out and did not act as their protector.