Shloka 49
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
स विसृज्याश्रु नेत्रा भ्यां बहुमानात् कृताञ्जलि: । उवाच कौशिक रात्रौ ब्रह्मन् कि ते चिकीर्षितम्
sa visṛjyāśru netrābhyāṁ bahumānāt kṛtāñjaliḥ | uvāca kauśika rātrau brahman ki te cikīrṣitam ||
Letting tears fall from both eyes, and with deep reverence, his hands joined in salutation, he addressed Kauśika: “O Brahmin, what do you intend to do tonight?”
घपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical vigilance through respectful inquiry: before judging or acting, one seeks to understand a revered person’s intention (cikīrṣitam). Reverence (bahumāna, kṛtāñjali) is paired with moral concern, suggesting that dharmic conduct includes careful attention to purpose, context, and timing (here, the night).
A person, moved to tears and showing great respect with folded hands, addresses the ascetic Kauśika and asks what he plans to do during the night. The scene signals a tense or morally weighty situation where the ascetic’s intended action matters.