Shloka 533
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
तदा बुद्धि: कृता पापे हरिष्यामि श्वजाघनीम् । “मैं जानता हूँ कि यह अधर्म है तो भी यह कुत्तेकी जाँघ ले जाऊँगा। मैं तुमलोगोंके घरोंपर घूम-घूमकर माँगनेपर भी जब भीख नहीं पा सका हूँ, तब मैंने यह पापकर्म करनेका विचार किया है; अतः कुत्तेकी जाँघ ले जाऊँगा
tadā buddhiḥ kṛtā pāpe hariṣyāmi śvajāghanīm |
Then he resolved upon a sinful act, saying, “I will take the dog’s thigh.” Though he knows it to be unrighteous, hunger and repeated failure to obtain alms by going from house to house drive him to this decision; therefore he is determined to carry off the dog’s thigh.
घपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one clearly recognizes an act as adharma, extreme distress (such as hunger and social neglect) can push the mind toward wrongdoing; the verse highlights the inner conflict between moral knowledge and desperate impulse, underscoring the need to guard resolve (buddhi) and seek righteous means even under pressure.
The speaker declares that he has decided to commit a sinful act: he will take the thigh of a dog. He admits he knows it is wrong, but explains that after repeatedly going from house to house without receiving alms, he has formed this intention and is set on carrying it out.