Shloka 34
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
शरणागतेषु चैवं त्वं कुरु सर्व युधिष्ठिर
śyena uvāca | śaraṇāgateṣu caivaṁ tvaṁ kuru sarvaṁ yudhiṣṭhira | yudhiṣṭhira! tvam api śaraṇāgatānāṁ kṛte evam eva svam sarvasvaṁ nicchāvaraṁ kuru | yo manuṣyaḥ svabhakta-premi-śaraṇāgata-puruṣāṇāṁ rakṣāṁ karoti tathā sarva-prāṇiṣu dayāṁ dhatte sa paraloke sukhaṁ prāpnoti |
Le Faucon dit : «De même, ô Yudhiṣṭhira, agis ainsi envers ceux qui viennent chercher refuge. Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, pour l’amour de ceux qui se sont remis à toi, offre même tout ce que tu as, sans rien retenir. Celui qui protège ses dévots, ceux qui l’aiment et ceux qui viennent demander asile, et qui garde la compassion pour tous les êtres vivants, obtient le bonheur dans le monde à venir.»
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should protect those who seek refuge—even at great personal cost—and cultivate compassion toward all beings; such conduct is presented as dharmic and as leading to happiness in the afterlife.
The Hawk addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, urging him to emulate the ideal of total commitment to protecting suppliants, framing refuge-protection and universal compassion as the ethical standard for a righteous person (especially a ruler).