Shloka 5
Kārtavīrya–Samudra Saṃvāda and the Jāmadagnya Precedent (आश्वमेधिक पर्व, अध्याय २९)
मदाश्रयाणि भूतानि त्वद्विसष्टेर्महेषुभि: । वध्यन्ते राजशार्दूल तेभ्यो देहाभयं विभो,तब समुद्रने प्रकट होकर उसके आगे मस्तक झुकाया और हाथ जोड़कर कहा --वीरवर! राजसिंह! मुझपर बाणोंकी वर्षा न करो। बोलो, तुम्हारी किस आज्ञाका पालन करूँ? शक्तिशाली नरेश्वर! तुम्हारे छोड़े हुए इन महान् बाणोंसे मेरे अन्दर रहनेवाले प्राणियोंकी हत्या हो रही है। उन्हें अभय दान करो”
madāśrayāṇi bhūtāni tvadvisṛṣṭair maheṣubhiḥ | vadhyante rājaśārdūla tebhyo dehābhayaṃ vibho ||
“રાજશાર્દૂલ, પ્રભુ! તમારા છોડેલા આ મહાબાણોથી મારા આશ્રિત પ્રાણીઓ મરી રહ્યા છે. તેમને દેહભયથી અભયદાન આપો.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a martial context, power must be governed by dharma: a ruler should restrain violence and protect dependent, vulnerable beings, granting them ‘dehābhaya’—security from bodily harm.
A brāhmaṇa, addressing a king/hero who is shooting powerful arrows, pleads that the creatures dwelling within or dependent on him are being killed by those arrows and asks the king to stop and grant them safety.