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 |
Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, terhadap mereka yang datang memohon perlindungan, bertindaklah engkau dengan cara yang sama. Demi para penyerah diri itu, persembahkan bahkan seluruh milikmu tanpa menyisakan apa pun. Barangsiapa melindungi para bhakta, para pencinta, dan mereka yang mencari naungan, serta memelihara welas asih kepada semua makhluk, ia memperoleh kebahagiaan di alam seberang.
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).