Shloka 16
Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)
सर्वभूतेष्वपि च वै ब्राह्मणो मोक्षमर्हति । कार्याचोपचितिस्तेषां सर्वस्वेनापि या भवेत्,समस्त प्राणियोंमें ब्राह्मण विशेषरूपसे डाकुओंके हाथसे छुटकारा पानेका अधिकारी है। अपना सर्वस्व लगाकर भी तुम्हें उनकी सेवा-पूजा करनी चाहिये
sarvabhūteṣv api ca vai brāhmaṇo mokṣam arhati | kāryāc copacitis teṣāṁ sarvasvenāpi yā bhavet |
Di antara semua makhluk, brāhmaṇa sungguh layak memperoleh perlindungan dan pembebasan. Karena itu, sekalipun harus mengorbankan seluruh milikmu, engkau wajib melayani, memuja, dan memuliakan mereka.
कायव्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates the brāhmaṇa as especially connected with mokṣa and insists that protecting and honoring such a person is a binding duty—so important that one should be willing to sacrifice even one’s entire wealth to uphold dharma and secure rightful protection.
In a didactic exchange within Śānti Parva, Kāvyā states a normative rule: when facing danger or coercion (as implied by the accompanying Hindi gloss about robbers), one should prioritize the protection and respectful service of brāhmaṇas, treating it as an urgent obligation tied to moral order and spiritual merit.