Shloka 70

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

Devanagari script

श्षपच उवाच पज्च पञ्चनखा भक्ष्या ब्रद्मक्षत्रस्य वै विश: । यथा शास्त्र प्रमाणं ते माभक्ष्ये मानसं कृथा:,चाण्डालने कहा--्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय और वैश्यके लिये पाँच नखोंवाले पाँच प्रकारके प्राणी आपत्कालमें भक्ष्य बताये गये हैं। यदि आप शास्त्रको प्रमाण मानते हैं तो अभक्ष्य पदार्थकी ओर मन न ले जाइये

Transliteration

śvapaca uvāca | pañca pañcanakhā bhakṣyā brahmakṣatrasya vai viśaḥ | yathā śāstra-pramāṇaṁ te mābhakṣye mānasaṁ kṛthāḥ ||

Translation

Śvapaca berkata, “Menurut otoritas śāstra, dalam keadaan darurat bagi Brahmana, Kshatriya, dan Vaishya, lima jenis makhluk bercakar lima dinyatakan boleh dimakan. Jika engkau menerima śāstra sebagai ukuran, maka jangan biarkan pikiranmu condong pada yang terlarang.”

Word by Word

• {'śvapaca': 'a dog-cooker

• a person of a marginalized community (often used for a Caṇḍāla/outcaste), here the speaker', 'uvāca': 'said', 'pañca': 'five', 'pañcanakhāḥ': 'five-nailed/five-clawed animals (a traditional category in dharma texts)', 'bhakṣyāḥ': 'edible, permissible to be eaten', 'brahma-kṣatrasya': 'of Brahmins and Kshatriyas', 'viśaḥ': 'the Vaiśyas (commoners/merchant-agricultural class)', 'yathā': 'as, according to', 'śāstra-pramāṇam': 'scripture as authoritative proof/standard', 'te': 'for you / by you', 'mā': 'do not', 'abhakṣye': 'toward what is not to be eaten

• forbidden food', 'mānasam': 'mind, mental inclination', 'kṛthāḥ': 'make, direct (2nd person imperative)'}

Speaker

श्षपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śvapaca (speaker)
• Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)
• Kshatriya (kṣatriya)
• Vaishya (vaiśya)
• pañcanakha animals (five-clawed creatures, category)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Scriptural dharma is presented as the guiding standard: even when certain foods are permitted under exceptional conditions, one should restrain the mind from craving what is explicitly forbidden and align desire with śāstric limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Śvapaca addresses a member of the higher varṇas, invoking śāstric authority to clarify what is considered permissible food in times of necessity and admonishing the listener not to mentally pursue prohibited (abhakṣya) items.