Shloka 56
Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)
उपगम्याब्रुवन् दीना: पाण्डवाउछरणप्रदान् | फिर गन्धर्व हमें ऊँचे आकाशमार्गसे ले चले। उस समय हमलोग अत्यन्त दुः:खी हो रहे थे। तदनन्तर हमारे कुछ सैनिकों और महारथी मन्त्रियोंने अत्यन्त दीन हो शरणदाता पाण्डवोंके पास जाकर कहा--
upagamyābruvan dīnāḥ pāṇḍavān śaraṇapradān |
Duryodhana said: “Approaching the Pāṇḍavas—those who grant refuge—our men, utterly dejected, spoke to them in supplication.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid enmity, the dharma of granting refuge (śaraṇadāna) is upheld as a noble obligation; the verse highlights the moral weight of seeking protection from those known to protect the distressed.
Duryodhana recounts that his party, overwhelmed and helpless, approached the Pāṇḍavas and appealed to them, acknowledging them as protectors who give refuge.