Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

चाण्डालस्तद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा महर्षेर्भावितात्मन: । शयनादुपसम्भ्रान्त उद्ययौ प्रति तं ततः,पवित्र अन्तःकरणवाले उस महर्षिका वह वचन सुनकर चाण्डाल घबराकर अपनी शय्यासे उठा और उनके पास चला गया

Transliteration

cāṇḍālas tad vacaḥ śrutvā maharṣer bhāvitātmanaḥ | śayanād upasambhrānta udyayau prati taṃ tataḥ ||

Translation

内なる心が清められ、修養を積んだ大聖仙の言葉を聞くや、チャンダーラは驚き、寝床から素早く起き上がって、ただちにそのもとへ向かった。

Word by Word

चाण्डालःthe Chandala

तत्that

वचःspeech, words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

महर्षेःof the great sage

भावितात्मनःof the self-controlled/purified-souled (one)

शयनात्from (his) bed, from lying down

उपसम्भ्रान्तःagitated, startled

उद्ययौrose up, got up

प्रतिtowards

तम्him

ततःthen, thereafter

Speaker

घपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

Caṇḍāla

Mahārṣi (great sage)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that true authority in dharma comes from inner cultivation (bhāvitātman). Ethical responsiveness—shown by the Caṇḍāla’s immediate, respectful action—matters more than social label, pointing to the primacy of character and self-discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Caṇḍāla hears the statement of a spiritually refined great sage. Startled, he rises from his bed and approaches the sage, indicating sudden reverence and readiness to respond to the sage’s instruction or presence.