Shloka 13
Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो यो ददाति दयापर: । अभयं तस्य भूतानि ददतीत्यनुशुश्रुम,जो दयापरायण पुरुष सम्पूर्ण भूतोंको अभयदान देता है, उसे भी सब प्राणी अभयदान देते हैं। ऐसा हमने सुन रखा है
abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo yo dadāti dayāparaḥ | abhayaṃ tasya bhūtāni dadatīty anuśuśruma ||
ភីṣ្មៈបានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «អ្នកណាដែលមានចិត្តមេត្តាករុណា ហើយប្រទាន “អភ័យ” (ភាពមិនភ័យខ្លាច) ដល់សត្វលោកទាំងអស់—គេបានឮថា សត្វទាំងអស់ក៏ប្រទានអភ័យតបស្នងដល់គាត់វិញ។ នេះជាប្រពៃណីដែលយើងបានទទួលស្តាប់មក»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Compassion expressed as granting safety and non-fear to all beings (abhaya-dāna) creates a moral reciprocity: the world responds by becoming non-threatening to such a person. It praises kindness and protection as a high form of dharma.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and right conduct. Here he cites a traditional maxim: one who is compassionate and gives fearlessness to all creatures is, in turn, met with fearlessness from them.