Shloka 85
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
श्षपच उवाच नैवोत्सहे भवतो दातुमेतां नोपेक्षितुं हियमाणं स्वमन्नम् । उभौ स्याव: पापलोकावलि प्तौ दाता चाहं ब्राह्मणस्त्वं प्रतीच्छन्
śvapaca uvāca: naivotsahe bhavato dātum etāṃ nopīkṣituṃ hriyamāṇaṃ svam annam | ubhau syāvaḥ pāpalokāvaliptau dātā cāhaṃ brāhmaṇas tvaṃ pratīcchan |
ចណ្ឌាល បាននិយាយថា៖ «ឱ ព្រាហ្មណ៍ ខ្ញុំមិនអាចបង្ខំចិត្តប្រគល់វត្ថុមិនសុចរិតនេះឲ្យអ្នកបានទេ ហើយក៏មិនអាចមើលរំលងឲ្យអាហាររបស់ខ្ញុំត្រូវគេយកទៅដែរ។ ប្រសិនបើវាកើតឡើង នោះយើងទាំងពីរនឹងត្រូវបាបលាបពណ៌ ហើយធ្លាក់ចូលលោកនៃអំពើអាក្រក់—ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកឲ្យ និងអ្នកជាព្រាហ្មណ៍ជាអ្នកទទួល»។
श्षपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames moral responsibility on both sides of an exchange: giving and accepting can both generate ethical fault when the object or circumstance is improper. It highlights that dharma is not only about need or power, but also about the moral status of what is taken or offered and the accountability of both parties.
An outcaste speaker addresses a Brahmin who is seeking (or attempting to take) his food. The speaker refuses to give an ‘unfit/impure’ item and also refuses to passively allow his food to be seized, warning that both giver and receiver would incur sin and suffer harmful consequences.