Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रो5हमायुष्मन्नागतो<हं बुभुक्षित: | मा वधीर्मम सदबुद्धे यदि सम्यक्‌ प्रपश्यसि,'आयुष्मन्‌! मैं विश्वामित्र हूँ। भूखसे पीड़ित होकर यहाँ आया हूँ। उत्तम बुद्धिवाले चाण्डाल! यदि तू ठीक-ठीक देखता और समझता है तो मेरा वध न कर”

Transliteration

Viśvāmitro 'ham āyuṣmann āgato 'haṃ bubhukṣitaḥ | mā vadhīr mama sadbuddhe yadi samyak prapaśyasi ||

Translation

“ಆಯುಷ್ಮಾನ್! ನಾನು ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರನು. ಹಸಿವಿನಿಂದ ಪೀಡಿತನಾಗಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸದ್ಬುದ್ಧಿವಂತನೇ! ನೀನು ಸಮ್ಯಕವಾಗಿ ನೋಡಿ ಅರಿತರೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಕೊಲ್ಲಬೇಡ.”

Word by Word

विश्वामित्रःVishvamitra

अहम्I

आयुष्मन्O long-lived one (sir)

आगतःcome/arrived

अहम्I

बुभुक्षितःhungry

माdo not

वधीःkill (you should not kill)

ममof me / my

सद्बुद्धेO good-minded one

यदिif

सम्यक्properly, correctly

प्रपश्यसिyou see/consider

Speaker

घपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

Viśvāmitra

Caṇḍāla

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?

Even in situations shaped by social labels and fear, right discernment should guide action: a noble-minded person restrains violence and responds with compassion to genuine distress (here, hunger), recognizing the moral claim of a supplicant.

What is happening in the narrative?

The sage Viśvāmitra, weakened by hunger, identifies himself to a Caṇḍāla and pleads for his life, urging him to see the situation correctly and not to kill him.