Shloka 64
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
ऐन्द्रो धर्म: क्षत्रियाणां ब्राह्मणानामथाग्निक: । ब्रह्मवह्निर्मम बल॑ भक्ष्यामि शमयन् क्षुधाम्
aindro dharmaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ brāhmaṇānām athāgnikaḥ | brahmavahnirmama balaṃ bhakṣyāmi śamayan kṣudhām ||
ಘಪಚನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರ ಧರ್ಮ ಇಂದ್ರಸಮಾನ—ವೀರಶಾಸನ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾರ್ವಭೌಮ ಬಲ; ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರ ಧರ್ಮ ಅಗ್ನಿಕರ್ಮ—ಪವಿತ್ರ ಅಗ್ನಿಯ ನಿಯಮ. ನಾನು ‘ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಗ್ನಿ’; ನನ್ನ ಬಲ ಭಕ್ಷಣೆ. ನಾನು ಭಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ಹಸಿವನ್ನು ಶಮನಗೊಳಿಸುವೆನು.
घपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts varṇa-specific ideals: kṣatriya dharma is framed as ‘Indra-like’ sovereignty and force, while brāhmaṇa dharma is ‘fire-based’—ritual discipline and sacred restraint. It also shows how a speaker can invoke dharma-language to define (and potentially justify) their own nature and actions.
The speaker identifies himself with a sacred, consuming fire (‘Brahma-fire’) and declares that his power is to devour in order to satisfy hunger. The statement uses the idiom of dharma (role-based duty and sacred power) to present consumption as an inherent function rather than a mere impulse.