Shloka 6
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
यो हि कश्रिद् द्विजान् हन्याद् गां वा लोकस्य मातरम् । शरणागतं च त्यजते तुल्यं तेषां हि पातकम्
yo hi kaścid dvijān hanyād gāṁ vā lokasya mātaram | śaraṇāgataṁ ca tyajate tulyaṁ teṣāṁ hi pātakam, bāja ||
ນົກເຫຼືອງ (ຫຼື ນົກຍຽວ) ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ໃດຂ້າພຣາຫມັນ, ຫຼື ຂ້າງົວ—ແມ່ແຫ່ງໂລກ—ຫຼື ປະຖິ້ມຜູ້ທີ່ມາຂໍພຶ່ງພາ: ບາບຂອງທັງໝົດນັ້ນເທົ່າກັນ. ເບິ່ງເຖິງນົກພິຈອນຜູ້ນ່າສົງສານນີ້ ມັນສັ່ນໄຫວດ້ວຍຄວາມຢ້ານ; ມັນມາຫາຂ້າພຽງເພື່ອຮັກສາຊີວິດ. ໃນສະພາບແບບນີ້ ການຂັບໄລ່ມັນໄປແມ່ນນ່າຕຳນິຢ່າງຍິ່ງ».
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Abandoning a person (or creature) who has sought refuge is presented as a grave adharma, equated in moral weight with killing a Brahmin or slaughtering a cow. The verse elevates the duty of protection (rakṣaṇa) and fidelity to refuge (śaraṇāgata-dharma) as a paramount ethical obligation.
The hawk argues a moral point by comparing sins: it insists that rejecting a refuge-seeker is severely blameworthy. In context, it points to the frightened pigeon that has sought protection, using the pigeon’s fear and dependence to underscore the seriousness of abandoning one who has come for safety.