Shloka 80

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

Devanagari script

बुद्धयात्मके व्यक्तमस्तीति पुण्यं मोहात्मके यत्र यथा श्वृभक्ष्ये । यद्यप्येतत्‌ संशयात्मा चरामि नाहं भविष्यामि यथा त्वमेव,यह कुत्तेका मांस-भक्षण दो प्रकारसे हो सकता है--एक बुद्धि और विचारपूर्वक तथा दूसरा अज्ञान एवं आमसत्तिपूर्वक। बुद्धि एवं विचारद्वारा सोचकर धर्मके मूल तथा ज्ञानप्राप्तिके साधनभूत शरीरकी रक्षामें पुण्य है, यह बात स्वतः स्पष्ट हो जाती है। इसी तरह मोह एवं आसक्तिपूर्वक उस कार्यमें प्रवृत्त होनेसे दोषका होना भी स्पष्ट ही है। यद्यपि मैं मनमें संशय लेकर यह कार्य करने जा रहा हूँ तथापि मेरा विश्वास है कि मैं इस मांसको खाकर तुम्हारे-जैसा चाण्डाल नहीं बन जाऊँगा। (तपस्याद्वारा इसके दोषका मार्जन कर लूँगा)

Transliteration

buddhy-ātmake vyaktam astīti puṇyaṁ mohātmake yatra yathā śvṛbhakṣye | yady apy etat saṁśayātmā carāmi nāhaṁ bhaviṣyāmi yathā tvam eva ||

Translation

विश्वामित्र म्हणाला— कुत्र्याचे मांसभक्षण दोन प्रकारे होते: एक बुद्धी-विचारपूर्वक, दुसरे मोह व आसक्तीने. बुद्धीने विचार केला तर धर्माचे मूळ आणि ज्ञानप्राप्तीचे साधन असलेल्या शरीराचे रक्षण यात पुण्य आहे, हे स्पष्ट होते; आणि मोह-आसक्तीने तेच कर्म केल्यास दोषही स्पष्ट होतो. जरी मी संशय मनात ठेवून हे करीत असलो, तरी मला खात्री आहे की हे मांस खाऊन मी तुझ्यासारखा चांडाल होणार नाही; तपस्येने याचा दोष शमवीन.

Word by Word

बुद्धि-आत्मकेin/with the nature of intellect (deliberate)

व्यक्तम्manifest, clear

अस्तिis/exists

इतिthus/that

पुण्यम्merit, righteousness

मोह-आत्मकेin/with the nature of delusion (infatuated)

यत्रwhere/when (in which case)

यथाas, in the manner that

श्व-भक्ष्येin dog-eating / in the act of eating like a dog (dog’s food/eating)

यदिif

अपिeven/although

एतत्this (act/thing)

संशय-आत्माone whose nature is doubt; doubtful-minded

चरामिI proceed / I act / I undertake

नnot

अहम्I

भविष्यामिI shall become

यथाas, like

त्वम्you

एवindeed, just

Speaker

विश्वामित्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Viśvāmitra

dog’s flesh (śvṛ-bhakṣya)

caṇḍāla (as a social-religious category, implied)

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?

The verse distinguishes ethical evaluation by inner motive: an outwardly questionable act may be approached with reflective intelligence for a higher purpose (e.g., preserving the body as a support for dharma and knowledge), whereas the same act done from delusion and attachment incurs blame. Intention and mental state (buddhi vs moha) are central to moral judgment, along with the possibility of purification through tapas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Viśvāmitra, facing an extreme situation, contemplates or undertakes the transgressive act of eating dog’s flesh. He acknowledges doubt and the act’s problematic nature, yet argues that his motive is not attachment but survival in service of dharma/knowledge, and he asserts he will not become ‘like a caṇḍāla,’ expecting to remove any taint through austerity.