Shloka 34
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
शरणागतेषु चैवं त्वं कुरु सर्व युधिष्ठिर
śyena uvāca | śaraṇāgateṣu caivaṁ tvaṁ kuru sarvaṁ yudhiṣṭhira | yudhiṣṭhira! tvam api śaraṇāgatānāṁ kṛte evam eva svam sarvasvaṁ nicchāvaraṁ kuru | yo manuṣyaḥ svabhakta-premi-śaraṇāgata-puruṣāṇāṁ rakṣāṁ karoti tathā sarva-prāṇiṣu dayāṁ dhatte sa paraloke sukhaṁ prāpnoti |
Sang Helang berkata: “Demikian juga, wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, lakukanlah seperti ini terhadap mereka yang datang memohon perlindungan. Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, demi orang yang menyerah diri mencari naungan, engkau pun patut mengorbankan bahkan seluruh milikmu—tanpa menyisakan apa-apa. Sesiapa yang melindungi para pemuja yang setia, mereka yang mengasihinya, dan orang yang datang mencari teduh, serta menaruh belas kasihan kepada segala makhluk, akan memperoleh kebahagiaan di alam kemudian.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should protect those who seek refuge—even at great personal cost—and cultivate compassion toward all beings; such conduct is presented as dharmic and as leading to happiness in the afterlife.
The Hawk addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, urging him to emulate the ideal of total commitment to protecting suppliants, framing refuge-protection and universal compassion as the ethical standard for a righteous person (especially a ruler).