Shloka 38
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
योअप्यन्य: कारयेदेवं शरणागतरक्षणम् | सो<पि गच्छेत तामेव गतिं भरतसत्तम,भरतश्रेष्ठ! यदि दूसरा कोई भी पुरुष इसी प्रकार शरणागतकी रक्षा करेगा तो वह भी उसी गतिको प्राप्त करेगा
yo 'py anyaḥ kārayed evaṁ śaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇam | so 'pi gacchet tām eva gatiṁ bharata-sattama bharata-śreṣṭha ||
“Wahai yang terbaik antara keturunan Bharata! Bahkan sesiapa pun yang lain, jika bertindak dengan cara yang sama—melindungi orang yang datang mencari perlindungan—dia juga akan mencapai takdir luhur yang sama.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Protecting a person who has sought refuge (śaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇa) is presented as a high dharma whose spiritual reward is not limited to a single hero; anyone who upholds it attains the same noble destiny.
Śyena addresses a Bharata prince/king with an ethical generalization: the merit gained by safeguarding a suppliant is universal—whoever performs such protection, regardless of identity, reaches the same ‘gati’ (exalted end).