Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आशगया हाभिपन्नानामकृत्वाश्रुप्रमार्जनम्‌ । राजा वा राजपुत्रो वा भ्रूणहत्यैव युज्यते,जो आशा लगाकर अपनी शरणमें आये हों, उनके आँसू जो नहीं पोंछता है, वह राजा हो या राजकुमार, उसे भ्रूणहत्याका पाप लगता है

Transliteration

āśayā hi abhipannānām akṛtvā aśru-pramārjanam | rājā vā rāja-putro vā bhrūṇa-hatyāy eva yujyate ||

Translation

Sesiapa yang tidak menyeka air mata orang yang menaruh harapan padanya lalu datang memohon perlindungan—sama ada dia raja atau putera raja—menanggung dosa seberat dosa membunuh janin yang belum lahir.

Word by Word

आशयाwith hope

अभिपन्नानाम्of those who have come for refuge / approached

अकृत्वाnot having done

अश्रु-प्रमार्जनम्wiping away of tears

राजाa king

वाor

राजपुत्रःa prince (king's son)

वाor

भ्रूणहत्ययाwith (the sin of) foeticide

इवas if / like

युज्यतेis yoked/connected; incurs (is liable to)

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nāga (speaker)

rājā (king)

rāja-putra (prince)

those seeking refuge (āśayā abhipannāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma is to protect and console those who come seeking refuge with hope; neglecting their suffering is treated as an extremely grave sin, likened to bhrūṇa-hatyā.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange within Śānti Parva, the Nāga speaker states a moral principle of rājadharma: kings and princes are accountable for the welfare of supplicants, and failure to relieve their distress brings severe culpability.