Shloka 81

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

Devanagari script

श्षपच उवाच गोपनीयमिदं दुःखमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः । दुष्कृतो5ब्राह्मण: सत्र यस्त्वामहमुपालभे

Transliteration

śvapaca uvāca gopanīyam idaṃ duḥkham iti me niścitā matiḥ | duṣkṛto ’brāhmaṇaḥ satra yas tvām aham upālabhe ||

Translation

ଶ୍ୱପଚ କହିଲା— ଏହା ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁଃଖଦ ବିଷୟ; ଏହାକୁ ଗୋପନୀୟ ରଖିବା ଉଚିତ—ଏହି ମୋର ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ମତ। ତଥାପି ମୁଁ ପାପୀ ଓ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ନୁହେଁ—ଏମିତି ହୋଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏଠି ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ଉଲାହନା ଦେଉଛି। ସତ୍ୟ କହିଲେ, ମୋ ପରି ଲୋକଙ୍କର ଧର୍ମୋପଦେଶ ଦେବା ମଧ୍ୟ ଧୂର୍ତ୍ତତା ହିଁ।

Word by Word

• श्वपचः: the dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपच
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• गोपनीयम्: to be concealed / secret
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपनीय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दुःखम्: sorrow / pain
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• निश्चिता: ascertained / fixed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मतिः: opinion / thought
• मतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दुष्कृतः: sinful / evil-doing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्राह्मणः: a non-brahmin
• अब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्र: here / in this matter (contextual)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्र

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• उपालभे: reproach / censure
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-लभ्
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

श्षपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śvapaca (caṇḍāla/outcaste speaker)
• the addressed person (tvām, unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical counsel can be valid even when spoken by someone of low social standing or with acknowledged faults; the speaker stresses the seriousness of wrongdoing and the humility (and risk of hypocrisy) involved in preaching dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A śvapaca (caṇḍāla) addresses another person, stating his firm view about a grievous matter and admitting his own sinfulness and non-brāhmaṇa status, yet he continues to admonish the other—while also confessing that giving dharma-instruction may appear presumptuous for him.