Shloka 30
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa
Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford
स कुरुष्व मया कार्य तारयात्मानमात्मना । अनुजानीहि मामार्य सुतौ मे परिपालय,आर्य! अतः आप मेरे द्वारा अभीष्ट कार्यकी सिद्धि कीजिये और स्वयं प्रयत्न करके अपनेको इस संकटसे बचाइये। मुझे राक्षसके पास जानेकी आज्ञा दीजिये और मेरे दोनों बच्चोंका पालन कीजिये
sa kuruṣva mayā kāryaṁ tārayātmānam ātmanā | anujānīhi mām ārya sutau me paripālaya, ārya! |
Disse o brāhmana: “Portanto, realiza a tarefa que te peço. Salva-te deste perigo por teu próprio esforço. Nobre senhor, concede-me permissão para ir ao encontro do rākṣasa e protege meus dois filhos.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma under duress: the brāhmaṇa prioritizes the safety of dependents (his children) and urges the other person to act decisively for self-preservation, while he himself accepts a dangerous duty. It highlights responsibility, consent, and the ethical weight of protecting the vulnerable.
In a situation involving a rākṣasa threat, the brāhmaṇa requests the noble person’s cooperation: he asks him to carry out the needed plan, to save himself through his own effort, to allow the brāhmaṇa to go to the rākṣasa, and to safeguard the brāhmaṇa’s two children in his absence.