Shloka 83
अबुद्धिपूर्वकपापविमोचनप्रश्नः — Janamejaya’s Unintended Transgression and the Indrota Rebuke
शरणागतं च यो हन्यात् तुल्यं तेषां च पातकम् | “जो कोई पुरुष ब्राह्मणकी, लोकमाता गायकी तथा शरणागतकी हत्या करता है, उन तीनोंको समानरूपसे पातक लगता है
śaraṇāgataṃ ca yo hanyāt tulyaṃ teṣāṃ ca pātakam |
यः शरणागतं हन्यात्, तस्य पातकं ब्राह्मणहत्यागोहत्यासमं भवति; लोकमाता गौः, तथा शरणागतः—एतेषां वधः समपातकफलप्रदः।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
To harm or kill a person who has sought refuge is a major adharma; it is treated as a grave sin on par with the most condemned killings (such as of a brāhmaṇa and the cow). Refuge imposes a strict duty of protection.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes the sanctity of śaraṇāgati: once someone surrenders, they must not be harmed, and violating this protection brings severe moral consequence.