Shloka 4
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
Devanagari script
एवमभ्यागतस्थेह कपोतस्या भयार्थिन: । अप्रदाने परं धर्म कथं श्येन न पश्यसि
Transliteration
evam abhyāgatastheha kapotasyā bhayārthinaḥ | apradāne paraṃ dharmaḥ kathaṃ śyena na paśyasi ||
Translation
एवम् अभ्यागतस्थेह कपोतस्याभयार्थिनः। अप्रदाने परो धर्मः कथं श्येन न पश्यसि॥
Word by Word
{'evam''thus, in this manner', 'abhyāgata': 'one who has come near
{'evam':
a suppliant/guest seeking shelter', 'stha (stheha)'"standing/remaining
a suppliant/guest seeking shelter', 'stha (stheha)':
here in the sense of 'having come and stayed (for refuge)'", 'iha''here', 'kapota': 'pigeon, dove', 'bhaya': 'fear', 'arthin': 'one who seeks, a petitioner
here in the sense of 'having come and stayed (for refuge)'", 'iha':
hereseeking safety from fear', 'apradāna': 'non-giving, not handing over (to another)', 'parama': 'supreme, highest', 'dharma': 'righteous duty
here:
right conduct', 'katham''how?', 'śyena': 'hawk (also used as a raptor in general)', 'na': 'not', 'paśyasi': 'you see, you perceive'}
right conduct', 'katham':
Speaker
श्येन उवाच
Characters & Entities
Ś
śyena (hawk)K
kapota (pigeon)R
rājā (the king, i.e., the protector/host in the Śibi-type refuge narrative)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that the highest dharma for a protector (especially a king) is to grant safety to one who seeks refuge and not surrender the suppliant to a pursuer, even when pressured by competing claims.
A hawk demands a pigeon as prey, but the king refuses because the frightened pigeon has come to him for protection; the king argues that refusing to hand over a refuge-seeker is supreme righteousness.