Shloka 38
अवध्यान् पाण्डवान प्राहुर्देवपुत्रान् द्विजातय: । अहं वै शरण प्राप्तान् वर्तमानो यथाबलम्
avadhyān pāṇḍavān prāhur devaputrān dvijātayaḥ | ahaṃ vai śaraṇa-prāptān vartamāno yathā-balam |
‘பாண்டவர்கள் தேவர்களின் புதல்வர்; ஆகவே இருபிறப்பினர் அவர்களைத் தாக்க இயலாதவர்கள் என்கிறார்கள். மேலும் அடைக்கலம் நாடி வந்தவர்களை நான் என் வல்லமைக்கேற்ப காத்து நிற்பேன்.’
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as protection of those who seek refuge (śaraṇa-prāpta). Even amid political conflict, abandoning the surrendered is portrayed as ethically impermissible; restraint is reinforced by the Pāṇḍavas’ status as ‘devaputra’ and thus ‘avadhya’ in the eyes of orthodox authority.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a stance taken in the Sabha Parva context: the Pāṇḍavas are described as inviolable because they are considered divine-born, and the speaker commits to supporting and protecting those who have come for refuge, acting to the best of his ability.