Shloka 6
Varuṇa’s Bestowal of the Gāṇḍīva and the Arming of Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna
Khāṇḍava Prelude
शरणं च प्रपन्नानां शिष्टा: कुर्वन्ति पालनाम् । शरणं त्वां प्रपन्ना: स्मस्तस्मात् त्वं क्षन्तुमहसि,'श्रेष्ठ महात्मा शरणागतोंकी रक्षा करते हैं। हम भी आपकी शरणमें आयी हैं; अतः आप हमारे अपराध क्षमा करें!
śaraṇaṃ ca prapannānāṃ śiṣṭāḥ kurvanti pālanām | śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ prapannāḥ smas tasmāt tvaṃ kṣantum arhasi ||
శిష్టులు శరణాగతులను పరిరక్షిస్తారు. మేము కూడా మీ శరణు పొందాము; కాబట్టి మా అపరాధాన్ని క్షమించవలసినది.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
That protecting those who seek refuge is a hallmark of the śiṣṭa (the righteous), and that one who has granted shelter should respond with kṣamā (forgiveness) rather than punishment—especially when the supplicants explicitly surrender and appeal to dharma.
A group of speakers (in the plural) addresses a powerful person they have approached for protection, invoking the dharmic norm that the noble safeguard refugees, and they request pardon for a perceived fault on the basis of having taken refuge.