Shloka 4
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
अविश्वस्तेषु सर्वेषु नित्यं भीतेषु पार्थिव । निकृत्या हन्यमानेषु वज्चयत्सु परस्परम्
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
aviśvasteṣu sarveṣu nityaṁ bhīteṣu pārthiva |
nikṛtyā hanyamāneṣu vañcayatsu parasparam ||
尤提士提罗说道：“噢，大王！当众人尽皆互不信任，恒常惶惧；当他们因奸诈而被杀，又彼此欺诳——当这般卑劣之世盛行，正行的准则崩塌之时——婆罗门应以何道维生？”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral crisis: when society is ruled by fear, distrust, and treachery, even basic duties become uncertain. It raises the ethical problem of how a brāhmaṇa—ideally committed to non-violence, truth, and restraint—can preserve life without abandoning dharma in a time dominated by adharma.
In Śānti Parva’s discourse on governance and righteousness, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king and describes a breakdown of social trust and safety—people cheat and kill one another through deceit. He asks what practical means of livelihood remain for a brāhmaṇa when public order and moral norms have collapsed.