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Shloka 58

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

नेदं सम्यग्‌ व्यवसितं महर्षे धर्मगर्हितम्‌ । चाण्डालस्वस्य हरणमभक्ष्यस्य विशेषत:

nedaṃ samyag vyavasitaṃ maharṣe dharmagarhitam | cāṇḍālasvasya haraṇam abhakṣyasya viśeṣataḥ ||

“噢,大圣者,你的这个决意并不妥当;就达摩而言,这是可责之举。夺取旃陀罗之财——尤其当那是禁食之物——更是为正法所严厉谴责的行为。”

nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
idamthis
idam:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootidam
Formneuter, nominative, singular
samyakproperly, rightly
samyak:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsamyak
vyavasitamresolved, determined
vyavasitam:
TypeAdjective
Rootvyavasita
Formneuter, nominative, singular
maharṣeO great sage
maharṣe:
TypeNoun
Rootmaharṣi
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
dharma-garhitamcensured by dharma
dharma-garhitam:
TypeAdjective
Rootdharma-garhita
Formneuter, nominative, singular
cāṇḍāla-svasyaof a Caṇḍāla's property/wealth
cāṇḍāla-svasya:
TypeNoun
Rootcāṇḍāla-sva
Formneuter, genitive, singular
haraṇamtaking away, seizure
haraṇam:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootharaṇa
Formneuter, nominative, singular
abhakṣyasyaof what is unfit to be eaten
abhakṣyasya:
TypeAdjective
Rootabhakṣya
Formneuter, genitive, singular
viśeṣataḥespecially
viśeṣataḥ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootviśeṣataḥ

घपच उवाच

महर्षि (maharṣi)
चाण्डाल (cāṇḍāla)
अभक्ष्य (abhakṣya substance/food)

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts that a decision leading to the seizure of another’s property is morally censured, and that taking what is associated with prohibited consumption (abhakṣya) is especially blameworthy; dharma requires restraint and ethical means even under pressure.

A speaker addresses a great sage and objects to the sage’s intended course of action, criticizing it as contrary to dharma—specifically, the planned taking of a Caṇḍāla’s belongings, with emphasis on the impropriety of appropriating forbidden substances.