गोरर्थे ब्राह्मणस्याऽर्थे मित्रस्याऽर्थे च सन्मते । शरणागतयत्नेन स मृतः स्वर्गभूषणम् ॥ २८ ॥
gōrarthē brāhmaṇasyā’rthē mitrasyā’rthē ca sanmatē | śaraṇāgatayatnēna sa mṛtaḥ svargabhūṣaṇam || 28 ||
Translation
For a cow, for a brahmin, for a friend, wise one, and in striving to protect one who has come for refuge: one who dies so is an ornament of heaven.
Word by word
- gōr
- (goḥ) of a cow
- arthē
- for the sake of
- brāhmaṇasya
- of a brahmin
- mitrasya
- of a friend
- ca
- and
- sanmatē
- wise one
- śaraṇāgata
- one who has come for refuge
- yatnēna
- in striving to protect
- sa
- he
- mṛtaḥ
- who dies
- svarga
- of heaven
- bhūṣaṇam
- an ornament
Meaning
Now the causes that need no lord at all. To die defending a cow, a brahmin, a friend, or anyone who has come asking for protection makes a man "an ornament of heaven", the phrase Rāma asked about. The refugee (śaraṇāgata) is the highest of these in Indian ethics: to protect one who has put himself in your hands is a sacred duty, whatever it costs.