कथमर्हति धर्मज्ञ वधं पितुरिवात्मजः ॥३०॥
so 'yaá¹ brahmará¹£i-varyas te
rÄjará¹£i-pravarÄd vibho
katham arhati dharma-jña
vadhaá¹ pitur ivÄtmajaḥ
saḥ - he, the brÄhmaṇa; ayam - this; brahma-ṛṣi-varyaḥ - not only a brÄhmaṇa but the best of great sages, or brahmará¹£is; te - also from you; rÄja-ṛṣi-pravarÄt - who are the best of all saintly kings, or rÄjará¹£is; vibho - O master of the state; katham - how; arhati - he deserves; dharma-jña - O you, who are quite aware of religious principles; vadham - killing; pituḥ - from the father; iva - like; Ätmajaḥ - the son.
My lord, you are completely aware of the religious principles. As a son never deserves to be killed by his father, here is a brÄhmaṇa who should be protected by the king, and never killed. How does he deserve to be killed by a rÄjará¹£i like you?
The word rÄjará¹£i refers to a king who behaves like a ṛṣi, or sage. Such a king is also called naradeva because he is considered a representative of the Supreme Lord. Because his duty is to rule the kingdom to maintain brahminical culture, he never desires to kill a brÄhmaṇa. Generally, a brÄhmaṇa, woman, child, old man or cow is never regarded as punishable. Thus the wife of the brÄhmaṇa requested the King to refrain from this sinful act.
