Hospitality as Dharma in the Kapota-Śākunika Ākhyāna of the Mahābhārata: An Ethical Reflection

Abstract: This article studies the ethical interpretation of the Kapota-Śākunika ākhyāna, the story of the doves and the fowler as narrated by Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Āpaddharmānuśāsanaparvan of the Śāntiparvan in the Mahābhārata. The narrative is not presented as a moral fable but emphasis is laid on the distinction made by the Kaṭha Upaniṣad between śreyas (the good) and preyas (the pleasurable), as reflected in the concept of atithi-dharma—the ethics of hospitality. The article focuses on the female dove’s courageous advice on dharma of the doves, the male dove’s act of svadharma in form of self-sacrifice, and the fowler’s transformation through witnessing (darśana) rather than instruction (upadeśa). It illustrates that the episode promotes a non-transactional understanding of dharma—hospitality provided regardless of the guest's status or situation—based on the Taittirīya Upaniṣad’s teaching atithidevo bhava. The discussion concludes with a brief reflection on the episode’s significance within the broader ākhyāna tradition of Indian Knowledge Systems and its relevance to contemporary debates.