Shloka 19
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
मा सम तात रणे स्थित्वा भुज्जीथा दुर्बलं जनम् । मा त्वां दुर्बलचक्षूंषि दहन्त्वग्निरिवाश्रयम्
mā sama tāta raṇe sthitvā bhuñjīthā durbalaṃ janam | mā tvāṃ durbalacakṣūṃṣi dahantv agnir ivāśrayam, tāta ||
قال أوتاثيا: «يا بُنيّ، لا تجعل الضعفاء فريسةً لك وأنت قائمٌ في ساحة القتال، ولا تتخذهم موضوعًا لمتعتك. واحذر: إن نظرة العاجزين قد تُحرقك—كما تلتهم النارُ الحطبَ الذي تأوي إليه وتستند به.»
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, dharma forbids exploiting the powerless; harming the weak invites moral and karmic backlash, symbolized by the ‘burning’ gaze of the helpless.
Utathya admonishes a younger person (addressed as ‘tāta’) not to prey upon weak people during battle, warning through a vivid simile that the suffering and resentment of the oppressed can destroy the aggressor like fire consuming its own support.