Shloka 14
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
जनेऽनागस्यघं युञ्जन् सर्वतोऽस्य च मद्भयम् । साधूनां भद्रमेव स्यादसाधुदमने कृते ॥ १४ ॥
jane ’nāgasy aghaṁ yuñjan sarvato ’sya ca mad-bhayam sādhūnāṁ bhadram eva syād asādhu-damane kṛte
যে ব্যক্তি নিরপরাধ জীবকে কষ্ট দেয়, তাকে সর্বত্র আমাকে ভয় করতে হবে। অসাধু দুরাচারীদের দমন করলে সাধুদের মঙ্গলই সাধিত হয়।
Dishonest miscreants flourish because of cowardly and impotent executive heads of state. But when the executive heads are strong enough to curb all sorts of dishonest miscreants, in any part of the state, certainly they cannot flourish. When the miscreants are punished in an exemplary manner, automatically all good fortune follows. As said before, it is the prime duty of the king or the executive head to give protection in all respects to the peaceful, offenseless citizens of the state. The devotees of the Lord are by nature peaceful and offenseless, and therefore it is the prime duty of the state to arrange to convert everyone to become a devotee of the Lord. Thus automatically there will be peaceful, offenseless citizens. Then the only duty of the king will be to curb the dishonest miscreants. That will bring about peace and harmony all over human society.
FAQs
This verse states that punishing an innocent person is itself sinful and causes fear of the ruler/authority to arise from all sides, undermining dharma.
In the narrative of Canto 1 Chapter 17, Parikshit confronts the personified Kali; he explains that punishment must be just—harm to the innocent is irreligion, but restraining the wicked protects the saintly and benefits society.
Apply justice with discernment: avoid blaming or penalizing the blameless, and responsibly correct harmful behavior—so that protection of good people and social trust are preserved.