Shloka 216
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
न दातुमहसि त्वं नो भक्षणायास्य किल्विषम् | महाराज! उन निशाचरोंने राक्षसराजसे कहा--'प्रभो! इस नराधमका मांस दस्युओंको दे दिया जाय
na dātum arhasi tvaṃ no bhakṣaṇāyāsya kilviṣam | mahārāja! te niśācarā rākṣasarājāya ūcuḥ—“prabho! asya narādhamasya māṃsaṃ dasyubhyo dīyatām; asmān asya pāpaṃ bhakṣaṇāya mā dāḥ” iti | evaṃ sarve rākṣasā rākṣasarājasya caraṇeṣu mastakaṃ nidhāya prārthayām āsuḥ |
Bhishma sprach: „O großer König! Jene nachtumherstreifenden Wesen wandten sich an den König der Rākṣasas: ‚Herr, lass uns nicht an der Sünde teilhaben, die darin liegt, diesen Mann zu verzehren. Gib das Fleisch dieses niederträchtigen Menschen den Banditen; gewähre uns diese Verfehlung nicht als Speise.‘“ So neigten alle Rākṣasas ihr Haupt zu den Füßen des Rākṣasa-Königs und flehten.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those associated with violence recognize moral limits: one should not compel others to incur sin, and wrongdoing cannot be justified merely by appetite or power. Ethical responsibility includes refusing participation in an act perceived as sinful.
The night-roaming Rakshasas petition their king not to assign them the sinful act of eating a vile man; they suggest giving the flesh to bandits instead, and they plead humbly at the king’s feet.