Shloka 14
फस्ताफण चर जपत्ताउच के & 5] र न हे अणीमाण्डग्य उवाच बालो हि द्वादशाद् वर्षाज्जन्मतो यत् करिष्यति । न भविष्यत्यधर्मोउत्र न प्रज्ञास्यन्ति वै दिश:
Aṇīmāṇḍavya uvāca | bālo hi dvādaśād varṣāj janmato yat kariṣyati | na bhaviṣyaty adharmo 'tra na prajñāsyanti vai diśaḥ ||
Aṇīmāṇḍavya said: “A child—only twelve years from birth—whatever he may do, in this matter it should not be counted as wrongdoing. At that age, the sense of right and wrong is not yet settled, nor does he truly understand the directions (i.e., the proper course to take).”
अणीमाण्डग्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral culpability depends on maturity and discernment; a very young child lacks developed understanding of dharma and proper conduct, so actions at that age should not be judged as deliberate adharma.
Aṇīmāṇḍavya argues a principle of ethical judgment: because a twelve-year-old is still a child without clear discernment, his actions should not be treated as intentional wrongdoing in the case under discussion.