Shloka 11
जानन्नपि च यः पापं शक्तिमान् न नियच्छति । ईश: सन् सो$पि तेनैव कर्मणा सम्प्रयुज्यते,जो मनुष्य शक्तिमान् एवं समर्थ होते हुए भी जान-बूझकर पापको नहीं रोकता, वह भी उसी पापकर्मसे लिप्त हो जाता है कच्चित् तातापविषध्नं ते कच्चिन्नन्दसि पुत्रक | अजानतामदोषाणां सर्वेषां रक्षसां वधात् “तात! तुम्हारे इस यज्ञमें कोई विघ्न तो नहीं पड़ा? बेटा! तुम्हारे पिताकी हत्याके विषयमें कुछ भी न जाननेवाले इन सभी निर्दोष राक्षसोंका वध करके कया तुम्हें प्रसन्नता होती है?
jānann api ca yaḥ pāpaṃ śaktimān na niyacchati | īśaḥ san so 'pi tenaiva karmaṇā samprayujyate || kaccit tāta apaviṣadhnaṃ te kaccin nandasi putraka | ajānatām adoṣāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ vadhāt ||
Aurva said: “Even when one knows it to be wrong, if a capable person does not restrain sin, then—even though he is a master of himself—he becomes implicated by that very deed. Tell me, dear child: has your rite proceeded without obstruction? And do you truly feel joy after killing all these rākṣasas who were innocent in this matter, not knowing anything about your father’s death?”
ऑर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches moral complicity: if a person has the power to prevent wrongdoing and knowingly fails to restrain it, that person shares the guilt of the act. Ethical responsibility includes preventing harm when one is capable, not merely avoiding direct action.
Aurva addresses his son, first stating a principle about shared culpability when one does not stop sin despite being able to do so. He then asks whether the son’s sacrificial rite has proceeded without impediment and challenges the son’s satisfaction at having slain rākṣasas who were innocent and unaware regarding the father’s death.