Shloka 105
सम्भावयति मातेव दीनमप्युपपद्यते । दहत्यग्निरिवानिष्टान् यमयन्नसतो यम:
sambhāvayati māteva dīnam apy upapadyate | dahaty agnir ivāniṣṭān yamayann asato yamaḥ ||
Brahmadatta said: “He shows regard like a mother—even to one who is wretched—whenever it is fitting. Yet, like fire, he burns away what is undesirable; and as Yama, he restrains the unrighteous.”
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the ideal of righteous authority: compassion and respect toward the vulnerable when appropriate, combined with firm restraint and corrective punishment toward wrongdoing—balancing maternal care with Yama-like justice.
Brahmadatta is describing the qualities of a dharmic ruler/disciplinarian: he can nurture and uplift the distressed, yet he also destroys harmful elements like fire and restrains the unrighteous like Yama, emphasizing balanced governance.