Shloka 35
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
ब्रह्मदत्त तवाच यः कृते प्रतिकुर्याद् वै न स तत्रापराध्नुयात् अनृणस्तेन भवति वस पूजनि मा गम:,ब्रह्मदत्तने कहा--पूजनी! जो एक व्यक्तिके अपराध करनेपर बदलेमें स्वयं भी कुछ करे, वह कोई अपराध नहीं करता--अपराधी नहीं माना जाता। इससे तो पहलेका अपराधी ऋणमुक्त हो जाता है; इसलिये तू यहीं रह। कहीं मत जा
Brahmadatta uvāca—yaḥ kṛte pratikuryād vai na sa tatrāparādhnuyāt; anṛṇas tena bhavati; vas(a) pūjani, mā gamaḥ.
Brahmadatta said: “If, in response to an offense already committed, a person retaliates, he is not thereby considered to be committing a fresh offense. By such requital the earlier offender becomes free of his debt (of wrongdoing). Therefore, O venerable one, stay here—do not go elsewhere.”
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames retaliation to an already-committed offense as not constituting a new fault for the responder; instead, it is presented as settling the moral ‘debt’ of the original offender, who becomes ‘anṛṇa’ (discharged).
Brahmadatta addresses a person described as ‘pūjanī’ (worthy of honor), arguing that requital for an offense is not blameworthy and urging the addressee to remain there and not depart.