Shloka 12
Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation
खलात् क्षेत्रात् तथा रामाद् यतो वाप्युपपद्यते | आखयातव्यं नृपस्यैतत् पृच्छते5पृच्छतेडपि वा
khalāt kṣetrāt tathā rāmād yato vāpy upapadyate | ākhyātavyaṃ nṛpasyaitat pṛcchate'pṛcchate'pi vā ||
Bhishma said: “Whether it be from a threshing-floor, from a cultivated field, from a pleasure-grove, or from wherever else it may be obtained, one should gather grain only to the extent needed for sustenance. Thereafter, whether the king asks or does not ask, one should go to him and report this matter.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Take only what is necessary for survival and maintain transparency with lawful authority: even if the king does not question you, you should voluntarily disclose the relevant facts.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he describes a rule of conduct regarding obtaining food-grain from available sources and emphasizes that the person should then inform the king, regardless of whether the king initiates an inquiry.