Shloka 9
अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः
Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving
स्निग्वैश्व क्रियमाणानि कर्माणीह निवर्तयेत् । हिंसात्मकानि सर्वाणि नायुरिच्छेत् परायुषा,मनुष्यको चाहिये कि उसके प्रियजन यदि कोई हिंसात्मक कर्म उसके लिये करते हों तो वह उन सब कर्मोको रोक दे। दूसरेकी आयुसे अपनी आयु बढ़ानेकी अर्थात् दूसरोंके प्राण लेकर अपने प्राण बचानेकी इच्छा न करे
snigdhaiś ca kriyamāṇāni karmāṇīha nivartayet | hiṁsātmakāni sarvāṇi nāyur icchet parāyuṣā ||
Parāśara said: Even if one’s own dear ones undertake actions here out of affection, one should restrain them from all deeds that are violent in nature. One should not desire to prolong one’s own life by another’s lifespan—i.e., one should not seek to save oneself by taking the life of another.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
One must not permit violence even when it is performed by loved ones out of attachment, and one must not seek one’s own survival or longevity through harming or killing others; preserving one’s life at another’s expense is adharma.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Parāśara delivers an ethical directive: restrain violent deeds undertaken on one’s behalf and reject the idea of extending one’s life by taking another’s life.