Shloka 31
Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)
जो धर्मका विनाश चाहते हुए अधर्मके प्रवर्तक हो रहे हों
ekaṃ hatvā yadi kule śiṣṭānāṃ syād anāmayam | kulaṃ hatvā ca rāṣṭraṃ ca na tad vṛttopaghātakam ||
Vyāsa said: If by killing a single person the remaining righteous members of a family become free from affliction, and if by destroying one corrupt clan the whole realm attains peace and well-being, then such an act is not a violation of right conduct. The ethical point is that force used to prevent the collapse of dharma and to protect the many from the harm caused by a few is not, in itself, a destruction of morality—provided it is directed against those who actively promote adharma.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a single harmful agent or a corrupt group threatens the welfare of the righteous and the stability of society, removing that source of harm—though severe—need not be a breach of dharma, because it aims at protecting right conduct and the greater good.
Vyāsa is articulating a principle of moral and political judgment in the Śānti Parva: the legitimacy of punitive action against those who promote adharma, arguing that safeguarding the many and preserving social order can justify harsh measures against a few.