Shloka 44
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
न वै देयमनुक्रोशाद् दीनायाप्यपकारिणे । आप्ताचरित इत्येव धर्म इत्येव वा पुन:,“पर जो दूसरोंका बुरा करनेवाला हो वह यदि दीन हो तो भी उसे दया करके नहीं देना चाहिये। यह शिष्टोंका आचार है और यही धर्म है
na vai deyam anukrośād dīnāyāpy apakāriṇe | āptācarita ityeva dharma ityeva vā punaḥ ||
But one should not give, merely out of compassion, to a needy person who is a wrongdoer and harms others. Such restraint is held to be the conduct of the wise and is declared to be dharma itself—charity must be governed by discernment, not pity alone.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Compassion alone is not a sufficient basis for charity: one should not support a harmful wrongdoer even if he appears needy. True dharma includes discriminating giving that does not enable harm.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa states a rule about dāna (giving): the tradition of the wise forbids giving to an apakārin (one who injures others), emphasizing ethical responsibility in acts of generosity.