Shloka 14
Brāhmaṇa-bheda-nirṇaya and Rājā’s Regulatory Duties (ब्राह्मणभेदनिर्णयः)
स चेन्नो परिवर्तेत कृतवृत्ति: परंतप । ततो निर्वासनीय: स्यात् तस्माद् देशात् सबान्धव:
sa cen no parivarteta kṛtavṛttiḥ parantapa | tato nirvāsanīyaḥ syāt tasmād deśāt sabāndhavaḥ ||
Bhishma said: If, even after being provided with a proper means of livelihood, he does not reform—if he continues in theft as before—then he should be expelled from that country together with his relatives.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should first try to reform an offender by ensuring a lawful livelihood; if the person still refuses to change and persists in theft, banishment is justified to safeguard society and uphold dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and dharma, he advises Yudhiṣṭhira about dealing with a habitual thief: provide means of living first, but if no reform occurs, expel him (even with his kin) from the realm.