Shloka 61
Treasury Security, Protection of Informants, and the Kalakavṛkṣīya Exemplum (Śānti Parva 83)
मुनिर्वाच अदर्शयन्निमं दोषमेकैकं दुर्बलीकुरु । तत: कारणमाज्ञाय पुरुष पुरुषं जहि
munir uvāca—adarśayann imaṃ doṣam ekaikaṃ durbalīkuru; tataḥ kāraṇam ājñāya puruṣaṃ puruṣaṃ jahi.
The sage said: “Without openly revealing this fault, weaken them one by one by stripping each minister of his authority. Then, after fully ascertaining the cause of the offence, proceed in due order to kill each person responsible.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should act with calculated restraint: first neutralize potential abuse of power quietly, then investigate the true cause of the wrongdoing, and finally punish only the proven culprits in an orderly manner—linking governance to careful inquiry and proportional justice.
A sage advises a king on handling an offence connected with ministers: do not publicly announce the charge at first; instead, reduce each minister’s power to prevent further harm, then determine the real cause and identify the responsible individuals, and only then carry out severe punishment against each guilty person.