Shloka 65
न दूषयामि ते राजन् यद् वै हन्याददूषकम् | बलवन्तं प्रभुं राजन् क्षिप्रं दारुणमाप्तुयात्
na dūṣayāmi te rājan yad vai hanyād adūṣakam | balavantaṁ prabhuṁ rājan kṣipraṁ dāruṇam āptuyāt
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, I do not fault you for this; yet whoever strikes one who is without blame, O King, quickly incurs a dreadful consequence from a powerful and rightful lord—justice itself.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Harming the innocent is a grave adharma: even if done under pressure or confusion, it brings swift and severe repercussions, as justice (embodied by a powerful authority or moral law) responds to wrongdoing.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a king and frames the ethical stakes of an action: he indicates that striking a blameless person would lead to dreadful consequences, emphasizing restraint and righteous judgment in royal conduct.