Shloka 3.41.14
मारीचस्य रावणं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः (Maricha’s Counsel on Kingship and Ruin to Ravana)
स्वामिना प्रतिकूलेन प्रजास्तीक्ष्णेन रावण।रक्ष्यमाणा न वर्धन्ते मेषा गोमायुना यथा।।।।
bahavaḥ sādhavo loke yuktā dharmam anuṣṭhitāḥ | pareṣām aparādhenā vinaṣṭāḥ saparicchadāḥ ||
In this world, many righteous people—steadfast in dharma and proper conduct—have been destroyed, along with all they possessed, because of the wrongdoing of others.
O Ravana, people who are ruled by a cruel and hostile king will not grow like the sheep protected by a jackal.
Adharma is contagious in its consequences: one person’s wrongdoing can destroy the righteous and the innocent—hence responsibility is communal and moral vigilance is required.
Mārīca warns that reckless actions by powerful figures can cause collateral ruin, even for those devoted to dharma.
Accountability—recognizing that one’s actions affect many beyond oneself.