Shloka 12
पाण्डुरुवाच शत्रूणां या वधे वृत्ति: सा मृगाणां वधे स्मृता । राज्ञां मृग न मां मोहात् त्वं ग्हयितुमहसि,पाण्डु बोले--शत्रुओंके वधमें राजाओंकी जैसी वृत्ति बतायी गयी है, वैसी ही मृगोंके वधमें भी मानी गयी है; अतः मृग! तुम्हें मोहवश मेरी निन्दा नहीं करनी चाहिये
pāṇḍur uvāca: śatrūṇāṃ yā vadhe vṛttiḥ sā mṛgāṇāṃ vadhe smṛtā | rājñāṃ mṛga na māṃ mohāt tvaṃ gṛhītum arhasi ||
Pāṇḍu dijo: «La conducta autorizada para los reyes en la muerte de los enemigos se considera igualmente aplicable a la muerte de los ciervos. Por tanto, oh ciervo, no debes, por engaño, condenarme ni censurarme».
मृग उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pāṇḍu argues from rājadharma that a king’s sanctioned duty in dealing with enemies is comparable, in his view, to the accepted practice of hunting deer; therefore moral blame should not be assigned impulsively or under delusion.
In the forest episode, after the deer speaks, Pāṇḍu responds by defending his act of hunting, claiming it aligns with recognized royal conduct and urging the deer not to reproach him.