Shloka 10
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
दस्यून् निहन्ति वै राजा भूयसो वाप्यनागस: । भार्या माता पिता पुत्रो हन्यन्ते पुरुषेण ते । परेणापकृतो राजा तस्मात् सम्यक् प्रधारयेत्
dasyūn nihanti vai rājā bhūyaso vāpy anāgasaḥ | bhāryā mātā pitā putro hanyante puruṣeṇa te | pareṇāpakṛto rājā tasmāt samyak pradhārayet ||
Dyumatsena dijo: «Un rey puede, en verdad, dar muerte a bandidos—o incluso a muchos inocentes. Cuando un hombre es así ejecutado, su esposa, su madre, su padre y su hijo quedan, por así decirlo, también muertos, pues se les corta el sustento. Por ello, aun cuando otro lo provoque o lo agrave, el rey debe deliberar con rectitud y obrar con la debida consideración, sin precipitarse al castigo de muerte».
इुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a king has been wronged, he must deliberate carefully before imposing capital punishment, because killing one person can effectively destroy the lives of that person’s dependents; justice must be tempered by foresight and compassion.
Dyumatsena is instructing on royal duty (rājadharma), warning that a ruler’s punitive power can harm not only the condemned—sometimes even the innocent—but also their family who lose support; hence the king should not act hastily.