Shloka 29
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
आत्मैवादौ नियन्तव्यो दुष्कृतं संनियच्छता । दण्डयेच्च महादण्डैरपि बन्धूननन्तरान्
ātmaivādau niyantavyo duṣkṛtaṃ saṃniyacchatā | daṇḍayec ca mahādaṇḍair api bandhūn anantarān |
Dijo Humatsena: «Quien desea refrenar el mal debe, ante todo, dominarse a sí mismo. Después, aun si sus parientes más cercanos cometen faltas, también debe castigarlos—hasta con las penas más severas—para que el pecado sea contenido y la justicia permanezca imparcial».
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler who wants to curb sin must begin with self-discipline; only then can he administer justice fairly. True governance requires impartial punishment—even of one’s own relatives—so that law is not weakened by attachment.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and kingship, Humat-sena states a principle of rāja-dharma: the king should first master himself and then enforce punishment without favoritism, including against close kin, to prevent the spread of wrongdoing.