Shloka 30
Śama-prāptiḥ — Gautamī–Lubdhaka–Pannaga–Mṛtyu–Kāla-saṃvāda
Restraint through the Analysis of Karma and Time
लुब्धक उवाच अस्मादेकाद् बहवो रक्षितव्या नैको बहुभ्यो गौतमि रक्षितव्य: । कृतागसं धर्मविदस्त्यजन्ति सरीसूृपं पापमिमं जहि त्वम्
lubdhaka uvāca | asmād ekād bahavo rakṣitavyā naiko bahubhyo gautami rakṣitavyaḥ | kṛtāgasaṃ dharmavidas tyajanti sarīsṛpaṃ pāpam imaṃ jahi tvam ||
Le chasseur dit : «Ô Gautamī, il faut protéger de nombreuses vies, fût-ce au prix de celle-ci. Il n’est pas juste de sauver une seule créature lorsqu’elle met en péril la multitude. Ceux qui connaissent le dharma abandonnent celui qui a commis une faute ; frappe donc ce serpent rampant et pécheur».
लुब्धक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for prioritizing the safety of many over sparing a single dangerous wrongdoer, presenting a dharma-based justification for abandoning (or punishing) one who has committed harm when public welfare is at stake.
A hunter addresses Gautamī and urges her to kill a sinful serpent, reasoning that letting it live risks many human lives; he frames this as the stance of those who know dharma.