Shloka 19
Kośa-saṃjanana and Subtle Dharma
Treasury Formation and Fine-Grained Ethics
तस्मात् सशेषं कर्तव्यं स्वाधीनमपि दस्युभि: । न बलस्थो5हमस्मीति नृशंसानि समाचरेत्
tasmāt saśeṣaṁ kartavyaṁ svādhīnam api dasyubhiḥ | na balastho 'ham asmīti nṛśaṁsāni samācaret ||
Ainsi, même les brigands, quand bien même ils auraient pris sous leur pouvoir la richesse d’autrui, doivent en laisser quelque reste et ne pas tout piller. Que nul, se disant « je m’appuie sur la force, je suis puissant », ne commette des actes de cruauté.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Restraint is a baseline moral requirement: even those who seize wealth should not take everything, and no one should justify cruelty by claiming strength or power.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical behavior, using the example of robbers to stress that power must not become a pretext for ruthless action.