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 dit : «Un roi peut certes mettre à mort des brigands — voire beaucoup d’innocents. Lorsqu’un homme est ainsi tué, son épouse, sa mère, son père et son fils sont, pour ainsi dire, tués eux aussi, car leurs moyens d’existence sont tranchés. C’est pourquoi, même provoqué ou lésé par autrui, le roi doit délibérer avec droiture et agir avec la considération requise, sans se précipiter vers la peine de mort.»
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.