Shloka 16
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
न हि दुर्बलदग्धस्य कुले किंचित् प्ररोहति । आमूल निर्दहन्त्येव मा सम दुर्बलमासद:
na hi durbaladagdhāsya kule kiñcit prarohati | āmūlaṃ nirdahanty eva mā sama durbalam āsadaḥ ||
Utathya avertit : « Quand un homme est consumé par la colère d’un faible, plus rien ne repousse dans sa lignée. Cette colère brûle jusqu’à la racine. Aussi ne harcèle ni n’opprime jamais les faibles. »
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Anger and oppression directed at the vulnerable can destroy lives and even extinguish a family’s future; dharma therefore requires restraint, compassion, and protection of the weak.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, the sage Utathya admonishes the listener not to assail the powerless, using the image of a fire that burns a weak person ‘to the root,’ leaving no possibility of renewal in their lineage.