Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Dāna-Śreṣṭhatā: Abhaya, Anugraha, and the Ethics of Honoring the Worthy (दानश्रेष्ठता: अभय-अनुग्रह-विप्रपूजा)
नच ते दुष्कृतं किंचिदहमासादयं गृहे । तेन जीवसि राजर्षे न भवेथास्त्वमन्यथा
na ca te duṣkṛtaṃ kiñcid aham āsādayaṃ gṛhe | tena jīvasi rājarṣe na bhavethās tvam anyathā bhūpāla ||
मैंने तुम्हारे घर में तुम्हारा कोई भी दुष्कृत्य—रंचमात्र भी—नहीं पाया। हे राजर्षे, इसी कारण तुम जीवित हो; अन्यथा, हे पृथ्वीपाल, तुम जैसे अब हो वैसे न रह पाते—तुम्हारी सत्ता नष्ट हो जाती।
च्यवन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s legitimacy and even survival are portrayed as resting on moral integrity: when no wrongdoing (duṣkṛta) can be found in his conduct and household, he is protected; otherwise, loss of status and life follows. The verse underscores accountability and the ethical scrutiny expected of kings.
The sage Cyavana addresses a king (honored as a rājarṣi), stating that despite staying in the king’s house and observing closely, he has found no fault. Therefore the king remains alive and established; had there been wrongdoing, the consequences would have been ruinous.