Shloka 94
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
इषीकया मया बाल्याद् विद्धा होका शकुन्तिका । तत् किल्बिषं स्मरे धर्म नान्यत् पापमहं स्मरे
iṣīkayā mayā bālyād viddhā ho kā śakuntikā | tat kilbiṣaṃ smare dharma nānyat pāpam ahaṃ smare ||
Wahai Dharma-rāja! Pada masa kanak-kanak, karena kecerobohan kekanak-kanakan, aku pernah menusuk seekor anak burung dengan sebatang buluh. Itulah satu-satunya kesalahan yang kuingat; selain itu aku tak mengingat dosa apa pun dariku.
दाश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a seemingly small act of harm—especially against a helpless creature—can remain as moral residue in one’s conscience; dharma involves honest self-scrutiny and acknowledging wrongdoing, not merely claiming innocence.
Daśa addresses Dharma/Dharmarāja and admits that the only misdeed he can recall is a childhood act of piercing a young bird with a reed; he presents this as the sole possible cause for any present suffering or moral inquiry.