Shloka 213
Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः
दण्डेनैव स हन्तव्यस्तं पन्थानं समाश्रित: । जो कोई धर्मसाधक मनुष्य धार्मिक आचारसे भ्रष्ट हो पापमार्गका आश्रय ले, उसे अवश्य दण्डके द्वारा मारना चाहिये
daṇḍenaiva sa hantavyas taṃ panthānaṃ samāśritaḥ |
Bhishma berkata— siapa pun yang menempuh jalan itu—yakni seorang pelaku dharma yang menyimpang dari laku benar dan berlindung pada jalan dosa—harus dikendalikan demi perlindungan masyarakat dengan hukuman; dan bila perlu, dijatuhkan hukuman yang sah hingga pemusnahan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that when a person who is expected to uphold dharma deliberately abandons righteous conduct and adopts a sinful path, the king’s duty of daṇḍa (lawful punishment) must be applied decisively—even to the extent of capital penalty—so that dharma and public safety are preserved.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kingship). Here he states a strict principle of governance: serious moral and social transgression, especially by those who should model dharma, warrants severe legal punishment to prevent the spread of adharma.