Shloka 25
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
वित्रास्यमाना: सुकृतो न कामादधघ्नन्ति दुष्कृतीन् । सुकृतेनैव राजानो भूयिष्ठं शासते प्रजा:
vitrāsyamānāḥ sukṛto na kāmād adhaghnanti duṣkṛtīn | sukṛtenaiva rājāno bhūyiṣṭhaṃ śāsate prajāḥ ||
Humatsena berkata: “Ketika rasa takut akan hukuman ditanamkan, rakyat beralih kepada perilaku baik; maka tujuan hukuman adalah menegakkan dharma melalui daya cegah, bukan merenggut nyawa. Para raja tidak membunuh orang jahat semata-mata karena kehendak pribadi. Para penguasa terbaik, pada umumnya, memerintah lama atas rakyatnya melalui kebajikan itu sendiri—dengan perbuatan baik dan tata laku yang patut.”
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Punishment (daṇḍa) is primarily a tool of deterrence meant to generate fear that turns people toward righteous conduct; it is not meant for cruelty or killing driven by a ruler’s personal desire. Ideal kings rule mainly through their own virtue and good governance rather than frequent violent penalties.
In the Shanti Parva’s discourse on rājadharma, Humatsena explains the ethical rationale behind royal punishment: fear of penalty reforms behavior, so the king’s aim should be moral order and long-term stability, achieved chiefly through good conduct and just administration rather than arbitrary executions.