Shloka 101
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
स त्वं नृपतिशार्दूल पुत्र न त्यक्तुमहसि । आत्मानं सत्यधर्मा च पालयन् पृथिवीपते । नरेन्द्रसिंह कपटं न वोढुं त्वमिहाहसि,अतः नृपश्रेष्ठ आप अपने पुत्रका परित्याग न करें। पृथ्वीपते! नरेन्द्रप्रवर! आप अपने आत्मा, सत्य और धर्मका पालन करते हुए अपने सिरपर कपटका बोझ न उठावें
sa tvaṁ nṛpatiśārdūla putra na tyaktum arhasi | ātmānaṁ satyadharmā ca pālayan pṛthivīpate | narendrasiṁha kapaṭaṁ na voḍhuṁ tvam ihārhasi |
O tiger among kings, you must not abandon your son. O lord of the earth, uphold your own self, truth, and dharma; you are not fit, here and now, to carry the burden of deceit. Therefore, O best of rulers, do not renounce your child.
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must uphold satya (truth) and dharma, avoiding deceit; ethical kingship includes acknowledging and protecting one’s child rather than denying responsibility.
In the Duṣyanta–Śakuntalā episode, an appeal is made to the king’s conscience and royal duty: he is urged not to reject his son and not to take on the moral stain of deception.