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 ||
ダーシャは語った。「おおダルマ（正義の王）よ。私は幼き頃、子どもの浅はかさゆえに、葦の茎で雛鳥を突き刺したことがある。いま思い出せる罪はそれ一つのみであり、ほかの罪は何一つ覚えがない。」
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.