Shloka 12
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
“देश और कालकी प्रतीक्षा करनेवाला जो राजा शास्त्रीय बुद्धिका आश्रय ले लुटेरोंके अपराधको धैर्यपूर्वक सहन करता है अर्थात् उनको दण्ड देनेमें जल्दी नहीं करता, समयकी प्रतीक्षा करता है, वह पापसे लिप्त नहीं होता ।।
deśa-kāla-pratīkṣī yo rājā śāstrīya-buddhim āśritaḥ | corāṇām aparādhaṁ dhairyeṇa sahate na ca daṇḍe tvarate kālam eva pratīkṣate sa pāpena na lipyate || ādāya bali-ṣaḍbhāgaṁ yo rāṣṭraṁ nābhirakṣati | pratigṛhṇāti tat pāpaṁ caturthāṁśena bhūmipaḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「時と所を待ち、シャーストラの教える分別に依って、盗賊の罪を忍耐して受けとめる王——すなわち、罰を急がず、ふさわしい機会を待つ王——は、罪に染まることはない。だが、民の取り分たる六分の一の租税を取りながら国を守らぬ統治者は、彼らの悪行の四分の一を罪として自らに引き受けると言われる。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal authority is justified only when paired with protection and prudent justice: a king should punish with timing and discernment, and if he collects the lawful one-sixth revenue but fails to safeguard the realm, he becomes morally liable—sharing in the people’s resulting harm and wrongdoing.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Vaiśampāyana reports a normative rule for kingship: patience and strategic timing in dealing with criminals avoids sinful overreach, while neglect of protection after taking taxes makes the ruler culpable for a portion of the ensuing sin.