Shloka 10
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
दस्यून् निहन्ति वै राजा भूयसो वाप्यनागस: । भार्या माता पिता पुत्रो हन्यन्ते पुरुषेण ते । परेणापकृतो राजा तस्मात् सम्यक् प्रधारयेत्
dasyūn nihanti vai rājā bhūyaso vāpy anāgasaḥ | bhāryā mātā pitā putro hanyante puruṣeṇa te | pareṇāpakṛto rājā tasmāt samyak pradhārayet ||
デュマツセーナは言った。「王は盗賊を討つこともあろう—また無辜の者を多く殺してしまうことさえある。人がそのように殺されれば、その妻、母、父、子もまた、糧道を断たれるがゆえに、あたかも共に殺されたも同然である。ゆえに、たとえ他者に挑まれ害を受けたとしても、王は正しく熟慮し、しかるべき配慮をもって行い、死刑へと軽々しく走ってはならぬ。」
इुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a king has been wronged, he must deliberate carefully before imposing capital punishment, because killing one person can effectively destroy the lives of that person’s dependents; justice must be tempered by foresight and compassion.
Dyumatsena is instructing on royal duty (rājadharma), warning that a ruler’s punitive power can harm not only the condemned—sometimes even the innocent—but also their family who lose support; hence the king should not act hastily.