Shloka 38
राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)
बेटा! तुम्हें सदा और सब ओर क्षमाशील ही नहीं बने रहना चाहिये; क्योंकि क्षमाशील हाथीके समान कोमल स्वभाववाला राजा दूसरोंको भयभीत न कर सकनेके कारण अधर्मके प्रसारमें ही सहायक होता है ।।
bāla! tvaṃ sadā sarvataḥ kṣamāśīlo naiva bhavitum arhasi; yataḥ kṣamāśīlaḥ hastīva komala-svabhāvo rājā anyān bhīṣayituṃ aśakyaḥ san adharmasya prasāre eva sahāyakaḥ bhavati. bārhaspatye ca śāstre ca śloko nigaditaḥ purā; asminn arthe mahārāja tan me nigadataḥ śṛṇu.
ビーシュマは言った。「わが子よ、いかなる時も、いかなる場でも、ただ赦しに徹していてはならぬ。赦し深い象のように生来柔和な王は、不義（アダルマ）をなす者に畏れを起こさせることができず、他を抑えられぬがゆえに、かえって不義の広がりを助けてしまう。まさにこの点について、バールハスパティヤ（Bārhaspatya）の論書には古い偈が誦されている。大王よ、いま私がそれを述べるゆえ、聞きなさい。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forgiveness is a virtue, but a ruler must not practice it indiscriminately; excessive forbearance can embolden wrongdoing and thereby assist the spread of adharma. Effective kingship requires the capacity to deter and restrain.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and warns him against constant, universal forgiveness. He then introduces an old supporting verse from the Bārhaspatya tradition to reinforce the point.