Shloka 216
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
न दातुमहसि त्वं नो भक्षणायास्य किल्विषम् | महाराज! उन निशाचरोंने राक्षसराजसे कहा--'प्रभो! इस नराधमका मांस दस्युओंको दे दिया जाय
na dātum arhasi tvaṃ no bhakṣaṇāyāsya kilviṣam | mahārāja! te niśācarā rākṣasarājāya ūcuḥ—“prabho! asya narādhamasya māṃsaṃ dasyubhyo dīyatām; asmān asya pāpaṃ bhakṣaṇāya mā dāḥ” iti | evaṃ sarve rākṣasā rākṣasarājasya caraṇeṣu mastakaṃ nidhāya prārthayām āsuḥ |
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ມະຫາຣາຊາ! ບັນດາຜູ້ເດີນທາງຍາມຄ່ຳ (ນິສາຈະຣະ) ໄດ້ກ່າວຕໍ່ພະຣາຊາແຫ່ງຣາກສະວ່າ: ‘ພຣະອົງ! ຂໍຢ່າໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາຮັບບາບຈາກການກິນຊາຍຄົນນີ້. ຂໍໃຫ້ເນື້ອຂອງມະນຸດຊົ່ວຊ້ານີ້ ມອບໃຫ້ພວກໂຈນ; ຢ່າປະທານຄວາມຜິດນີ້ເປັນອາຫານແກ່ພວກເຮົາ.’ ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຣາກສະທັງຫມົດໄດ້ກົ້ມສີສະຢູ່ທີ່ພະບາດຂອງພະຣາຊາຣາກສະ ແລະອ້ອນວອນ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those associated with violence recognize moral limits: one should not compel others to incur sin, and wrongdoing cannot be justified merely by appetite or power. Ethical responsibility includes refusing participation in an act perceived as sinful.
The night-roaming Rakshasas petition their king not to assign them the sinful act of eating a vile man; they suggest giving the flesh to bandits instead, and they plead humbly at the king’s feet.