Shloka 23
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
ब्रह्मदत्त: सुतं दृष्टवा पूजन्याहृतलोचनम् । कृते प्रतिकृतं मत्वा पूजनीमिदमब्रवीत्
brahmadattaḥ sutaṃ dṛṣṭvā pūjanyāhṛta-locanam | kṛte pratikṛtaṃ matvā pūjanīm idam abravīt ||
भीष्म म्हणाले—राजा ब्रह्मदत्ताने पूजनीने आपल्या पुत्राचे डोळे काढून घेतलेले पाहिले; तेव्हा हे केलेल्या कर्माचेच प्रत्युत्तर—राजकुमाराच्या दुष्कर्माचे प्रतिफळ—असे समजून त्याने राग सोडला आणि पूजनीला असे म्हणाला।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical discernment and self-restraint: when harm returns as a consequence of prior wrongdoing, a wise ruler recognizes the moral causality (pratikṛta for kṛta) and abandons blind anger, responding with measured judgment rather than vengeance.
King Brahmadatta sees that Pujanī has taken his son’s eyes. Instead of reacting with rage, he interprets the event as a deserved consequence of the prince’s earlier misdeed, relinquishes anger, and then addresses Pujanī to continue the dialogue.