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 ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Raja Brahmadatta, apabila melihat Pujanī mengambil mata puteranya, memahami hal itu sebagai balasan yang setimpal—pembalasan atas kesalahan sang putera sendiri. Setelah merenung demikian, baginda menyingkirkan amarah lalu berkata kepada Pujanī dengan kata-kata berikut.
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.