Shloka 55
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
उपसूष्टेषु दान्तेषु दुराचारेषु साधुषु । अविनीतेषु लुब्धेषु सुमहद् दण्डधारणम्,जो जितेन्द्रिय पुरुषोंपर क्रोध और श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंपर अत्याचार करते हों, उद्धण्ड और लोभी हों, ऐसे लोगोंको जहाँ अत्यन्त कठोर और महान् दण्ड दिया जाता हो, उस देशमें बिना विचारे निवास करना चाहिये
upasūṣṭeṣu dānteṣu durācāreṣu sādhuṣu | avinīteṣu lubdheṣu sumahad daṇḍadhāraṇam ||
Nārada berkata: Di mana orang yang menguasai diri pun diganggu, orang berbudi diperlakukan dengan kejam, dan yang tidak berdisiplin serta tamak bermaharajalela—walaupun hukuman dikenakan dengan amat keras—seseorang tidak patut tinggal di negeri itu tanpa pertimbangan yang teliti.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person should avoid living unthinkingly under a regime where the good are oppressed and punishment is excessively harsh; ethical discernment is required in choosing one’s place of residence and allegiance.
In Śānti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, Nārada describes signs of a disordered polity—where virtue is harmed and greed and indiscipline dominate—and warns against settling there without due consideration.