Shloka 44
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
अशुचींश्र यदा क्रुद्ध: क्षिणोति शतशो नरान् | सपुत्रपौत्रान् सामात्यांस्तदा भवति सो5न्तकः
aśucīn yathā kruddhaḥ kṣiṇoti śataśo narān | sa-putra-pautrān sa-mātyāṁs tadā bhavati so ’ntakaḥ ||
Apabila seorang raja, dibakar amarah, membinasakan beratus-ratus manusia yang berkelakuan cemar—bersama anak, cucu, dan para menteri mereka—maka baginda menjadi Antaka, yakni Maut itu sendiri. Rangkap ini memberi amaran bahawa hukuman yang melulu dalam kemarahan menjadikan kuasa diraja suatu daya pemusnah, bukan lagi perlindungan yang dharmika.
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal authority must be governed by dharma and restraint. When a ruler punishes in anger and wipes out people wholesale—along with their families and officials—his rule becomes indistinguishable from Death, i.e., destructive rather than protective.
Vasumanā describes a scenario of a king, overcome by wrath, carrying out mass destruction of men deemed impure, extending the slaughter to their descendants and ministers. The statement functions as a moral diagnosis of tyrannical, anger-driven governance within the rājadharma discussion of Śānti Parva.