Shloka 17
Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)
यस्मिन् क्षमा च क्रोधश्व दानादाने भयाभये । निग्रहानुग्रहौ चोभौ स वै धर्मविदुच्यते,जिसमें समयानुसार क्षमा और क्रोध दोनों प्रकट होते हैं, जो दान देता और कर लेता है, जिसमें शत्रुओंको भय दिखाने और शरणागतोंको अभय देनेकी शक्ति है, जो दुष्टोंको दण्ड देता और दीनोंपर अनुग्रह करता है, वही धर्मज्ञ कहलाता है
yasmin kṣamā ca krodhaś ca dānādāne bhayābhaye | nigrahānugrahau cobhau sa vai dharmavid ucyate ||
É chamado conhecedor do dharma aquele em quem, conforme o tempo e a circunstância, surgem tanto a tolerância quanto a ira justa; que tanto dá quanto, quando o dever exige, toma; que pode inspirar temor nos inimigos e, ainda assim, conceder destemor aos que buscam refúgio; e que refreia os perversos com punição, ao mesmo tempo em que mostra compaixão e favor aos aflitos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True knowledge of dharma is not one-sided softness or harshness; it is balanced discernment—knowing when to forgive and when to be stern, when to give and when to take for justice, when to threaten wrongdoers and when to protect the vulnerable, combining punishment (nigraha) with compassion (anugraha).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous governance and conduct, the speaker defines the marks of a dharma-knower by listing paired virtues that must be applied according to time and context, a framework especially relevant to rulers and those responsible for social order.