Shloka 39
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
यस्तस्य पुरुष: पापं मनसाप्यनुचिन्तयेत् । असंशयमिह क्लिष्ट: प्रेत्यापि नरकं व्रजेत्
yas tasya puruṣaḥ pāpaṃ manasāpy anucintayet | asaṃśayam iha kliṣṭaḥ pretyāpi narakaṃ vrajet ||
Quem alimentar intenção pecaminosa contra ele—mesmo apenas na mente—sem dúvida sofrerá aflição neste mundo; e, após a morte, também irá ao inferno.
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that moral responsibility includes one’s inner life: even mentally entertaining sinful or malicious thoughts brings suffering here and leads to hell after death. Intention (mānasa-bhāva) is treated as karmically potent, not merely external action.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Vasumanā states a warning about the consequences of harboring evil thoughts toward another (implicitly a ruler/authority figure in the received Hindi gloss). The statement functions as ethical counsel: restrain malice at the level of thought.