Shloka 70
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
दूषितं परदोषै्हिं गृह्नीते योडन्यथा शुचिम् । स्वयं संदूषितामात्य: क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति
dūṣitaṃ paradoṣaiḥ gṛhṇīte yo 'nyathā śucim | svayaṃ saṃdūṣitāmātyaḥ kṣipram eva vinaśyati ||
यः परैः कल्पितदोषैः शुचिमपि जनं दूषितं मन्यते, तं च दण्डयति, स दूषितामात्यः नृपतिः क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति; अन्यायनिर्णयेन राजधर्ममूलं हि नश्यति।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must not punish the innocent on the basis of others’ slander or unverified accusations; unjust punishment, especially under corrupt counsel, rapidly leads to the ruler’s downfall and the collapse of righteous governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the ethics of rule and judgment, warning that a ruler who accepts defamatory reports and condemns the blameless—guided by tainted ministers—invites swift ruin.