Shloka 101
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
दत्त्वाभयं यः स्वयमेव राजा न तत् प्रमाणं कुरुते<र्थलो भात् । स सर्वलोकादुपलभ्य पाप॑ सो<धर्मबुद्धिर्निरयं प्रयाति
dattvābhayaṁ yaḥ svayam eva rājā na tat pramāṇaṁ kurute 'rthalobhāt | sa sarvalokād upalabhya pāpaṁ so 'dharmabuddhir nirayaṁ prayāti ||
दत्त्वाभयं यः स्वयमेव राजा न तत्प्रमाणं कुरुतेऽर्थलोभात्। स सर्वलोकादुपलभ्य पापं सोऽधर्मबुद्धिर्निरयं प्रयाति॥
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s promise of protection is a binding moral standard; breaking it out of greed is a grave adharma that makes the king bear widespread sin and leads to severe karmic consequence.
In a discourse on righteous governance (rājadharma) within Śānti Parva, Brahmadatta states a moral judgment: a king who grants ‘fearlessness’ to his people but fails to honor it for the sake of wealth becomes culpable for extensive wrongdoing and is destined for hell.