Mahabharata 4.33.54 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 33, Shloka 54
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 33 — Kuru Cattle-Raid and Matsya Mobilization (भूमिंजय-प्रेरणा)
नायं पापसमाचारो मत्तो जीवितुम्ति । कि तु शक्यं मया कर्तु यद् राजा सततं घृणी
naayaṁ pāpasamācāro matto jīvitum iti | kintu śakyaṁ mayā kartuṁ yad rājā satataṁ ghṛṇī ||
ภีมเสนประกาศว่า “สุศรมาผู้ชั่วช้านี้ไม่สมควรหลุดจากมือข้าแล้วมีชีวิตอยู่ต่อไป แต่ข้าจะทำอะไรได้เล่า? พระราชาของเราทรงเปี่ยมด้วยพระเมตตาอยู่เสมอ”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between deserved punishment and royal compassion: personal wrath (even when justified) is restrained by dharma as embodied in the king’s consistent mercy.
After Suśarmā is brought before the assembled kings, Bhīma expresses that Suśarmā merits death and should not escape his hands, but he is constrained because the ruling king is habitually compassionate and does not permit such killing.
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