Shloka 23
मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः
Determination of the Means to Liberation
वह तो मरघटमें जाकर मृत शरीरसे चिह्नभूत वस्त्र आदि उतार लाता है और देवताओंकी सम्पत्तिको भी लूट लेता है। जिनकी बुद्धि मारी गयी है, उन डाकुओंपर जो कोई विश्वास करता है, वह मूर्ख है ।।
humatsena uvāca: sa tu śmaśānaṁ gatvā mṛtaśarīrāt cihnabhūtāni vastrādīni apaharati, devatānāṁ sampattim api luṇṭhati. yeṣāṁ buddhir hatā, teṣu dasyuṣu yaḥ kaścid viśvasiti sa mūḍhaḥ. satyavān uvāca: tān na śaknoṣi cet sādhūn paritrātum ahiṁsayā, kasyacid bhūtabhavyasya lābhena antaṁ tathā kuru.
Sinabi ni Humatsena: “Pumupunta pa siya sa pook ng libingan at sinusunogang-lupa, hinuhubad mula sa bangkay ang mga kasuotang palatandaan at iba pa, at ninanakawan pa maging ang pag-aari ng mga diyos. Ang sinumang magtiwala sa gayong mga tulisan—mga taong wasak ang pag-unawa—ay isang hangal.” Sumagot si Satyavān: “Ama! Kung hindi ninyo kayang ipagtanggol ang mabubuti nang hindi pumapatay—kung hindi ninyo kayang, sa pamamagitan ng ahimsa, baguhin ang mga magnanakaw na iyon upang maging matutuwid at iligtas ang kanilang buhay—kung gayon, alang-alang sa kanilang tunay na kapakanan sa nakaraan, kasalukuyan, at hinaharap, wakasan ninyo sila, o wakasan ninyo ang kanilang pamumuhay bilang tulisan, sa pamamagitan ng isang angkop na paraan.”
हुमत्सेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Non-violence is ideal, but a ruler’s duty to protect the righteous remains paramount; if reform through ahiṁsā is not possible, one should end the harm—aiming at the wrongdoer’s long-term welfare—by an appropriate, dharmic measure.
Humatsena condemns the extreme impiety of bandits who steal even from corpses and from divine property, warning against trusting them. Satyavān then urges his father to protect good people: either reform the robbers without violence, or otherwise stop them decisively, with their ultimate welfare in view.