Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 29, Shloka 14
शुकसारणनिग्रहः / Ravana Rebukes Suka and Sārana; Spies Reconnoiter Rama’s Camp
अपध्वंसतगच्छध्वंसन्निकर्षाद्इतोमम ।नहिवांहन्तुमिच्छामिस्मराम्युपकृतानिवाम् ।।।।हतावेवकृतघ्नौतौमयिस्नेहपराङ्मुखौ ।
apadhvaṃsata gacchadhvaṃ sannikarṣād ito mama |
na hi vāṃ hantum icchāmi smarāmy upakṛtāni vām ||
hatāv eva kṛtaghnau tau mayi sneha-parāṅmukhau ||6.29.14||
Lumayas kayo—umalis kayo agad sa aking harapan. Ayaw ko kayong patayin, sapagkat naaalala ko ang mga paglilingkod na ginawa ninyo. Ngunit kayong dalawa, walang utang-na-loob at tumalikod sa pag-ibig sa akin, ay para na ring patay.
"You get away from here, disappear from here. On the contrary since I remember your earlier actions performed by you, I do not wish to kill you. Indeed, both of you are devoid of love and are ungrateful. You stand killed (already)."
FAQs
Dharma values gratitude and restraint, but also demands justice and truthfulness; condemning honest counsel as betrayal is a failure of righteous governance.
Rāvaṇa dismisses his messengers from his vicinity, sparing them due to past service but declaring them effectively condemned.
Restraint through remembrance of past help (a partial virtue), contrasted with the vice of pride that rejects inconvenient truth.