Shloka 106

Devanagari script

दुष्टो गृहीतस्तत्कारी तज्ज्ैर्दृष्ट: सकारण: । कच्चिन्न मुच्यते स्तेनो द्रव्यलोभान्नरर्षभ,नरश्रेष्ठ) कोई ऐसा दुष्ट चोर जो चोरी करते समय गृहरक्षकोंद्वारा देख लिया गया और चोरीके मालसहित पकड़ लिया गया हो, धनके लोभसे छोड़ तो नहीं दिया जाता?

Transliteration

duṣṭo gṛhītastatkārī tajjñair dṛṣṭaḥ sakāraṇaḥ | kaccin na mucyate steno dravyalobhān naraṛṣabha ||

Translation

Nārada nói: “Hỡi bậc trượng phu ưu tú, nếu một tên trộm gian ác bị bắt quả tang—bị người biết rõ sự việc trông thấy, có nguyên do và chứng cứ rành rẽ—ắt hẳn hắn không được thả chỉ vì tham của cải chứ? Có khi nào kẻ phạm tội như thế lại được buông tha vì hối lộ hay vì lòng ham tài vật không?”

Word by Word

दुष्टःwicked

गृहीतःcaught, seized

तत्that

कारीdoer (of that), perpetrator

तत्that

चand

एवindeed, just

दृष्टःseen

सकारणःwith evidence/with cause (i.e., with proof)

कच्चित्surely? is it the case that...?

नnot

मुच्यतेis released, is let go

स्तेनःthief

द्रव्यलोभात्from/for greed of wealth

नरर्षभO bull among men

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

thief (stena)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a standard of righteous governance: when guilt is evident and witnessed, justice should not be subverted by greed. Releasing a proven offender for wealth (bribes or personal gain) is presented as a moral failure and a breach of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada poses a pointed rhetorical question to a leading man/kingly figure, using the example of a thief caught red-handed. The question probes whether, in that realm, criminals are ever improperly freed due to desire for wealth—implicitly testing the integrity of administration and judgment.