Shloka 70
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
दूषितं परदोषै्हिं गृह्नीते योडन्यथा शुचिम् । स्वयं संदूषितामात्य: क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति
dūṣitaṃ paradoṣaiḥ gṛhṇīte yo 'nyathā śucim | svayaṃ saṃdūṣitāmātyaḥ kṣipram eva vinaśyati ||
毗湿摩说：“君主若被他人所加的指控与过失所迷惑，竟惩罚本无罪而清净之人，便是在诽谤的污秽之下断案。如此之王——其大臣亦自腐败——必将迅速走向覆亡；因为判决不公，正摧毁王道之法的根基。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must not punish the innocent on the basis of others’ slander or unverified accusations; unjust punishment, especially under corrupt counsel, rapidly leads to the ruler’s downfall and the collapse of righteous governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about the ethics of rule and judgment, warning that a ruler who accepts defamatory reports and condemns the blameless—guided by tainted ministers—invites swift ruin.