Shloka 20
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
दस्यूनां दीयतामेष साध्वद्य पुरुषाधम:
dasyūnāṃ dīyatām eṣa sādhv adya puruṣādhamaḥ, na dātum arhasi tvaṃ no bhakṣaṇāyāsya kilviṣam |
毗湿摩说道：“今日就把这卑劣之人交给达萨/达修（dāsa/dasyu）吧。切莫强迫我们吞食他，以致因食其肉而招致罪业。”说罢，所有夜行的罗刹都在罗刹王足下俯首叩拜，恳切哀求。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those portrayed as fierce (rākṣasas) recognize moral accountability: one should not be forced into an act that brings 'kilviṣa' (sin). The verse highlights ethical agency and the idea that wrongdoing contaminates the doer, so restraint and right allocation of punishment/food are framed as dharmic concerns.
A group of rākṣasas address their king, urging him to give the 'puruṣādhama' (vile man) to the dasyus instead, and to spare them the sinful act of eating him. They then bow at the king’s feet and make a collective supplication.