Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 216
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
न दातुमहसि त्वं नो भक्षणायास्य किल्विषम् | महाराज! उन निशाचरोंने राक्षसराजसे कहा--'प्रभो! इस नराधमका मांस दस्युओंको दे दिया जाय
na dātum arhasi tvaṃ no bhakṣaṇāyāsya kilviṣam | mahārāja! te niśācarā rākṣasarājāya ūcuḥ—“prabho! asya narādhamasya māṃsaṃ dasyubhyo dīyatām; asmān asya pāpaṃ bhakṣaṇāya mā dāḥ” iti | evaṃ sarve rākṣasā rākṣasarājasya caraṇeṣu mastakaṃ nidhāya prārthayām āsuḥ |
毗湿摩说道：“大王啊！那些夜行之众对罗刹之王说道：‘主上！请勿令我们因吞食此人而分担其罪。愿将这卑劣之人的肉交与盗贼；切莫把这等罪业赐作我们的食物。’于是，众罗刹皆在罗刹王足下俯首哀求。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those associated with violence recognize moral limits: one should not compel others to incur sin, and wrongdoing cannot be justified merely by appetite or power. Ethical responsibility includes refusing participation in an act perceived as sinful.
The night-roaming Rakshasas petition their king not to assign them the sinful act of eating a vile man; they suggest giving the flesh to bandits instead, and they plead humbly at the king’s feet.