Shloka 33
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
सुद्युग्न उवाच प्रमाणं चेन्मतो राजा भवतो दण्डधारणे । अनुज्ञायामपि तथा हेतु: स्याद् ब्राह्मणर्षभ
sudyumna uvāca pramāṇaṃ cenmato rājā bhavato daṇḍadhāraṇe | anujñāyām api tathā hetuḥ syād brāhmaṇarṣabha ||
苏丢牟那说道：“婆罗门之最胜者啊，若你以国王为执掌刑罚之正当权威，那么同一权威亦可赦免并准你离去。你所援引以为受罚之根据的原则，也应同样成为获释之根据。”
सुद्युग्न उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate authority must be applied consistently: if the king is accepted as the standard for punishment (daṇḍa), then the king’s power to forgive and grant leave is equally valid. Dharma in governance includes both chastisement and mercy.
Sudyumna addresses a revered Brahmin and argues from the Brahmin’s own premise: acknowledging royal authority in administering punishment necessarily implies acknowledging royal authority to pardon and permit departure as well.