Shloka 12
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
“देश और कालकी प्रतीक्षा करनेवाला जो राजा शास्त्रीय बुद्धिका आश्रय ले लुटेरोंके अपराधको धैर्यपूर्वक सहन करता है अर्थात् उनको दण्ड देनेमें जल्दी नहीं करता, समयकी प्रतीक्षा करता है, वह पापसे लिप्त नहीं होता ।।
deśa-kāla-pratīkṣī yo rājā śāstrīya-buddhim āśritaḥ | corāṇām aparādhaṁ dhairyeṇa sahate na ca daṇḍe tvarate kālam eva pratīkṣate sa pāpena na lipyate || ādāya bali-ṣaḍbhāgaṁ yo rāṣṭraṁ nābhirakṣati | pratigṛhṇāti tat pāpaṁ caturthāṁśena bhūmipaḥ ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：“君王若等待合宜之地与合宜之时，依凭圣典所教之明辨，以忍耐承受盗贼之罪行——也就是不急于施罚，而守候恰当的时机——便不为罪所染。然而，若统治者收取民众的赋税，即六分之一，却不护卫国土，则被说成要把他们恶行的四分之一当作罪孽担在自己身上。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal authority is justified only when paired with protection and prudent justice: a king should punish with timing and discernment, and if he collects the lawful one-sixth revenue but fails to safeguard the realm, he becomes morally liable—sharing in the people’s resulting harm and wrongdoing.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Vaiśampāyana reports a normative rule for kingship: patience and strategic timing in dealing with criminals avoids sinful overreach, while neglect of protection after taking taxes makes the ruler culpable for a portion of the ensuing sin.