Shloka 22
Sāvitrī’s Report and Nārada’s Prognosis (सावित्र्याख्यान—सत्यवान्-गुणवर्णनं तथा अल्पायुषः पूर्वसूचना)
राजोवाच वरं ददानि ते हन्त तद् गृहाण यदिच्छसि । अवध्यो वध्यतां कोडउ्द्य वध्य: कोउ्द्य विमुच्यताम्
rājovāca varaṃ dadāni te hanta tad gṛhāṇa yad icchasi | avadhyo vadhyatāṃ ko 'dya vadhyaḥ ko 'dya vimucyatām |
国王说道：“来吧，我赐你一愿——你想要什么尽管取。告诉我：今日我当依你之言，惩罚谁——纵使他本不当受罚；又释放谁——纵使他本当受罚？（但说无妨，必如所言。）”此言将王权描绘为可凭裁量而行，却也暗中考验：所求之事究竟合乎达摩，还是出于一时冲动与偏私。
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s power to punish or release is immense and must be exercised through dharma. The verse highlights how a ‘boon’ can become an ethical test: the request should not subvert justice, and the king’s discretion must be restrained by righteous norms rather than personal preference.
A king offers a boon and invites the recipient to state any desire. He explicitly extends this to judicial acts—punishing someone normally exempt or freeing someone normally punishable—thereby signaling both his authority and the moral weight of what the recipient might ask.