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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra cover

॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.22

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 22

कृतपापस्य राज्ञः दण्डविधानम्The punishment of a king who has sinned

Verse 22

गुरुदण्डं नैव राजा विदध्याल्लघुपापिषु । न लघुं गुरुपापेषु विना हेतुं विपर्यये ॥ २२ ॥

gurudaṇḍaṁ naiva rājā vidadhyāllaghupāpiṣu | na laghuṁ gurupāpēṣu vinā hētuṁ viparyayē || 22 ||

Translation

Without a reason for reversing it, a king should never give heavy punishment for light sins, nor light punishment for heavy ones.

Word by word

guru
heavy
daṇḍaṁ
punishment
na
not
ēva
ever
rājā
a king
vidadhyāt
(vidadhyāt) should give
laghu
light
pāpiṣu
for sins
laghuṁ
light
pāpēṣu
for sins
vinā
without
hētuṁ
a reason
viparyayē
for reversing

Meaning

Proportion is the rule; the exceptions follow.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

Now he forbids reversing the punishment, heavy punishment for a light sin and light punishment for a heavy sin, when there is no cause, with "guru" and the rest. Without a cause for reversal, a king should never impose heavy punishment on men of light sin, nor light punishment on men of heavy sin.