दायभागकथनम्The law of inheritance
Verse 127
न दण्डार्हः प्रतिनिधिस्तथा दूतोऽपि सुव्रते । नियोक्तृकृतदोषेण विधिरेष सनातनः ॥ १२७ ॥
na daṇḍārhaḥ pratinidhistathā dūtō’pi suvratē | niyōktṛkṛtadōṣēṇa vidhirēṣa sanātanaḥ || 127 ||
Translation
A representative is not to be punished, nor an envoy, O you of good vows, for a fault of the one who sent him: this is the eternal rule.
Word by word
- na
- not
- daṇḍa
- punishment
- arhaḥ
- (arhaḥ) deserving
- pratinidhiḥ
- (pratinidhiḥ) a representative
- tathā
- nor
- dūtaḥ
- (dūtaḥ) an envoy
- api
- also
- suvratē
- O you of good vows
- niyōktṛ
- by the one who sent
- kṛta
- committed
- dōṣēṇa
- for a fault
- vidhiḥ
- (vidhiḥ) the rule
- ēṣaḥ
- (eṣaḥ) this
- sanātanaḥ
- (sanātanaḥ) eternal
Meaning
The agent is not liable for his principal's offence.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
But are the representative and the envoy to be punished for an offence committed by the one who directs them? To that he says "na" and the rest. O you of good vows (suvratā), endowed with fair observances, for a fault committed by the one who appointed him, an offence done by the one who directs him, the representative is not to be punished, nor likewise the envoy (dūta), the messenger. This is the eternal (sanātana), constant, rule, the ordinance.