Verse 8.12

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

धर्मो विद्धस्त्वधर्मेण सभां यत्रोपतिष्ठते ।
शल्यं चास्य न कृन्तन्ति विद्धास्तत्र सभासदः ॥ १२ ॥

dharmo viddhastvadharmeṇa sabhāṃ yatropatiṣṭhate |
śalyaṃ cāsya na kṛntanti viddhāstatra sabhāsadaḥ || 12 ||

In a court where Justice is pierced by Injustice, and the members of the Court do not remove that dart, these members also become pierced.—(12)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

[The Bhāṣya has nothing to say on this verse.]

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra, 5a and 10b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Śukranīti (4.5.16).—‘The King who does not perform his civic duties well certainly rots in hell.’

Nārada (3.89),—‘Where justice is slain by injustice and truth by falsehood, the members of the court, who look on with indifference, become doomed to destruction. When justice, hit by injustice, enters a court, and the members do not extract the dart from the wound, they are hit by it themselves.’

Bṛhaspati (1. 34-36).—‘Of the Tree of Justice, the Brāhmaṇa is the root, the King is the stem and branches, the ministers are its loaves and blossoms, just government is its fruit;—renown and wealth are the sap of its fruit; a dignified station, invincibility, esteem among men, and eternal residence in Heaven constitute the enjoyment of its fruit.—Having recognised these advantages in justice, the King should be equitable towards litigants, and should pass a just sentence, discarding avarice and other evil propensities.’

Kātyāyana (Smṛticandrikā, p. 47).—‘Where a decision is taken by councillors against the laws, there justice is slain by injustice. If the king happens to be inclined to act unjustly, the councillors shall not remain neutral; if they do remain neutral, they become degraded.’