नैनो राज्ञः प्रजाभर्तुर्धर्मयुद्धे वधो द्विषाम् ।
इति मे न तु बोधाय कल्पते शासनं वचः ॥५०॥

naino rÄjñaḥ prajÄ-bhartur
dharma-yuddhe vadho dviá¹£Äm
iti me na tu bodhÄya
kalpate Å›Äsanaá¹ vacaḥ

1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LSB(1)

 na - never; enaḥ - sins; rÄjñaḥ - of the king; prajÄ-bhartuḥ - of one who is engaged in the maintenance of the citizens; dharma - for the right cause; yuddhe - in the fight; vadhaḥ - killing; dviá¹£Äm - of the enemies; iti - all these; me - for me; na - never; tu - but; bodhÄya - for satisfaction; kalpate - they are meant for administration; Å›Äsanam - injunction; vacaḥ - words of.


Text

There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.

Purport

MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira thought that although he was not actually involved in the administration of the kingdom, which was being carried on well by Duryodhana without harm to the citizens, he caused the killing of so many living beings only for his personal gain of the kingdom from the hands of Duryodhana. The killing was committed not in the course of administration but for the sake of self-aggrandizement, and as such he thought himself responsible for all the sins.