तद्वधस्तस्य हि श्रेयो यद्दोषाद्यात्यधः पुमान् ॥३७॥
sva-prÄṇÄn yaḥ para-prÄṇaiḥ
prapuṣṇÄty aghṛṇaḥ khalaḥ
tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyo
yad-doá¹£Äd yÄty adhaḥ pumÄn
The merciless, cruel person who nourishes his own life by taking other lives should be killed; otherwise that man goes to hell from that sin.
Killing him as punishment is best (tad-vadhah sreyah). Smrti says:
rajabhir dhrta-dandas tu krtva papani manavah |
vidhuta-kalmasa yanti svargam sukrtino yatha ||
Those who have committed sin, if punished by the king, become freed of that sin and go to Svarga like the pious.
If he is not killed, because of that sin (yad) he goes to hell.
