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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.50
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 50
- naino rājñaḥ prajā-bhartur
- dharma-yuddhe vadho dviṣām
- iti me na tu bodhāya
- kalpate śāsanaṁ vacaḥ
nanever — never; enaḥsins — sins; rājñaḥof the king — of the king; prajāof one who is engaged in the maintenance of the citizens-bhartuḥof one who is engaged in the maintenance of the citizens — of one who is engaged in the maintenance of the citizens; dharmafor the right cause — for the right cause; yuddhein the fight — in the fight; vadhaḥkilling — killing; dviṣāmof the enemies — of the enemies; itiall these — all these; mefor me — for me; nanever — never; tubut — but; bodhāyafor satisfaction — for satisfaction; kalpatethey are meant for administration — they are meant for administration; śāsanaminjunction — injunction; vacaḥwords of — words of.
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.
Mahārāja 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.