Sanskrit quote nr. 24 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)
Sanskrit text:
अकर्तव्यं न कर्तव्यं प्राणैः कण्ठगतैरपि ।
कर्तव्यमेव कर्तव्यं प्राणैः कण्ठगतैरपि ॥akartavyaṃ na kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi |
kartavyameva kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi ||⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⎼⏒¦¦⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⏑⏒¦¦
⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⎼⏒¦¦⏒⏒⏒⏒¦⏑⎼⏑⏒¦¦Meter name: Śloka; Type: pathyā (‘normal’); 8 syllables per quarter (pāda).
Primary English translation:
“Whatever is not right to be done, must never be done even on pain of death; and what is right to do, must be done even if one should die for the same.”
(translation by B. C. Dutt)
Secondary translations:
“Was man nicht thun soll, das thue man nicht, ständen Einem such die Lebensgeister schon in der Kehle; was man aber thun soll, das thue man, ständen Einem auch die Lebensgeister schon in der Kehle (um hinauszufahreu)”
(translation by Otto Böhtlingk)
