Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 100: Rāma Instructs Bharata About the Duties of a KingText 2.100.58
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 100: Rāma Instructs Bharata About the Duties of a King
Text 2.100.58
गृहीतश्चैव पृष्टश्च काले दृष्टः सकारणः।
कच्चिन्न मुच्यते चोरो धनलोभान्नरर्षभ।।
gṛhītaś caiva pṛṣṭaś ca kāle dṛṣṭaḥ sakāraṇaḥ
kaccin na mucyate coro dhana-lobhān nara-rṣabha
gṛhītaḥ ca eva = caught; pṛṣṭaḥ = interrogated; ca = and then; kāle = at the time of his theft; dṛṣṭaḥ = who has been witnessed; sakāraṇaḥ = red-handed; kaccit = I hope that; na = is not; mucyate = released; coraḥ = a thief; dhana-lobhāt = out of greed for wealth; nara-ṛṣabha = O prince.
O prince, I hope that a thief who has been witnessed, caught red-handed at the time of his theft and then interrogated is not released out of greed for wealth.
“Out of greed for wealth” means “out of greed for the stolen money that the thief promises to give the police officer.”