पञ्चतंत्र - मित्रभेद - दण्ड

सामादिदण्डपर्यन्तो नयः प्रोक्तः स्वयंभुवा |
तेषां दण्डस्तु पापीयान् तं पश्चाद्विनियोजयेत् ||

- पञ्चतंत्र, मित्रभेद

The creator (of the world) has enumerated many ways deal with adversaries - starting from patience to punishment. Among them punishing/penalizing some one has some sin attached to it. Hence one must resort to punishment only as a last resort.

- Panchatantra, Mitrabheda