Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9 - Chapter 1 - Verse 30

Sanskrit:

सोऽयं ब्रह्मर्षिवर्यस्ते राजर्षिप्रवराद् विभो ।कथमर्हति धर्मज्ञ वधं पितुरिवात्मज: ॥ ३० ॥

ITRANS:

so ’yaṁ brahmarṣi-varyas terājarṣi-pravarād vibhokatham arhati dharma-jñavadhaṁ pitur ivātmajaḥ

Translation:

My lord, you are completely aware of the religious principles. As a son never deserves to be killed by his father, here is a brāhmaṇa who should be protected by the king, and never killed. How does he deserve to be killed by a rājarṣi like you?

Purport:

The word rājarṣi refers to a king who behaves like a ṛṣi, or sage. Such a king is also called naradeva because he is considered a representative of the Supreme Lord. Because his duty is to rule the kingdom to maintain brahminical culture, he never desires to kill a brāhmaṇa. Generally, a brāhmaṇa, woman, child, old man or cow is never regarded as punishable. Thus the wife of the brāhmaṇa requested the King to refrain from this sinful act.