Shloka 36

Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa

Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment

Devanagari script

ततः स पृथिवीपालो लिखितस्य महात्मन: । करी प्रच्छेदयामास धृतदण्डो जगाम स:,तब उन भूपालने महामना लिखितके दोनों हाथ कटवा दिये। दण्ड पाकर लिखित वहाँसे चले गये

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālo likhitasya mahātmanaḥ | karī pracchedayāmāsa dhṛtadaṇḍo jagāma saḥ ||

Translation

Darauf befahl der Herrscher der Erde, dem edlen Likhita beide Hände abzutrennen. Nachdem er die Strafe empfangen hatte, verließ Likhita jenen Ort.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

सःhe

पृथिवीपालःthe king (protector of the earth)

लिखितस्यof Likhita

महात्मनःof the great-souled (man)

करीthe two hands

प्रच्छेदयामासcaused to be cut off / cut off

धृतदण्डःholding the staff (of punishment); having taken up punishment

जगामwent

सःhe (Likhita)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

व्यास (Vyāsa)

प

पृथिवीपाल (the king/ruler)

ल

लिखित (Likhita)

द

दण्ड (punishment)

क

करी/हस्त (hands)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rājadharma: a king must enforce lawful punishment without partiality, and the offender’s acceptance of the sentence reflects accountability and the ethical seriousness of transgression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates that the king orders Likhita’s hands to be cut off as punishment; after receiving the penalty, Likhita leaves, marking the completion of the judicial act.