Shloka 15

Tapovana-praveśaḥ — The King’s Entry into the Sacred Grove and Vision of the Āśrama

Devanagari script

कामक्रोधोद्धवान्‌ दोषान्‌ निरस्य च नराधिपा: । धर्मेण दण्डं दण्ड्येषु प्रणयन्‍्तोडन्‍्वपालयन्‌,उन दिनों राजालोग काम और क्रोधजनित दोषोंको दूर करके दण्डनीय अपराधियोंको धर्मानुसार दण्ड देते हुए पृथ्वीका पालन करते थे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kāma-krodhoddhavān doṣān nirāsya ca narādhipāḥ | dharmeṇa daṇḍaṃ daṇḍyeṣu praṇayanto 'nvapālayan ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “In those days the kings, having cast off the faults born of desire and anger, upheld the earth by imposing punishment—upon those who deserved punishment—in accordance with dharma.”

Word by Word

कामक्रोधोद्भवान्arisen from desire and anger

दोषान्faults, vices

निरस्यhaving cast out, removing

चand

नराधिपाःkings, rulers of men

धर्मेणby/according to dharma (law, righteousness)

दण्डम्punishment

दण्ड्येषुamong those punishable (offenders)

प्रणयन्तःimposing, applying (punishment)

उर्वीम्the earth

अपालयन्they protected/ruled

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

narādhipāḥ (kings/rulers)

daṇḍa (punishment/rod of rule)

pṛthivī (earth, implied by 'protected/ruled')

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must first restrain inner vices—especially desire and anger—and then administer punishment only in accordance with dharma; ethical self-mastery is presented as the foundation of just governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes an earlier ideal order: kings removed kāma- and krodha-born faults and maintained the realm by righteously punishing those who were punishable, thereby protecting the earth.