Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अप्रदाय द्विजातिभ्यो मात्सर्याविष्टचेतस: । वयं ते राजकलयो भविष्याम विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! यदि हमलोग ईर्ष्यायुक्त मनवाले होकर ब्राह्मणोंको घोड़े, गाय, दासी, सजी- सजायी हथिनी, गाँव, जनपद, खेत और घर आदिका दान नहीं करते हैं तो राजाओंमें कलियुग समझे जायँगे

Transliteration

apradāya dvijātibhyo mātsaryāviṣṭa-cetasaḥ | vayaṃ te rāja-kalayaḥ bhaviṣyāma viśāṃpate prajānātha |

Translation

Nakula said: “If, with minds seized by envy, we fail to give gifts to the twice-born—then, O lord of the people, O protector of subjects, we shall be regarded as ‘Kali among kings’.”

Word by Word

अप्रदायwithout giving / not having given

द्विजातिभ्यःto the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)

मात्सर्याविष्टचेतसःwhose minds are possessed by envy

वयम्we

तेof you / your

राजकलयःkalis among kings / kingly degenerates

भविष्यामःwe shall become

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

प्रजानाथO protector/lord of subjects

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

dvija (Brahmins)

Kali (as moral decline among kings)

viśāṃpati (addressed ruler)

prajānātha (addressed ruler)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s legitimacy is tied to rājadharma: overcoming envy and sustaining the social-religious order through dāna (generous giving), especially to dvijas. Refusing charity out of jealousy marks a king as ‘Kali-tainted’—a symbol of moral and political degeneration.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula warns the addressed ruler that if they, driven by mātsarya (envy), do not give appropriate gifts to the twice-born, they will be condemned as kings embodying Kali—i.e., rulers who undermine dharma and the welfare of subjects.