Shloka 14

Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

“मेरी वह बात सुनो, जिसके अनुसार चलनेवाला राजा धर्मसे नीचे नहीं गिरता। धर्मशास्त्रोंकी आज्ञाका उल्लंघन करनेसे राजाका पतन हो जाता है और यदि धर्मशास्त्रका अनुसरण करता है तो वह निर्भय होता है ।। कामक्रोधावनादृत्य पितेव समदर्शन: । शास्त्रजां बुद्धिमास्थाय युज्यते नैनसा हि सः,“जो काम और क्रोधकी अवहेलना करके शास्त्रीय विधिका आश्रय ले सर्वत्र पिताके समान समदृष्टि रखता है, वह कभी पापसे लिप्त नहीं होता

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kāma-krodhāv anādṛtya pitevā samadarśanaḥ | śāstra-jāṁ buddhim āsthāya yujyate nainasā hi saḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “A king who disregards lust and anger, looks upon all with the even gaze of a father, and grounds his judgment in the wisdom born of the śāstras, does not become tainted by sin. By violating the commands of dharma-śāstra a ruler falls; by following them he stands fearless and secure in righteousness.”

Word by Word

कामdesire

क्रोधौanger (and the other, i.e., desire and anger)

अनादृत्यhaving disregarded

पिताa father

इवlike, as

समदर्शनःone of equal vision (impartial)

शास्त्रजाम्born of scripture; scriptural

बुद्धिम्understanding, intelligence

आस्थायhaving resorted to, having adopted

युज्यतेis engaged / is devoted

नnot

एनसाby sin; with sin

हिindeed, for

सःhe

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

king (rājā)

śāstra (dharma-śāstra)

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 remains free from moral downfall by restraining desire and anger, judging all impartially like a father, and basing decisions on dharma-śāstra; obedience to śāstra brings fearlessness, while violation leads to ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Vaiśampāyana continues the didactic discourse by stating the qualities and discipline that keep a king steady in dharma and prevent political and spiritual collapse.