Shloka 10

राजधर्मः—राष्ट्ररक्षणं, दण्डनीतिः, हयग्रीवोपाख्यानम्

Royal Duty: Protection, Penal Policy, and the Hayagrīva Exemplum

Devanagari script

नाकालमत्ता: खगपन्नगाश्न मृगद्विपा: शैलमृगाश्न लोके । नाकालत: स्त्रीषु भवन्ति गर्भा नायान्त्यकाले शिशिरोष्णवर्षा:,लोकमें पक्षी, सर्प, जंगली मृग, हाथी और पहाड़ी मृग भी समय आये बिना मतवाले नहीं होते हैं। असमयमें स्त्रियोंके गर्भ नहीं रहते और बिना समयके सर्दी, गर्मी तथा वर्षा भी नहीं होती है

Transliteration

nākālamattāḥ khaga-pannagāś ca mṛga-dvipāḥ śaila-mṛgāś ca loke | nākālataḥ strīṣu bhavanti garbhā na yānty akāle śiśiroṣṇa-varṣāḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: In this world, birds and serpents, wild beasts and elephants, and even the deer of the mountains do not become frenzied except in their proper season. Women do not conceive out of season, and winter, summer, and the rains do not arrive before their appointed time. Thus, the order of time governs all beings; one should act with patience and discernment, not in haste or disorder.

Word by Word

नnot

अकालमत्ताःintoxicated/maddened at an improper time

खगपन्नगाश्नाःbird- and serpent-eaters (beasts that eat birds and snakes)

मृगद्विपाःdeer- and elephant-(like) beasts / beasts among deer and elephants

शैलमृगाश्नाःmountain-deer-eaters

लोकेin the world

नnot

अकालतःout of season; at an improper time

स्त्रीषुin women

भवन्तिoccur; come to be

गर्भाःpregnancies; embryos

नnot

आयान्तिcome; arrive

अकालेat an improper time; out of season

शिशिरोष्णवर्षाःwinter, heat (summer), and rains

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

birds (khaga)

serpents (pannaga)

wild animals/deer (mṛga, śaila-mṛga)

elephants (dvipa)

women (strī)

seasons: winter (śiśira), summer (uṣṇa), rains (varṣā)

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?

That kāla (time/season) governs the world through a fixed order: even powerful creatures and natural forces follow their proper season. Therefore human action should respect timing, restraint, and the rhythms of dharma rather than impulsive haste.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is instructing by analogy: he points to animals’ seasonal frenzy, women’s conception, and the regular arrival of winter, summer, and rains to show that nothing meaningful occurs out of its proper time—implying that wise counsel and conduct must align with appropriate circumstances.