Shloka 7

राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च

Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency

Devanagari script

अतोडन्यथा वर्तमानो राजा प्राप्रोति किल्बिषम्‌

Transliteration

atoḍaṇyathā vartamāno rājā prāpnoti kilbiṣam

Translation

Vyāsa said: A king who conducts himself contrary to proper restraint and discipline—governing by wrongful means—incurs moral fault and sin. Royal power is ethically accountable: deviation from righteous governance brings culpability rather than glory.

Word by Word

• अतोडन्: non-punishing / not inflicting chastisement
• अतोडन्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतोड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वर्तमानः: acting, behaving, conducting himself
• वर्तमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तमान (वृत्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृत्/√वर्त्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्नोति: attains, incurs
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (प्र +)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किल्बिषम्: sin, fault, demerit
• किल्बिषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• rājā (the king/ruler)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal authority must be exercised in accordance with dharma and proper restraint; when a king acts contrary to rightful discipline and ethical governance, he becomes morally culpable and incurs sin (kilbiṣa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is instructing on rājadharma in the Śānti Parva, warning that a ruler’s improper conduct—departing from the correct standard of governance—leads to blame and spiritual demerit.