Shloka 14

राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः

Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures

Devanagari script

हरेयुर्बलवन्तो5पि दुर्बलानां परिग्रहान्‌ । हन्युव््यायच्छमानां श्व यदि राजा न पालयेत्‌,यदि राजा प्रजाकी रक्षा न करे तो बलवान मनुष्य दुर्बलोंकी बहू-बेटियोंको हर ले जायाँ और अपने घरबारकी रक्षाके लिये प्रयत्न करनेवालोंको मार डालें

Transliteration

hareyur balavanto 'pi durbalānāṁ parigrahān | hanyur vyāyacchamānāṁś ca yadi rājā na pālayet ||

Translation

Vasumanā said: “If the king does not protect, then even the strong will seize the dependents and possessions of the weak, and they will even kill those who strive to defend their own households.”

Word by Word

• हरेयुः: would carry off / might seize
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Present (injunctive sense), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• बलवन्तः: the strong (men)
• बलवन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: even / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• दुर्बलानाम्: of the weak
• दुर्बलानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परिग्रहान्: possessions / dependents
• परिग्रहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हन्युः: would kill / might slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Present (injunctive sense), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• व्यायच्छमानान्: those who are striving/defending (themselves)
• व्यायच्छमानान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आ-यम् (धातु) + शानच्
• Form: शानच् (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पालयेत्: should protect / were to protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Present (injunctive sense), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वसुमना उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसुमना (Vasumanā)
• राजा (the king)
• बलवन्तः (the strong)
• दुर्बलाः (the weak)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a central principle of rājadharma: the king’s foremost duty is protection. When protection fails, power becomes exploitation—strong people seize the weak’s dependents and property, and violence escalates against those who resist.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of governance and social stability, Vasumanā argues that without royal protection and enforcement of order, society collapses into predation: the strong prey upon the weak, and defenders are killed.