Shloka 12

उतथ्योपदेशः—राजधर्मः, दर्पनिग्रहः, प्रजारक्षणम्

Utathya’s Instruction: Royal Dharma, Restraint of Pride, Protection of Subjects

Devanagari script

न वेदानधिगच्छन्ति व्रतवन्तो द्विजातय: । न यज्ञांस्तन्वते विप्रा यदा पापो न वार्यते

Transliteration

na vedān adhigacchanti vratavanto dvijātayaḥ | na yajñāṁs tanvate viprā yadā pāpo na vāryate ||

Translation

Utathya said: When wrongdoing is not checked and restrained, even disciplined twice-born students abandon the study of the Vedas, and the Brahmins are unable to carry out sacrificial rites. The verse warns that tolerating sin corrodes the foundations of learning and ritual, and thus undermines dharma in society.

Word by Word

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

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अधिगच्छन्ति: attain/learn (study)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• व्रतवन्तः: vow-observing
• व्रतवन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रतवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• यज्ञान्: sacrifices
• यज्ञान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तन्वते: perform/extend (carry out)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• पापः: sin/evil (personified)
• पापः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• वार्यते: is restrained/checked/warded off
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Passive

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Utathya
• Vedas
• dvijātis (twice-born)
• vipras (Brahmins)
• yajñas (sacrifices)
• pāpa (wrongdoing)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

If wrongdoing is allowed to continue unchecked, it destroys the conditions necessary for dharma: students lose the will or safety to pursue Vedic learning, and priests cannot sustain sacrificial practice. Restraining pāpa is presented as a prerequisite for preserving religious and ethical life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Utathya is instructing about the consequences of failing to curb sin in society. He frames moral enforcement as essential to maintaining the institutions of Vedic study and yajña, implying that societal leadership must prevent wrongdoing to protect dharma.