Shloka 20

Vāmadeva’s Rājadharma: Norm-Setting, Counsel, and the Prevention of Rāṣṭra-Vināśa (वामदेव-प्रोक्तं राजधर्मम्)

Devanagari script

अपकृत्य बलस्थस्य दूरस्थोस्मीति नाश्वसेत्‌ श्येनाभिपतनैरेते निपतन्ति प्रमाद्यतः

Transliteration

apakṛtya balasthasya dūrastho'smīti nāśvaset | śyenābhipatanair ete nipatanti pramādyataḥ ||

Translation

Vāmadeva said: “Having wronged one who is strong, one should not feel secure thinking, ‘I am far away.’ For like hawks swooping down, consequences can suddenly descend upon the careless.”

Word by Word

• अपकृत्य: having done harm
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपकृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• बलस्थस्य: of one who is in a position of strength
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दूरस्थः: being far away
• दूरस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूरस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, First, Singular

• इति: thus (thinking/quoting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• आश्वसेत्: should feel secure / should be confident
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

• श्येन-अभिपतनैः: by swoops/descents like those of a hawk
• श्येन-अभिपतनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येनाभिपतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• एते: these (ones)
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निपतन्ति: fall upon / swoop down
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + नि
• Form: Present, Third, Plural

• प्रमाद्यतः: from (one who is) careless / due to carelessness
• प्रमाद्यतः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमाद्यत् (प्रातिपदिक from धातु मद् with प्र + क्त/शतृ-प्रत्यय sense)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva
• śyena (hawk/falcon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not become complacent after harming a powerful person; distance does not guarantee safety, and the results of wrongdoing can strike suddenly—especially when one is negligent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instruction on conduct and prudence, Vāmadeva warns through a vivid simile: like hawks that suddenly swoop down, danger or retribution can swiftly reach a wrongdoer who relaxes merely because he is far away.