Shloka 7
Vāmadeva’s Rājadharma: Norm-Setting, Counsel, and the Prevention of Rāṣṭra-Vināśa (वामदेव-प्रोक्तं राजधर्मम्)
यदि कोई राजा पहलेका उपकारी हो और किसी कारणवश वर्तमानकालमें द्वेष करने लगा हो तो उस समय जो भूपाल उसे युद्धमें बंदी बनाकर द्वेषवश उसका सम्मान नहीं करता, वह भी क्षत्रियधर्मसे गिर जाता है ।।
yadi ko rājā pūrvakopakārī syāt ca kasyacid kāraṇavaśāt vartamānakāle dveṣaṁ karoti, tadā yo bhūpālaḥ taṁ yuddhe bandī kṛtvā dveṣavaśāt tasya sammānaṁ na karoti, so 'pi kṣatriyadharmāt patati || śaktaḥ syāt susukho rājā kuryāt karaṇam āpadi | priyo bhavati bhūtānāṁ na ca viśraśyate śriyaḥ ||
Vāmadeva teaches that even when a king who was once a benefactor turns hostile for some reason, the ruler’s proper conduct remains bound to kṣatriya-dharma. If a king captures such an enemy in battle and, out of hatred, refuses him due honor, he too falls from the warrior’s code. A capable and well-established king should act decisively in times of crisis; by doing so he becomes dear to his subjects and his prosperity does not slip away.
वामदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hatred must not govern a king’s conduct: even toward a hostile former benefactor captured in war, denying due honor out of spite is a lapse from kṣatriya-dharma. Competent, timely action in crisis sustains public affection and preserves royal prosperity.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse on rājadharma, Vāmadeva addresses standards of royal behavior, especially in wartime and after victory. He warns that vindictive treatment of a captive enemy undermines the ruler’s dharmic standing and political stability.