Shloka 1
Vāmadeva’s Counsel on Rooted Kingship and Non-violent Victory (वामदेवोपदेशः—दृढमूलराजधर्मः)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत राजध्ानुशासनपर्वमें वामदेवगीताविषयक तिरानबेवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ९३ ॥। (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका १ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ४० श्लोक हैं) अपन क्ाा छा 2 चतुर्नवतितमो< ध्याय: वामदेवके उपदेशमें राजा और राज्यके लिये हितकर बर्ताव वामदेव उवाच अयुद्धेनैव विजयं वर्धयेद् वसुधाधिप: । जघन्यमाहुर्विजयं युद्धेन च नराधिप,वामदेवजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! राजा युद्धके सिवा किसी और ही उपायसे पहले अपनी विजय-वृद्धिकी चेष्टा करे; युद्धसे जो विजय प्राप्त होती है, उसे निम्न श्रेणीकी बताया गया है
Vāmadeva uvāca: ayuddhenaiva vijayaṃ vardhayet vasudhādhipaḥ | jaghanyam āhur vijayaṃ yuddhena ca narādhipa ||
Vāmadeva said: “O lord of the earth, a king should seek to expand his victories by means other than war. Victory gained through war, they say, is the lowest kind of victory.”
वामदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should prioritize non-violent, policy-based means—diplomacy, alliances, conciliation, just governance, and strategic restraint—to secure and expand success; victory achieved by war is considered ethically and practically inferior.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, the sage Vāmadeva addresses a king and begins advising him on conduct beneficial to the ruler and the realm, opening with the principle that war should not be the first resort.