Shloka 18

सेनापति-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डवसेनायाः कुरुक्षेत्रगमनम्

Decision on Command and the Pandavas’ March to Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तो5पि दुष्टात्मा नैव भागं व्यमुज्चत । दण्डं चतुर्थ पश्यामि तेषु पापेषु नान्यथा,मेरे इस प्रकार कहनेपर भी उस दुष्टात्माने राज्यका कोई भाग तुम्हारे लिये नहीं छोड़ा अर्थात्‌ देना नहीं स्वीकार किया। अब तो मैं उन पापियोंपर चौथे उपाय दण्डके प्रयोगकी ही आवश्यकता देखता हूँ, अन्यथा उन्हें मार्गपर लाना असम्भव है

Transliteration

evam ukto 'pi duṣṭātmā naiva bhāgaṁ vyamuñcata | daṇḍaṁ caturthaṁ paśyāmi teṣu pāpeṣu nānyathā ||

Translation

Even after I spoke thus, that wicked-souled man did not yield any share at all. Therefore, with regard to those sinful men, I see no alternative but the fourth course—punishment by force; otherwise it is impossible to bring them back to the right path.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'evam', 'definition': 'thus, in this manner'}, {'term': 'uktaḥ', 'definition': 'spoken to, addressed'}, {'term': 'api', 'definition': 'even, although'}, {'term': 'duṣṭātmā', 'definition': 'wicked-minded person

• one of corrupt disposition'}, {'term': 'naiva', 'definition': 'not at all'}, {'term': 'bhāga', 'definition': 'share, portion (especially of kingdom/rights)'}, {'term': 'vyamuñcata', 'definition': 'released, yielded, granted (did not yield)'}, {'term': 'daṇḍa', 'definition': 'punishment

• royal chastisement'}, {'term': 'caturtha', 'definition': 'fourth'}, {'term': 'paśyāmi', 'definition': 'I see, I deem'}, {'term': 'teṣu', 'definition': 'among/with regard to them'}, {'term': 'pāpeṣu', 'definition': 'sinful people

• wrongdoers'}, {'term': 'na anyathā', 'definition': 'not otherwise

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
• दुष्टात्मा (the wicked-souled person; implied opponent)
• दण्ड (punishment/force as a policy)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When counsel and conciliation fail and the wrongdoer refuses even a just share, dharma may require daṇḍa—measured coercion or punishment—to restrain adharma and restore order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva reports that despite being advised, the wicked party would not grant any portion of the kingdom; hence he concludes that only the ‘fourth means’—daṇḍa (force/punitive action)—remains to deal with the sinners.