Shloka 34

कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः

Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative

Devanagari script

नैतादूक्‌ पुरुषो राजन क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मरन्‌

Transliteration

naitādūk puruṣo rājan kṣatradharmam anusmaran

Translation

Rāma said: “O King, a man who keeps the kṣatriya code of duty in mind does not speak in this manner.”

Word by Word

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

• एतादृक्: such (of this kind)
• एतादृक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतादृश्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: man, person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रधर्मम्: the duty/law of a kshatriya
• क्षत्रधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुस्मरन्: remembering, keeping in mind
• अनुस्मरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनुस्मृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One’s speech should align with one’s dharma: a person mindful of kṣatriya duty should not utter words that contradict courage, responsibility, and royal propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma addresses a king and rebukes a certain manner of speaking, asserting that such words are unfitting for someone who truly remembers and follows kṣatriya dharma.