Shloka 34

इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्

Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration

Devanagari script

अरक्षितारो लुब्धाश्व॒ मानाहड्कारदर्पिता: । केवलं दण्डरुचयो भविष्यन्ति युगक्षये,कलियुगकी समाप्तिके समय वे प्रजाकी रक्षा तो करेंगे नहीं, उनसे रुपये ऐंठनेके लिये लोभ अधिक रखेंगे। सदा मान और अहंकारके मदमें चूर रहेंगे। वे केवल प्रजाको दण्ड देनेके कार्यमें ही रुचि रखेंगे

Transliteration

arakṣitāro lubdhāś ca mānāhaṅkāradarpitāḥ | kevalaṁ daṇḍarucayo bhaviṣyanti yugakṣaye ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “At the end of the age, rulers will cease to be protectors. Driven by greed, intoxicated with honor and ego, they will take pride in arrogance. Their only inclination will be toward punishment—using power not to safeguard the people, but to coerce and extract.”

Word by Word

अरक्षितारःnon-protectors; those who do not protect

लुब्धाःgreedy

मानाहङ्कारदर्पिताःpuffed up with pride and ego

केवलम्only; merely

दण्डरुचयःthose whose liking is for punishment

भविष्यन्तिwill become / will be

युगक्षयेat the end of the age (yuga)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

rulers (implicit)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Political power is legitimate only when grounded in protection (rakṣaṇa) and dharma. When rulers become greedy and ego-driven, they replace guardianship with coercion, turning daṇḍa into an instrument of exploitation rather than justice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing signs of yuga-decline (especially associated with Kali Yuga): leaders will abandon their protective duty, become proud and avaricious, and show interest chiefly in punishing and controlling people.