Shloka 30

Adhyāya 208: Aṅgirasī-kanyāḥ

Enumeration of Aṅgiras’ daughters and attribute-names

Devanagari script

सुयुक्तचारो नृपति: सर्व धर्मेण पश्यति | श्रीक्ष राज्यं च दण्डश्ष क्षत्रियाणां द्विजोत्तम,विप्रवर! राजा जनकने सब ओर गुप्तचर लगा रखे हैं, अतः उनके द्वारा वे धर्मानुसार सबपर दृष्टि रखते हैं। सम्पत्तिका उपार्जन, राज्यकी रक्षा तथा अपराधियोंको दण्ड देना--ये क्षत्रियोंके कर्तव्य हैं

Transliteration

suyuktacāro nṛpatiḥ sarvaṃ dharmeṇa paśyati | śrīkṣa rājyaṃ ca daṇḍaś ca kṣatriyāṇāṃ dvijottama ||

Translation

The hunter said: “A king, having well-arranged intelligence and surveillance, observes everything in accordance with dharma. Prosperity, the protection of the kingdom, and the administration of punishment—these, O best of the twice-born, are the proper duties of kṣatriyas.”

Word by Word

• {'suyukta-cāraḥ': 'having well-organized spies/agents

• well-arranged surveillance', 'nṛpatiḥ': 'king

• ruler', 'sarvam': 'everything

• all matters/people', 'dharmeṇa': 'according to dharma

• by righteousness/law', 'paśyati': 'sees

• oversees', 'śrī': 'prosperity

• welfare', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• realm', 'daṇḍaḥ': 'punishment

• the rod of law', 'kṣatriyāṇām': 'of kṣatriyas (the warrior-ruler class)', 'dvijottama': 'best of the twice-born (honorific for a brāhmaṇa)'}

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• vyādha (the hunter, speaker)
• nṛpati (the king)
• kṣatriya (warrior-ruler class)
• dvijottama (brāhmaṇa addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches rājadharma: a ruler must govern through dharma—maintaining prosperity, protecting the realm, and applying daṇḍa (lawful punishment) when needed. Surveillance/intelligence is presented as a legitimate tool when aligned with righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva’s dialogue where the hunter instructs a brāhmaṇa, he explains how a king can ‘see’ and manage the kingdom: by properly organized agents and by fulfilling the kṣatriya’s responsibilities—welfare, protection, and justice.