Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यथा सैरन्ध्रिदोषेण न ते राजन्निदं पुरम्‌ । विनाशमेति वै क्षिप्रं तथा नीतिर्विधीयताम्‌,“अतः राजन! आप शीघ्र ही कोई ऐसी नीति अपनावें, जिससे सैरन्ध्रीके दोषसे आपका यह नगर नष्ट न हो जाय”

Transliteration

yathā sairandhrī-doṣeṇa na te rājann idaṃ puram | vināśam eti vai kṣipraṃ tathā nītir vidhīyatām ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O King, adopt a prudent course at once, so that this city of yours does not quickly fall into ruin because of the fault connected with the Sairandhrī (the maidservant).”

Word by Word

यथाjust as

सैरन्ध्री-दोषेणby/through the fault concerning the maid (Sairandhrī)

नnot

तेof you/your

राजन्O king

इदम्this

पुरम्city

विनाशम्destruction

एतिgoes/comes (to), meets

वैindeed

क्षिप्रम्quickly

तथाso, in that manner

नीतिःpolicy, course of action

विधीयताम्let (it) be arranged/ordained; should be done

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

King (Virāṭa implied)

Sairandhrī

the city (Virāṭa’s capital implied)

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?

A ruler must respond swiftly and wisely to a moral and political fault within the palace, because private misconduct can escalate into public catastrophe; timely nīti (sound policy) protects the realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a warning to the king that the situation involving the Sairandhrī (the maidservant figure) contains a dangerous ‘fault’ that could rapidly bring ruin upon the city unless immediate corrective policy is adopted.