Mahabharata 4.4.22 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 22
Dhaumya’s Counsel on Incognito Conduct in a Royal Household (राजवसतौ आचरण-निति)
यत्नाच्चोपचरेदेनमग्निवद् देववत् त्विह । अनुतेनोपचीर्णो हि हन्यादेव न संशय:
yatnāc copacared enam agnivad devavat tv iha | anutena upacīrṇo hi hanyād eva na saṁśayaḥ ||
Dhaumya said: “In this world, one should serve the king with vigilant care—do not stay too close to him, knowing him to be scorching like fire; and never treat him with contempt, knowing him to be like a god, capable of restraint and favor. Therefore, attend upon him diligently. There is no doubt: whoever serves a king with false and deceitful attentions is, one day, surely slain by him.”
धौग्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Serve a ruler with careful balance: keep respectful distance because royal power can burn like fire, yet never show contempt because the king can grant favor or restraint like a deity. Above all, avoid deceit; false service invites destruction.
Dhaumya delivers counsel on how one should behave in relation to a king—warning against both over-familiarity and disrespect, and emphasizing that hypocritical or deceitful attendance at court ultimately leads to punishment.
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