Shloka 17

Jarāsandha’s Sieges and the Lord’s Human-Conforming Strategy

Rāja-dharma as Līlā

Devanagari script

साम चोपप्रदानं च तथा भेदं प्रदर्शयन् करोति दण्डपातं च क्वचिद् एव पलायनम्

Transliteration

sāma copapradānaṃ ca tathā bhedaṃ pradarśayan karoti daṇḍapātaṃ ca kvacid eva palāyanam

Translation

Employing conciliation, offering inducements, and, when needed, exposing divisions, he also brings down punishment—and at times chooses retreat alone.

Word by Word

• साम: conciliation
• साम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपप्रदानम्: gift/bribery (offering)
• उपप्रदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपप्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भेदम्: division/dissension
• भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• प्रदर्शयन्: showing/demonstrating
• प्रदर्शयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+दृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दण्डपातम्: infliction of punishment
• दण्डपातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दण्डस्य पातः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: sometimes/at some place)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पलायनम्: flight/retreat
• पलायनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To employ measured royal policy—conciliation, gifts, division, punishment, and strategic retreat—to neutralize threats and safeguard dharma.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Balanced rāja-nīti ensuring protection with minimal harm

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right governance uses graded means—sāma, dāna, bheda, daṇḍa, and even retreat—according to necessity, not impulsive force.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In conflict, escalate responsibly: begin with dialogue, then incentives, then boundary-setting, using force only when unavoidable; know when to step back.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s līlā includes adopting human instruments of rule while remaining the supreme controller beyond them.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Kings
• Ministers (implicit)
• Enemies/hostile powers (implicit)
• Dharma (implicit)

FAQs

What is the significance of the four upāyas (sāma, dāna, bheda, daṇḍa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the king’s toolkit for preserving dharma: persuasion, inducement, strategic division, and punishment—used proportionately to prevent disorder.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of retreat (palāyana) in governance?

Parāśara includes retreat as a legitimate, situational choice—withdrawal can be wiser than escalation when it ultimately protects the realm and restores stability.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even in political counsel, the Purāṇa frames rulership as service to dharma—an expression of Vishnu’s sustaining order—so power is justified only when aligned with preservation and restraint.