Shloka 10

Devanagari script

लोकपालो न तां वाचमुकक्‍त्वा मिथ्या करिष्यति । समक्ष बन्धुकृत्ये न तेन ते स्वस्थ मानसम्‌,“वे लोकपाल हैं। जब बात दे चुके हैं, तब उसे झूठी नहीं करेंगे। अतः स्वस्थ पुरुष! तुम्हारा मन अपने बच्चोंकी रक्षारूप बन्धुजनोचित कर्तव्यके पालनेके लिये उत्सुक नहीं है

Transliteration

lokapālo na tāṁ vācam uktvā mithyā kariṣyati | samakṣaṁ bandhukṛtye na tena te svastha mānasam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Il est un Lokapāla, gardien du monde. Une fois sa parole donnée, il ne la rendra pas mensongère. Ainsi, ô homme au jugement sain, que ton cœur soit en paix : il ne manquera pas au devoir envers les siens—et d’abord à la protection de ses propres enfants—accompli au grand jour, sans ruse ni tromperie.»

Word by Word

लोकपालःthe world-protector (Lokapāla)

नnot

ताम्that (speech/promise)

वाचम्speech, word, promise

उक्त्वाhaving said/given (his word)

मिथ्याfalsely, untruthfully

करिष्यतिwill do/make (it)

समक्षम्in the presence (of), before

बन्धुकृत्येin the duty of a kinsman

नnot

तेनby him/therefore/by that

तेyour

स्वस्थO composed/healthy one

मानसम्mind

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Lokapāla (world-guardian)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds satya (truthfulness) as a defining mark of righteous authority: one who is a Lokapāla-type protector does not break a pledged word, and dharma includes openly fulfilling kin-duty—especially safeguarding one’s dependents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reassures a listener that the divine/world-protecting figure who has given a promise will not act falsely; hence the listener should remain calm, trusting that the publicly acknowledged duty toward family (including protection of children) will be carried out.