Shloka 6

Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi

Sanskrit

इष्टापूर्तविनाशाय तद्राज्ञश्चौरधर्मिणः ।

यद्यन्यैः पालयते लोकस्तद्वृत्तयन्तरसंश्रितैः ॥

Transliteration

iṣṭāpūrta-vināśāya tad rājñaś caura-dharmiṇaḥ /

yad yanyaiḥ pālyate lokas tad vṛttay antarasaṃśritaiḥ

Translation

Le roi qui se conduit comme un voleur entraîne la ruine de ses mérites d’iṣṭa et de pūrta; car si le peuple est protégé par d’autres—ceux qui vivent par d’autres moyens—alors ce que le roi prélève est un vol.

Word by Word

• इष्टापूर्त-विनाशाय: for the destruction of sacrifices and charities
• इष्टापूर्त-विनाशाय: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + आपूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इष्टापूर्तयोः विनाशः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; used correlatively with यद् (in next line)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• चौर-धर्मिणः: of (a king) having the conduct of a thief
• चौर-धर्मिणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; qualifying राज्ञः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चौरस्य धर्मः यस्य)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable conditional particle (निपात)

• अन्यैः: by others
• अन्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• पाल्यते: is protected/maintained
• पाल्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Passive voice (कर्मणि), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• लोकः: the people/world
• लोकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; passive subject

• तत्: then that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; correlating with यदि-clause

• वृत्ति-अन्तर-संश्रितैः: by those resorting to other livelihoods/means
• वृत्ति-अन्तर-संश्रितैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + संश्रित (प्रातिपदिक; PPP of सम्+श्रि)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; qualifying अन्यैः; compound sense: 'resorting to other means of livelihood'

Speakers

• Narrative voice conveying rājadharma doctrine

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "dharma", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Iṣṭa-pūrta
• Misrule as theft
• Merit destruction
• Legitimacy of taxation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

A ruler’s moral legitimacy depends on delivering protection. Without that, revenue-taking is equated to theft and destroys the ruler’s accumulated religious merit.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma/nīti instruction within vaṃśānucarita; it also touches the Purāṇic concern with karma (puṇya-kṣaya).

What is the esoteric significance?

Iṣṭa-pūrta represent ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ capital of dharma. The verse implies adharma governance consumes both spiritual and material reserves, leaving the polity hollow.