Shloka 38

धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्

Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct

Devanagari script

धर्मदण्डो न निर्दण्डो धर्मकार्यानुशासक: । यन्त्रित: कार्यकरणै: षड़भागकृतलक्षण:

Transliteration

dharmadaṇḍo na nirdaṇḍo dharmakāryānuśāsakaḥ | yantritaḥ kāryakaraṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhāgakṛtalakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Hendaklah hukuman raja menjadi “tongkat dharma”, bukan ketiadaan hukuman. Ia harus menasihati dan menertibkan rakyat dalam pelaksanaan kewajiban benar. Terikat pada aturan dan tata cara dalam urusan kerajaan, hendaklah ia memegang tanda yang diakui: mengambil seperenam bagian (hasil/pendapatan) dari rakyat sebagai bagian raja.

Word by Word

• धर्मदण्डः: punishment in accordance with dharma
• धर्मदण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• निर्दण्डः: without punishment; not punishing
• निर्दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मकार्य: in matters of dharma-duty
• धर्मकार्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अनुशासकः: instructor; one who governs/commands
• अनुशासकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुशासक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यन्त्रितः: restrained; bound by rules
• यन्त्रितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यन्त्रित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कार्यकरणैः: by means of prescribed procedures for action
• कार्यकरणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्यकरण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• षड्भागकृतलक्षणः: having the rule/mark of taking a sixth share
• षड्भागकृतलक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड्भागकृतलक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)
• rājā (the king)
• daṇḍa (punishment/rod of governance)
• ṣaḍbhāga (one-sixth tax share)
• prajā (subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must uphold dharma through just punishment and moral instruction, remain constrained by lawful procedures in administration, and legitimately sustain the state by collecting the traditional one-sixth share from the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara is describing the standards of righteous kingship: the king should not abandon punishment, should guide subjects in dharmic conduct, should govern through regulated methods, and should take only the sanctioned revenue share (ṣaḍbhāga).