Shloka 24

पाण्डोः प्रेतकार्य-सम्पादनम्

Pāṇḍu’s Funeral Rites and Public Mourning

Devanagari script

त्वया नृशंसकर्तार: पापाचाराश्न मानवा: । निग्राह्या: पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ त्रिवर्गपरिवर्जिता:,नृूपशिरोमणे! तुम्हारा कर्तव्य तो यह है कि धर्म, अर्थ और कामसे हीन जो पापाचारी मनुष्य कठोरतापूर्ण कर्म करनेवाले हों, उन्हें दण्ड दो

Transliteration

tvayā nṛśaṃsakartāraḥ pāpācārāś ca mānavāḥ | nigrāhyāḥ pārthivaśreṣṭha trivargaparivarjitāḥ nṛpaśiromaṇe ||

Translation

The deer said: “O best of kings, jewel among rulers—your duty is to restrain and punish those sinful men who commit cruel deeds and live by wicked conduct, being devoid of the three aims of life (dharma, artha, and kāma).”

Word by Word

त्वयाby you

नृशंसकर्तारःdoers of cruelty

पापाचाराःof sinful conduct

मानवाःmen, people

निग्राह्याःto be restrained/punished

पार्थिवश्रेष्ठO best of kings

त्रिवर्गपरिवर्जिताःdevoid of the three aims (dharma-artha-kama)

नृपशिरोमणेO crest-jewel of kings

Speaker

मृग उवाच

Characters & Entities

mṛga (the deer, speaker)

pārthiva (king addressed)

mānavāḥ (sinful men)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches rājadharma: a king must protect social order by restraining and punishing those who act cruelly and live in sin, especially when they have abandoned the guiding aims of dharma, artha, and kāma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A deer addresses a king with moral counsel, urging him to exercise royal authority against cruel, sinful people who disregard the proper goals of human life.