Shloka 8

Devanagari script

खनीनेत्रस्तु विक्रान्तो जित्वा राज्यमकण्टकम्‌ । नाशकद्‌ रक्षितुं राज्यं नान्वरज्यन्त तं प्रजा:,खनीनेत्र पराक्रमी होनेके कारण निष्कण्टक राज्यको जीतकर भी उसकी रक्षा न कर सका; क्योंकि प्रजाका उसमें अनुराग न था

Transliteration

khanīnetras tu vikrānto jitvā rājyam akaṇṭakam | nāśakad rakṣituṁ rājyam nānvarajyanta taṁ prajāḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: Though Khanīnetra was valiant and had conquered a kingdom free of thorns—without rival or obstruction—he could not preserve that rule, for the people did not grow devoted to him. The verse underscores that mere victory and force do not secure kingship; lasting sovereignty depends on the willing allegiance and affection of the subjects, earned through righteous governance.

Word by Word

खनीनेत्रःone whose eyes are like a khanī (i.e., khanī-eyed; a proper epithet/name)

तुbut/indeed

विक्रान्तःvaliant, mighty

जित्वाhaving conquered

राज्यम्kingdom

अकण्टकम्thornless; free from obstacles/enemies

नnot

अशकत्was able

रक्षितुम्to protect

राज्यम्the kingdom

नnot

अन्वरज्यन्तwere attached to / were devoted to

तम्him

प्रजाःthe subjects/people

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Khanīnetra

prajāḥ (the subjects/people)

rājya (the kingdom)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Conquest alone does not secure a kingdom; a ruler must win and sustain the subjects’ trust and affection through righteous, welfare-oriented governance. Without popular allegiance, even an uncontested realm becomes unstable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates an example: the warrior-king Khanīnetra, despite successfully conquering an unobstructed kingdom, fails to maintain it because the people do not become attached or loyal to him.