Shloka 6

Vāmadeva’s Rājadharma: Norm-Setting, Counsel, and the Prevention of Rāṣṭra-Vināśa (वामदेव-प्रोक्तं राजधर्मम्)

Devanagari script

द्विषन्तं कृतकल्याणं गृहीत्वा नृपतिं रणे । यो न मानयते द्वेषात क्षत्रधर्मादपैति सः

Transliteration

dviṣantaṃ kṛtakalyāṇaṃ gṛhītvā nṛpatiṃ raṇe | yo na mānayate dveṣāt kṣatradharmād apaiti saḥ ||

Translation

戦場にて、敵意を抱く王を捕らえたとしても、その王がかつて自分に何らかの恩恵や善き奉仕を与えた者であるなら、憎しみゆえにこれを敬い遇することを拒む者は、クシャトリヤのダルマから外れる。

Word by Word

• द्विषन्तम्: hating; hostile
• द्विषन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विष् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृतकल्याणम्: one who has done good (a benefactor)
• कृतकल्याणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतकल्याण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गृहीत्वा: having seized/taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• नृपतिम्: king
• नृपतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• मानयते: honors; shows respect
• Type: Verb
• Root: मान् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• द्वेषात्: from hatred; out of hatred
• द्वेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• क्षत्रधर्मात्: from the duty of a kshatriya
• क्षत्रधर्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अपैति: departs; falls away
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-इ (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वामदेव (Vāmadeva)
• नृपति (a king)
• राण/रण (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A kṣatriya must uphold honor and fairness even toward an enemy; if the enemy has done one good turn, hatred should not erase gratitude or proper respect. Letting personal malice govern one’s conduct is a deviation from kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāmadeva states a rule of conduct for warriors: when a king is captured in battle, the captor should not, out of sheer hatred, deny him due honor—especially if that enemy had previously done some good. The verse frames this as a test of adherence to the warrior code.