Shloka 13

Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

निबोध च यथा535तिष्ठ न्‌ धर्मान्न च्यवते नृूपः । निग्रहाद्‌ धर्मशास्त्राणामनुरुद्धान्नपेतभी:

Transliteration

nibodha ca yathā tiṣṭhan dharmān na cyavate nṛpaḥ | nigrahād dharmaśāstrāṇām anuruddhān na peta-bhīḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ധർമ്മത്തിൽ ദൃഢമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന രാജാവ് ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഴുതുകയില്ല. ധർമ്മശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ വിധിപ്രകാരം സംയമം പാലിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ അവൻ ശാസിതനായി നിലനിൽക്കും; ഭയത്തിലേക്കോ അധർമ്മപതനത്തിലേക്കോ വീഴുകയില്ല.”

Word by Word

निबोधknow, understand

चand

यथाhow, in what manner

तिष्ठन्standing, abiding

धर्मात्from dharma, from righteousness

नnot

च्यवतेdeviates, falls away

नृपःthe king

निग्रहात्from restraint, from control

धर्मशास्त्राणाम्of the dharma-texts / law-codes

अनुरुद्धात्from what is enjoined/ordained

नnot

अपेतभीःone whose fear has departed; fearless

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

nṛpa (king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler remains established in dharma by practicing nigraha (restraint) guided by Dharma-śāstra norms; disciplined self-control prevents ethical deviation and the destabilizing effects of fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana continues explaining principles of righteous rule, emphasizing that a king’s steadiness in dharma depends on regulated conduct aligned with authoritative ethical teachings.