Shloka 256

Devanagari script

जम्बुकस्य महाराज नीतिशास्त्रार्थदर्शिन: । कणिकने कहा--महाराज! इस विषयमें नीतिशास्त्रके तत््वको जाननेवाले एक वनवासी गीदड़का प्राचीन वृत्तान्त सुनाता हूँ, सुनिये

Transliteration

jambukasya mahārāja nītiśāstrārthadarśinaḥ | kaṇika uvāca—mahārāja! asmin viṣaye nītiśāstrasya tattvaṃ jānato vanavāsinaḥ prācīnaṃ vṛttāntaṃ śṛṇu ||

Translation

कणिक म्हणाला—“महाराज, ऐका. या विषयात मी वनात राहणाऱ्या एका कोल्ह्याची प्राचीन कथा सांगतो—जो नीतिशास्त्राचा मर्म जाणणारा होता—म्हणून राज्यनीती व सदाचाराचा अर्थ नीट उमगेल.”

Word by Word

• {'jambuka': 'jackal', 'mahārāja': 'great king

• royal address', 'nīti': 'policy

• statecraft', 'śāstra': 'treatise

• authoritative teaching', 'nītiśāstra': 'treatise on polity and ethics', 'artha': 'meaning

• aim', 'darśin': 'one who sees/understands

• discerning person', 'tattva': 'essence

• true principle', 'vanavāsin': 'forest-dweller

• one living in the woods', 'prācīna': 'ancient

• of old', 'vṛttānta': 'account

• episode', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)'}

Speaker

काणिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇika
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• Jambuka (jackal)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a didactic approach: ethical and political principles (nīti) are best conveyed through illustrative ancient narratives, here introduced via a jackal story meant to clarify practical counsel for a ruler.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇika addresses the king and announces that he will narrate an old episode concerning a forest jackal reputed for insight into the meaning of nītiśāstra, setting up a moral-political exemplum.