Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ये च विंशतिवर्षा वा त्रिंशद्वर्षाश्न मानवा: । परेण ते वर्षशतान्न भविष्यन्ति पार्थिव,राजन! जो बीस या तीस वर्षकी उम्रवाले मनुष्य चोरी आदि कुकर्मोमें लग जाते हैं, वे सौ वर्षतक जीवित नहीं रह पाते

Transliteration

ye ca viṁśativarṣā vā triṁśadvarṣāś ca mānavāḥ | pareṇa te varṣaśatān na bhaviṣyanti pārthiva-rājan ||

Translation

Janaka berkata: “Wahai raja, orang yang ketika baru berusia dua puluh atau tiga puluh tahun sudah menempuh jalan mencuri dan perbuatan jahat yang lain, tidak akan hidup hingga genap seratus tahun.”

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

चand

विंशति-वर्षाःtwenty-year-old

वाor

त्रिंशद्-वर्षाःthirty-year-old

मानवाःmen, humans

परेणbeyond, after (by/with what is beyond)

तेthey

वर्ष-शतात्from (beyond) a hundred years

नnot

भविष्यन्तिwill be, will exist

पार्थिव-राजन्O king, earthly ruler

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

king (addressed as pārthiva/rājan)

mānavāḥ (men)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Early indulgence in adharma—such as theft—destroys one’s well-being and is portrayed as leading to a shortened life; ethical restraint is presented as protective and life-sustaining.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka addresses a ruler, offering moral counsel: he warns that young men who engage in criminal and unrighteous conduct do not attain a full lifespan, underscoring the king’s duty to uphold dharma.