Shloka 52

राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः

Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures

Devanagari script

नश्येदभिमृशन्‌ सद्यो मृग: कूटमिव स्पृशन्‌ | आत्मस्वमिव रक्षेत राजस्वमिह बुद्धिमान्‌

Transliteration

naśyed abhimṛśan sadyo mṛgaḥ kūṭam iva spṛśan | ātmasvam iva rakṣet rājasvam iha buddhimān |

Translation

ବସୁମନା କହିଲେ—ଲୁଚିଥିବା ଫାନ୍ଦକୁ ଛୁଇଁଲେ ସହସା ମୃଗ ନଶ୍ଟ ହୁଏ, ସେପରି ରାଜଧନକୁ ହାତ ଦେଇଥିବା ମଣିଷ ଶୀଘ୍ର ନଶ୍ଟ ହୁଏ। ତେଣୁ ବୁଦ୍ଧିମାନ ଲୋକ ଏହି ଜଗତରେ ନିଜ ଧନ ପରି ରାଜଧନକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• नश्येत्: would perish / should perish
• नश्येत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• अभिमृशन्: touching / laying hands on
• अभिमृशन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-मृश्
• Form: present active, masculine, nominative, singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• मृगः: a deer
• मृगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कूटम्: a trap / snare
• कूटम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• इव: like / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• स्पृशन्: touching
• स्पृशन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश्
• Form: present active, masculine, nominative, singular

• आत्मस्वम्: one's own property
• आत्मस्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मस्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• इव: like / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• राजस्वम्: the king's property/treasury
• राजस्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजस्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• बुद्धिमान्: wise (man)
• बुद्धिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वसुमना उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसुमना (Vasumanā)
• मृग (deer)
• कूट (hidden snare/trap)
• राजस्व (king’s property/treasury)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not appropriate royal/public wealth; treating the king’s revenue as protected property is a duty, and violating it brings swift ruin—like a deer caught by a hidden snare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasumanā delivers a moral warning using a vivid simile: just as a deer dies upon touching a concealed trap, so too a person who meddles with the king’s wealth meets immediate destruction; hence the wise should safeguard it as their own.