Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

अपि सर्वगुणैर्युक्त भर्तरें प्रियवादिनम्‌ । अभिद्रह्मृति पापात्मा न तस्माद्‌ विश्वसेज्जनात्‌

Transliteration

api sarvaguṇair yuktaṁ bhartāraṁ priyavādinam | abhidruhya tiṣṭhati pāpātmā na tasmād viśvasej janāt ||

Translation

ବାମଦେବ କହିଲେ—ସ୍ୱାମୀ ସର୍ବଗୁଣସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ଓ ସଦା ପ୍ରିୟବାଦୀ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପାପବୁଦ୍ଧି ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଅକାରଣେ ଦ୍ରୋହ କରିପାରେ; ତେଣୁ ଏପରି ଲୋକ ଉପରେ କେବେ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ କରିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सर्वगुणैः: with all virtues
• सर्वगुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वगुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• युक्तम्: endowed/possessed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• भर्तरम्: husband/master
• भर्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रियवादिनम्: one who speaks pleasantly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिद्रुह्यति: betrays/acts treacherously against
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रुह्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, अभि

• पापात्मा: a wicked-souled person
• पापात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तस्मात्: from him/therefore (from that person)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• विश्वसेत्: should trust
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् + वस् (विश्वस्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जनात्: from a person/with regard to a person
• जनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva
• bhartā (master/lord)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral character is revealed by loyalty and gratitude: a person who can betray a virtuous, kind-speaking master without cause is fundamentally untrustworthy, so one should not rely on such a person.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and prudence, Vāmadeva offers a cautionary maxim: even the best treatment by a worthy superior cannot prevent betrayal by a pāpātmā, hence wise people must be discerning about whom they trust.