Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नैषां दारेषु कुर्वीत मैत्रीं प्राज्ञ. कदाचन । अन्तःपुरचरा ये च द्वेष्टि यानहिताश्न ये

Transliteration

naiṣāṁ dāreṣu kurvīta maitrīṁ prājñaḥ kadācana | antaḥpuracarā ye ca dveṣṭi yān ahitāśnaye ||

Translation

ବୁଦ୍ଧିମାନ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି କେବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପରସ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କ ସହ ଘନିଷ୍ଠ ମୈତ୍ରୀ କରିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ। ଯେମାନେ ଅନ୍ତଃପୁରରେ ଆସିଯାଆନ୍ତି, ଏବଂ ଯେମାନେ ଦ୍ୱେଷବଶତଃ ପରର ଅହିତ ଚାହାନ୍ତି—ସେମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ମଧ୍ୟ ସତର୍କ ରହିବା ଉଚିତ୍।

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• eṣām: of these (people)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• dāreṣu: in (their) wives
• dāreṣu: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• kurvīta: should make/do
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ
• Form: optative (vidhi-liṅ), parasmaipada, 3rd, singular

• maitrīm: friendship
• maitrīm: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitrī
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• prājña: O wise one
• Type: Noun
• Root: prājña
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• kadācana: ever/at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana

• antaḥpura-carāḥ: those who move about in the inner apartments (harem-dwellers)
• antaḥpura-carāḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antaḥpura-cara
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ye: who
• ye: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• dveṣṭi: hates
• Type: Verb
• Root: dviṣ
• Form: present (laṭ), parasmaipada, 3rd, singular

• yān: whom
• yān: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• ahita-aśnān: those who eat what is harmful / ill-wishers (lit. harmful-eaters)
• ahita-aśnān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ahita-aśnin
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• ye: who
• ye: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

धौग्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• धौग्य (Dhaumya)
• अन्तःपुर (inner palace/royal apartments)
• दारा (wives)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Maintain strict ethical boundaries: a prudent person avoids intimate association with others’ wives and remains wary of those who operate in secluded palace spaces or harbor malice, since such situations easily breed suspicion, intrigue, and harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhaumya is giving counsel on proper conduct and practical caution—warning against compromising relationships and against trusting those connected with inner-palace intrigues or those motivated by enmity.