Shloka 9

Book 12, Chapter 93 — Vāmadeva’s Counsel to King Vasumanā on Dharmic Kingship (धर्मप्रधान-राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

असत्पापिष्ठसचिवो वध्यो लोकस्य धर्महा । सहैव परिवारेण क्षिप्रमेवावसीदति

Transliteration

asatpāpiṣṭhasacivo vadhyo lokasya dharmahā | sahaiva parivāreṇa kṣipramevāvāsīdati ||

Translation

Aquele cujos conselheiros são perversos e dos mais pecaminosos—digno de punição e destruidor do dharma do povo—cai depressa na ruína, juntamente com todo o seu séquito.

Word by Word

असत्wicked, bad

पापिष्ठ-सचिवःone whose minister is most sinful / a man with a very wicked adviser

वध्यःfit to be slain, deserving death

लोकस्यof the people/world

धर्महाdestroyer of dharma

सहtogether with

एवindeed, just

परिवारेणwith (his) retinue/family

क्षिप्रम्quickly

एवindeed

अवसीदतिperishes, sinks down, comes to ruin

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वामदेव (Vāmadeva)

ल

लोक (the people/world)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulership collapses when guided by wicked counsellors and when it harms public dharma; ethical governance and righteous advice are essential, otherwise downfall comes swiftly and spreads to one’s whole circle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāmadeva is instructing on rājadharma (the duties of rulers), warning that a leader who keeps sinful advisers and undermines the people’s moral order becomes punishable and rapidly meets ruin along with his entourage.