Shloka 46

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

करभारभयाद्‌ भीता गृहस्था: परिमोषका: | मुनिच्छञाकृतिच्छन्ना वाणिज्यमुपजीविन:

Transliteration

karabhārabhayād bhītā gṛhasthāḥ parimoṣakāḥ | municchadākṛticchannā vāṇijyam upajīvinaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana disse: “Temendo o perigo de ter de carregar fardos pesados, aqueles ladrões viviam exteriormente como chefes de família. Disfarçados sob a aparência de ascetas, ganhavam a vida com o comércio — usando papéis respeitáveis como cobertura para o furto.”

Word by Word

करभारभयात्from fear of camels

भीताःfrightened

गृहस्थाःhouseholders

परिमोषकाःrobbers, plunderers

मुनिच्छद्माकृतिच्छन्नाःdisguised, concealed with the appearance/guise of sages

वाणिज्यम्trade, commerce

उपजीविनःliving by, subsisting on

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

robbers (parimoṣakāḥ)

householders (gṛhasthāḥ)

ascetics/sages (muni)

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?

The verse highlights adharma through hypocrisy: criminals adopt socially respected identities (householder, ascetic, merchant) as a protective disguise. It warns that outward marks of dharma can be misused, so ethical judgment must consider conduct, not merely appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a group of robbers who, fearing the risks of overt banditry and hard carrying-work, conceal their true nature. They present themselves as respectable householders and even as ascetics in appearance, while sustaining themselves through trade as a cover.