Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 56
Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
न तेषु देशेषु वसेत बुद्धिमान् सदा नृपो दण्डरुचिस्त्वशक्तः जनो ऽपि नित्योत्सवबद्धवैरः सदा जिगीषुश्च निशाचरेन्द्र
na teṣu deśeṣu vaseta buddhimān sadā nṛpo daṇḍarucistvaśaktaḥ jano 'pi nityotsavabaddhavairaḥ sadā jigīṣuśca niśācarendra
Ó senhor dos errantes da noite (Niśācara-indra), o homem sábio não deve viver naqueles países onde o rei está sempre inclinado ao castigo, mas é incapaz de governar devidamente; e onde o povo, por festividades contínuas, permanece preso à inimizade e está sempre ávido de conquistar.
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FAQs
The verse warns that social and political environments shape dharmic living: a ruler who loves coercion but lacks competence produces insecurity, while a populace habituated to rivalry (even under the cover of ‘festive’ life) becomes permanently conflict-prone. The ethical lesson is to seek (and cultivate) governance where daṇḍa is applied with capacity, restraint, and justice, and where communal life reduces entrenched hostility.
This is best classified under ancillary dharma/nīti instruction rather than the core five marks. If mapped, it aligns most closely with didactic material embedded in narrative context (often accompanying Vaṃśānucarita or Manvantara discussions), but here it functions as rājadharma guidance rather than sarga/pratisarga proper.
“Daṇḍaruci yet aśakta” symbolizes power without competence—an archetype of adharmic rule. “Nityotsava-baddha-vaira” symbolically critiques societies where public life becomes performative and competitive, binding groups into status-conflict; the ‘festival’ becomes a mask for rivalry rather than a vehicle for saṅgati (harmony).