Shloka 24

Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

उत्तरेण महामेरो: शाकद्वीपेन सम्मित: । भद्राश्वः पुरुषव्यात्र दण्डेन मृदितस्त्वया

Transliteration

uttareṇa mahāmeroḥ śākadvīpena sammitāḥ | bhadrāśvaḥ puruṣavyāghra daṇḍena mṛditas tvayā

Translation

वैशम्पायन उवाच—उत्तरेण महामेरोः शाकद्वीपेन सम्मितः । भद्राश्वः पुरुषव्याघ्र दण्डेन मृदितस्त्वया ॥

Word by Word

उत्तरेणto the north of

महामेरोःof (the) great Meru

शाकद्वीपेनwith/like Śākadvīpa

सम्मितःmeasured; equal in extent

भद्राश्वःBhadrāśva (a varṣa/region)

पुरुषव्याघ्रO tiger among men

दण्डेनwith a staff/rod; by punishment

मृदितःcrushed; subdued

त्वयाby you

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mahāmeru (Meru)

Śākadvīpa

Bhadrāśva

Daṇḍa (rod of authority)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse invokes daṇḍa—royal authority and punishment—as a dharmic instrument for maintaining order. Ethical governance is implied: power is justified when used to restrain disorder and establish stability, not for personal cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a cosmographic setting around Meru and names regions such as Śākadvīpa and Bhadrāśva, while addressing a heroic figure as “puruṣavyāghra,” stating that Bhadrāśva has been brought under control by that person’s exercise of authority (daṇḍa).