Shloka 39

कपिल–स्यूमरश्मि संवादः

Kapila and Syūmaraśmi on Renunciation, Householder Support, and Epistemic Authority

Devanagari script

वधबन्धनिरोधेन कारयन्ति दिवानिशम्‌ | आत्मनश्लापि जानाति यद्‌ दुःखं वधबन्धने,जो लोग वध और बन्धनकी दशामें अपनेको कितना कष्ट होता है, इस बातको जानते हैं तो भी दूसरोंको वध, बन्धन और कैदके कष्टमें डालकर उनसे दिन-रात काम कराते हैं, उनकी निन्दा तुम क्यों नहीं करते हो?

Transliteration

vadhabandhanirodhena kārayanti divāniśam | ātmanaś cāpi jānāti yad duḥkhaṃ vadhabandhane |

Translation

वधबन्धनिरोधेन कारयन्ति दिवानिशम्। आत्मनश्चापि जानन्ति यद् दुःखं वधबन्धने—तान् किं न विगर्हसे?

Word by Word

वधबन्धनिरोधेनby means of killing, binding, and confinement/restraint

कारयन्तिthey cause (others) to do / they make (them) work

दिवाby day

निशम्by night

आत्मनःof oneself

अपिeven/also

जानातिknows

यत्that which

दुःखम्pain/suffering

वधबन्धनेin killing and binding (i.e., in the state of being killed/bound)

Speaker

तुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

Tulādhāra

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?

One should apply moral judgment consistently: if one recognizes suffering in oneself, it is unethical to inflict the same suffering on others through killing, bondage, or imprisonment, especially for exploitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Tulādhāra challenges his interlocutor’s moral focus, pointing out that people who understand the pain of violence and captivity still impose it on others and force them to work relentlessly; he asks why such perpetrators are not condemned.