Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अग्राम्यचरितां वृत्ति यो न सेवेत नित्यदा | जितानामजितानां च क्षत्रधर्मादपैति सः,जो मनके प्रतिकूल होनेके कारण अपने ही प्रयोजनकी सिद्धि चाहनेवाले सुहृदकी बात नहीं सहन करता और अपनी अर्थसिद्धिके विरोधी वचनोंको भी सुनता है, सदा अनमना- सा रहता है, जो बुद्धिमान्‌ शिष्ट पुरुषोंद्वारा आचरणमें लाये हुए बर्तावका सदा सेवन नहीं करता एवं पराजित या अपराजित व्यक्तियोंको उनके परम्परागत आचारका पालन नहीं करने देता, वह क्षत्रिय-धर्मसे गिर जाता है

Transliteration

agrāmyacaritāṁ vṛttiṁ yo na seveta nityadā | jitānām ajitānāṁ ca kṣatradharmād apaiti saḥ ||

Translation

अग्राम्यचरितां वृत्तिं यो न सेवेत नित्यदा । जितानामजितानां च क्षत्रधर्मादपैति सः ॥

Word by Word

अग्राम्यचरिताम्a conduct not rustic (i.e., noble conduct)

वृत्तिम्conduct; mode of life

यःwho

नnot

सेवेतshould practice; should resort to

नित्यदाalways

जितानाम्of the conquered/defeated

अजितानाम्of the unconquered/undefeated

चand

क्षत्रधर्मात्from kshatriya-duty

अपैतिdeparts; falls away

सःhe

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāmadeva

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?

A kṣatriya’s dharma depends on disciplined, cultured conduct and on maintaining rightful norms in society; abandoning refined behavior and disrupting established codes—whether for the defeated or the undefeated—constitutes a fall from kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, the sage Vāmadeva lays down a criterion for true kṣatriya conduct: constant adherence to dignified behavior and the upholding of proper customary discipline for all parties, not only for one’s own side.