Shloka 331

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

सभाविहारभेत्तारो वर्णानां च प्रदूषका: । हिरण्यदण्ड्या वध्याक्ष्‌ कर्तव्या देशकालत:

Transliteration

sabhāvihārabhettāro varṇānāṁ ca pradūṣakāḥ | hiraṇyadaṇḍyā vadhyāś ca kartavyā deśakālataḥ ||

Translation

வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்—அரசவையின் ஒழுக்கத்தை மீறுபவர்களும், வர்ண ஒழுங்கை மாசுபடுத்துபவர்களும், இடம்-காலத்திற்கேற்ப பொன் அபராதத்தால் தண்டிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்; உரிய இடங்களில் மரணத் தண்டனையும் விதிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

सभा-विहार-भेत्तारःbreakers/disturbers of assembly-pleasures (public entertainments)

वर्णानाम्of the social classes (varṇas)

चand

प्रदूषकाःcorrupters/defilers

हिरण्य-दण्ड्याःto be punished by a fine of gold

वध्याःto be executed/killed

कर्तव्याःto be made/treated (thus); should be done (to them)

देश-कालतःaccording to place and time

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

sabhā (royal assembly/court)

varṇa (social orders)

hiraṇya (gold)

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 states a principle of rājadharma: public order and moral-social integrity must be protected. Those who disrupt the dignity of the court or corrupt the varṇa-based social framework deserve proportionate punishment—typically fines, but in grave cases even capital punishment—always calibrated to context (place and time).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reporting a normative rule about governance and discipline. The focus is not on a single incident but on prescribing how a ruler should respond to serious breaches of civic and social order, emphasizing contextual judgment (deśa-kāla).