Shloka 5

आपद्-राजनीतिः (Āpad-rājanīti) — Policy Options in Multi-Front Crisis

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहमहं राज्ञां न करिष्ये कथठ्चन । अन्‍्येषां चैव वर्णानामिति कृत्वा धियं तदा

Transliteration

pratigraham ahaṃ rājñāṃ na kariṣye kathaṃcana | anyeṣāṃ caiva varṇānām iti kṛtvā dhiyaṃ tadā

Translation

ఋషభుడు పలికెను—నేను ఏ పరిస్థితిలోనూ రాజుల నుండి దానాన్ని స్వీకరించను; ఇతర వర్ణాల వారినుండి కూడా స్వీకరించను. అప్పుడు మనస్సులో ఇలా నిర్ణయించుకొని, తన ప్రవర్తనను ఆ వ్రతంలో స్థిరపరచుకున్నాడు.

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहम्: acceptance (of gifts)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• करिष्ये: I shall do / I shall accept
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Ātmanepada

• कथञ्चन: in any way; ever
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चन

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• कृत्वा: having made; having resolved
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Absolutive (Ktva), Active

• धियम्: thought; intention
• धियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

ऋषभ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabha
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• varṇas (social orders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches restraint and moral independence: refusing gifts (pratigraha), especially from powerful patrons like kings, to avoid obligation, compromise, or entanglement. It frames ethical purity as grounded in a firm inner resolve (dhiyaṃ kṛtvā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Ṛṣabha articulates a personal vow: he decides that he will not accept gifts from kings, nor from others of different social orders, and he establishes this as a settled intention. The moment marks a deliberate commitment to an ascetic or principled mode of life.