Shloka 7
राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च
Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency
Devanagari script
अतोडन्यथा वर्तमानो राजा प्राप्रोति किल्बिषम्
Transliteration
atoḍaṇyathā vartamāno rājā prāpnoti kilbiṣam
Translation
วยาสตรัสว่า—พระราชาผู้ประพฤติผิดจากความสำรวมและวินัย ปกครองด้วยทางอธรรม ย่อมได้รับกิลพิษะ คือมลทินและบาป
Word by Word
अतोडन्non-punishing / not inflicting chastisement
अतोडन्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअतोड (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यथाas, in the manner that
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
वर्तमानःacting, behaving, conducting himself
वर्तमानः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवर्तमान (वृत्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृत्/√वर्त्)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
राजाking
राजा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्राप्नोतिattains, incurs
प्राप्नोति:
TypeVerb
Root√आप् (प्र +)
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
किल्बिषम्sin, fault, demerit
किल्बिषम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकिल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
व्यास उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VyāsaR
rājā (the king/ruler)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Royal authority must be exercised in accordance with dharma and proper restraint; when a king acts contrary to rightful discipline and ethical governance, he becomes morally culpable and incurs sin (kilbiṣa).
Vyāsa is instructing on rājadharma in the Śānti Parva, warning that a ruler’s improper conduct—departing from the correct standard of governance—leads to blame and spiritual demerit.