Shloka 23

राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः

Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures

Devanagari script

न वृषा: सम्प्रवर्तेरन्‌ न मथ्येरंश्व॒ गर्गरा: । घोषा: प्रणाशं गच्छेयुर्यदि राजा न पालयेत्‌

Transliteration

na vṛṣāḥ sampravarteran na mathyeran śva-gargarāḥ | ghoṣāḥ praṇāśaṃ gaccheyur yadi rājā na pālayet ||

Translation

หากพระราชามิทรงคุ้มครอง โคผู้ (วัวเพศผู้) จะไม่เริ่มผสมพันธุ์; หม้อไหใส่น้ำนม-นมเปรี้ยวและเครื่องกวนจะไม่ทำงานดังควร; และชุมชนคนเลี้ยงโค (โฆษะ) จะพินาศ

Word by Word

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

• वृषाः: bulls
• वृषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सम्प्रवर्तेरन्: would proceed / would become active
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• न: nor / not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मथ्येरन्: would be churned
• Type: Verb
• Root: मथ् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

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

• गर्गराः: pots/jars (milk-pots)
• गर्गराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• घोषाः: cowherd-settlements / cow-stalls
• घोषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रणाशम्: destruction
• प्रणाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गच्छेयुः: would go to / would meet with
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पालयेत्: should protect / would protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वसुमना उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसुमना (Vasumanā)
• राजा (the king)
• वृष (bulls)
• घोष (cowherd settlements)
• दुग्ध-दधि-घट/मटके (milk/curd pots and churn-vessels; implied by 'mathyeran')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The king’s primary dharma is protection (pālana). When governance fails, even basic rural and pastoral functions—breeding, dairy production, and the stability of cowherd communities—collapse, showing that ethical rule sustains material and social well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasumanā is illustrating the practical consequences of a ruler’s neglect: disorder spreads through the countryside, productive routines cease, and pastoral settlements (ghoṣas) are destroyed—an argument for vigilant, protective kingship in the Shānti Parva’s rājadharma discourse.