Shloka 29

मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः

Determination of the Means to Liberation

Devanagari script

आत्मैवादौ नियन्तव्यो दुष्कृतं संनियच्छता । दण्डयेच्च महादण्डैरपि बन्धूननन्तरान्‌

Transliteration

ātmaivādau niyantavyo duṣkṛtaṃ saṃniyacchatā | daṇḍayec ca mahādaṇḍair api bandhūn anantarān |

Translation

Sinabi ni Humatsena: “Ang sinumang nagnanais pumigil sa kasamaan ay dapat munang supilin ang sarili. Pagkaraan nito, kahit ang pinakamalalapit na kamag-anak ay magkasala, dapat din silang parusahan—kahit sa pinakamabigat na parusa—upang mapigil ang kasalanan at manatiling walang kinikilingan ang katarungan.”

Word by Word

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आदौ: at first/in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि

• नियन्तव्यः: must be restrained/controlled
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-यम्
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive/obligative), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, passive obligation

• दुष्कृतम्: wrongdoing/evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संनियच्छता: by (one who is) restraining/curbing
• संनियच्छता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-यम् (→ सं-नि-यच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दण्डयेत्: should punish
• Type: Verb
• Root: दण्डय्
• Form: Vidhi-linga (optative), present (injunctive/optative sense), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• महादण्डैः: with great punishments
• महादण्डैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• बन्धून्: kinsmen/relatives
• बन्धून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनन्तरान्: near/close (ones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापकी: of sinful (conduct)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापकी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रवृत्तेः: of activity/tendency
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• रोधनम्: stopping/preventing
• रोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छति: wishes/desires
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Lat (present indicative), present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

हुमत्सेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Humat-sena

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler who wants to curb sin must begin with self-discipline; only then can he administer justice fairly. True governance requires impartial punishment—even of one’s own relatives—so that law is not weakened by attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and kingship, Humat-sena states a principle of rāja-dharma: the king should first master himself and then enforce punishment without favoritism, including against close kin, to prevent the spread of wrongdoing.