Shloka 29

Dhaumya’s Counsel on Incognito Conduct in a Royal Household (राजवसतौ आचरण-निति)

Devanagari script

नित्यं हि प्रतिषिद्ध तु पुरस्तादासनं महत्‌ | न च संदर्शने किज्चित्‌ प्रवृत्तमपि संजयेत्‌,राजाके सामने किसीके लिये भी ऊँचा आसन लगाना सर्वथा निषिद्ध है। उसकी आँखोंके सामने यदि कोई पुरस्कार-वितरण या वेतनदान आदिका कार्य हो रहा हो, तो उसमें बिना बुलाये स्वयं पहले लेनेकी चेष्टा नहीं करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

nityaṁ hi pratiṣiddhaṁ tu purastād āsanaṁ mahat | na ca sandarśane kiñcit pravṛttam api sañjayet ||

Translation

Wika ni Dhaumya: “Sa harap ng hari, ang pag-upo sa mataas na luklukan ay laging ipinagbabawal. At kung sa mismong harap ng kanyang mga mata ay may pamamahagi—gaya ng gantimpala o sahod—huwag sumugod upang kumuha nang kusa kung hindi tinatawag.”

Word by Word

• {'nityam': 'always, at all times', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'pratiṣiddham': 'forbidden, prohibited', 'tu': 'but, indeed (emphatic)', 'purastāt': 'in front, in the presence (of someone)', 'āsanam': 'seat, sitting place', 'mahat': 'great, high, lofty', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'sandarśane': 'in (someone’s) sight

• in the presence/at the viewing', 'kiñcit': 'anything

• any matter', 'pravṛttam': 'set in motion

• being carried out', 'api': 'even, although', 'sañjayet': 'should urge on/press forward

Speaker

धौग्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhaumya
• king (rājā, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Maintain humility and proper decorum before authority: do not assume elevated status in the king’s presence, and do not claim gifts or payments uninvited; wait to be called.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhaumya lays down rules of conduct for behavior at court—how one should sit and how one should act when rewards or wages are being distributed in the king’s presence.