Shloka 30

Characteristics of the King and His Servants

Rāja-dharma, Nīti, and Ethical Revenue

Devanagari script

हुङ्कारे भृकुटीं नैव सदा कुर्वीत पार्थिवः / विना दोषेण यो भृत्यान्राजाधमण शास्ति च / लीलासुखानि भोग्यानि त्यजेदिह महीपतिः

Transliteration

huṅkāre bhṛkuṭīṃ naiva sadā kurvīta pārthivaḥ / vinā doṣeṇa yo bhṛtyānrājādhamaṇa śāsti ca / līlāsukhāni bhogyāni tyajediha mahīpatiḥ

Translation

Bậc quân vương chớ thường xuyên dùng lời hăm dọa và cau mày. Kẻ hạ liệt nhất trong các vua là người trừng phạt bề tôi khi họ không có lỗi; vị ấy ngay trong đời này nên từ bỏ những thú vui đùa chơi và các hưởng thụ khoái lạc.

Word by Word

• हुङ्कारे: in shouting/with a harsh cry
• हुङ्कारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• भृकुटीम्: a frown (knitting of brows)
• भृकुटीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृकुटी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; negation particle

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय; emphatic particle

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; adverb of time

• कुर्वीत: should do/should make
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• पार्थिवः: a king/earthly ruler
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Preposition-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय; ‘without’ (governs तृतीया)

• दोषेण: with fault/for a fault
• दोषेण: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• भृत्यान्: servants
• भृत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; accusative plural

• राजाधमण: by a base king (worst of kings)
• राजाधमण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular; ‘राज्ञाम् अधमः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शास्ति: punishes/rules
• शास्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• लीलासुखानि: pleasures of sport/idle enjoyments
• लीलासुखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; accusative plural; ‘लीलायाः सुखानि’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• भोग्यानि: enjoyable/to be enjoyed
• भोग्यानि: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोग्य (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लीलासुखानि’)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Deśa-adhikarana (Spatial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय; adverb of place

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular; ‘महीनां पतिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Garuda Purana discourse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: अदोषे दण्डनिषेधः; राज्ञः क्रोध-भ्रूकुटि-हुङ्कारादि त्यक्त्वा न्यायेन शासनम्, अन्यथा भोगत्याग-प्रायश्चित्तभावः।

Vedantic Theme: कर्तृत्व-अहंकार-त्यागः; धर्माधर्मफल-नियमः (कर्मफल-न्याय)

Application: Leaders should avoid intimidation as a default, investigate fault before punishment, and adopt visible restraint (reduced indulgence, accountability) when governance becomes unjust.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: court/palace

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/ācāra sections): राजधर्म, दण्डनीति, क्रोधनिग्रह themes (general parallel)

FAQs

What is the importance of righteous punishment in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that authority must be exercised with restraint: punishing without proven fault is adharma and marks a ruler as a “lowest king,” bringing moral and karmic decline.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to karma: unjust cruelty by those in power becomes a serious ethical transgression that shapes future suffering, even if the verse focuses on consequences in this life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Leaders and managers should avoid intimidation and punitive action without clear evidence; fair process and proportional response are essential for dharmic governance.