Shloka 15

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

प्रणयेद्‌ वापि तां भूमिं प्रणश्येद्‌ गहने पुनः । हन्यात्क्रुद्धानतिविषास्तान्‌ जिह्मगतयो5हितान्‌

Transliteration

praṇayed vāpi tāṁ bhūmiṁ praṇaśyed gahane punaḥ | hanyāt kruddhān ativīṣās tān jihmagatayo 'hitān ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: “Một vị vua, nếu đủ tài nghệ, có thể cố ý bước vào vùng đất nơi kẻ thù đã giăng bẫy. Nếu hiểm nguy kề cận, hãy rút lui và ẩn mình trong rừng rậm. Còn những kẻ thù thâm độc—bước đi quanh co, lòng đầy phẫn nộ—hãy xem như rắn độc cực kỳ và ra tay đánh gục.”

Word by Word

• प्रणयेत्: should lead / should take (himself/army)
• प्रणयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नी (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, optative (injunctive sense), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

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

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• भूमिम्: ground/land; place
• भूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• प्रणश्येत्: should disappear / should hide / should withdraw
• प्रणश्येत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, optative, 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• गहने: in a dense (place)
• गहने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• पुनः: again; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• हन्यात्: should slay / should strike down
• हन्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, optative, 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• क्रुद्धान्: angry
• क्रुद्धान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त; √क्रुध्)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अतिविषान्: highly venomous
• अतिविषान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• जिह्मगतयः: those of crooked movement/intent (devious ones)
• जिह्मगतयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्मगति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• अहितान्: harmful; hostile
• अहितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• enemies (ahitāḥ)
• dense forest (gahana)
• venomous serpents (ativīṣa-sarpa implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Raja-dharma here emphasizes pragmatic protection of the realm: a king may take calculated risks, but should also know when to withdraw and hide; against treacherous, violently hostile enemies, decisive force is justified, likened to killing venomous serpents.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and security, he advises the king on how to respond to enemy plots: enter even trapped territory if strategically sound, retreat into a forest if danger peaks, and eliminate deceitful, enraged foes who pose lethal threat.