Shloka 17

Book 12, Chapter 93 — Vāmadeva’s Counsel to King Vasumanā on Dharmic Kingship (धर्मप्रधान-राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अथ मानयितुर्दाम्न: श्लक्षणस्य वशवर्तिन: । व्यसन स्वमिवोत्पन्नं विजिघांसन्ति मानवा:

Transliteration

atha mānayitur dāmnaḥ ślakṣṇasya vaśavartinaḥ | vyasanaṃ svam ivotpannaṃ vijighāṃsanti mānavāḥ ||

Translation

Nay, nếu một người biết kính trọng mọi người, rộng lòng bố thí, cư xử nhu hòa, và sống với tinh thần thuận hòa, biết nghĩ cho kẻ khác, thì khi tai ương giáng xuống người ấy, thiên hạ xem đó như chính bất hạnh của mình và gắng sức dẹp trừ.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• मानयितुः: of the one who honors (respects)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानयितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दाम्नः: of the giver (donor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• श्लक्षणस्य: of the affectionate/gentle one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वशवर्तिनः: of one who is compliant/under others' control
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशवर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• व्यसनम्: calamity/misfortune
• व्यसनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्वम्: one's own
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उत्पन्नम्: arisen/occurred
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विजिघांसन्ति: wish to destroy/remove
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्) with desiderative stem जिघांस- and prefix वि-
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मानवाः: people/men
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वामदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वामदेव (Vāmadeva)
• माणवाः (people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person who consistently respects others, gives generously, and behaves gently earns collective goodwill; therefore, when adversity strikes him, society naturally rallies to help, treating his distress as their own.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāmadeva is describing a moral principle in the Shānti Parva: the social and ethical consequences of virtuous conduct—how a beneficent, considerate person becomes protected by the affection and support of others in times of crisis.