Shloka 4

Adhyaya 27 — Madālasa’s Instruction to King Alarka: Royal Ethics, Self-Conquest, and Statecraft

Sanskrit

मदालसोवाच वत्स ! राज्येऽभिषिक्तेन प्रजारञ्जनमादितः ।

कर्तव्यमविरोधेन स्वधर्मस्य महीभृता ॥

Transliteration

madālasovāca vatsa! rājye 'bhiṣiktena prajārañjanam āditaḥ | kartavyam avirodhena svadharmasya mahībhṛtā ||

Translation

Madālasā nói: Con ơi, một khi đã được làm lễ quán đảnh để lên ngôi vương, bổn phận tối thượng của bậc trị vì là làm cho thần dân hoan hỷ (được lòng dân)—thi hành chính pháp của mình không trái nghịch, không vượt phạm.

Word by Word

• madālasaḥ: Madālasa
• madālasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madālasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular (speaker name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

• vatsa: dear son
• vatsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular

• rājye: in the kingdom / in kingship
• rājye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• abhiṣiktena: by the consecrated (king)
• abhiṣiktena: Karaṇa (करण—agent/instrument in obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhiṣikta (कृदन्त; अभि+सिच् धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; used substantively ‘by one who is consecrated’

• prajā-rañjanam: pleasing the subjects
• prajā-rañjanam: Karma (कर्म—what is to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā + rañjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (प्रजानां रञ्जनम्)

• āditaḥ: from the outset
• āditaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādita (कृदन्त; आ+दा धातु)
• Form: Avyaya usage as adverb (अव्ययीभाववत्), meaning ‘from the beginning/firstly’ (आदितः-प्रयोगः)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Kriyā (क्रिया—obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; impersonal obligation

• avirodhena: without conflict
• avirodhena: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avirodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; adverbial instrumental ‘without opposition/conflict’

• sva-dharmasya: of one’s own duty
• sva-dharmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य धर्मः)

• mahī-bhṛtā: by the king
• mahī-bhṛtā: Karaṇa (करण—agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (महीं बिभर्ति इति) ‘king’; agent in obligation context

Speakers

• Madālasā to Ālarka

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "dharma", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Rājadharma
• Prajā-hita (welfare of subjects)
• Svadharma
• Legitimate authority

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Kingship is service: the ruler’s ‘first duty’ is public welfare, executed in fidelity to svadharma. Popular satisfaction here is not mere appeasement, but dharmic governance that sustains order and trust.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma instruction in a royal-education setting (vaṃśānucarita-adjacent). It functions as purāṇic niti rather than cosmological taxonomy.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Consecration’ signifies inner authorization: when power awakens, it must be yoked to dharma. Prajā can also mean the senses/inner populace—rule begins by harmonizing the inner kingdom without violating truth (svadharma).