Shloka 331

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

सभाविहारभेत्तारो वर्णानां च प्रदूषका: । हिरण्यदण्ड्या वध्याक्ष्‌ कर्तव्या देशकालत:

Transliteration

sabhāvihārabhettāro varṇānāṁ ca pradūṣakāḥ | hiraṇyadaṇḍyā vadhyāś ca kartavyā deśakālataḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“凡破坏王廷议会礼法者，及败坏诸种姓秩序（varṇa）者，应随时随地处置：或以黄金罚金惩治；若罪当其死，则处以死刑。”

Word by Word

• सभा-विहार-भेत्तारः: breakers/disturbers of assembly-pleasures (public entertainments)
• सभा-विहार-भेत्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेत्तृ (√भिद्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रदूषकाः: corrupters/defilers
• प्रदूषकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदूषक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हिरण्य-दण्ड्याः: to be punished by a fine of gold
• हिरण्य-दण्ड्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्ड्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वध्याः: to be executed/killed
• वध्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कर्तव्याः: to be made/treated (thus); should be done (to them)
• कर्तव्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्तव्य (√कृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देश-कालतः: according to place and time
• देश-कालतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देश-काल

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• sabhā (royal assembly/court)
• varṇa (social orders)
• hiraṇya (gold)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states a principle of rājadharma: public order and moral-social integrity must be protected. Those who disrupt the dignity of the court or corrupt the varṇa-based social framework deserve proportionate punishment—typically fines, but in grave cases even capital punishment—always calibrated to context (place and time).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reporting a normative rule about governance and discipline. The focus is not on a single incident but on prescribing how a ruler should respond to serious breaches of civic and social order, emphasizing contextual judgment (deśa-kāla).