Shloka 14

Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma

Devanagari script

यथा सुमधुरौ दम्यौ सुदान्तौ साधुवाहिनौ | धुरमुद्यम्य वहतास्तथा वर्तेत वै नृप:

Transliteration

yathā sumadhurau damyau sudāntau sādhuvāhinau | dhuram udyamya vahatas tathā varteta vai nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“正如两头壮健的幼牛——形貌悦目，训练有素，纪律严整，能负轭受辕——把重担担在肩上，稳稳当当地运载前行；君王亦当如此：当以才干承当并治理其国之重任。”

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: indeclinable (comparative particle)

• सुमधुरौ: very gentle/sweet (in disposition)
• सुमधुरौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमधुर
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• दम्यौ: to be tamed / tractable
• दम्यौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• सुदान्तौ: well-trained, well-restrained
• सुदान्तौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदान्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• साधु: well, properly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु
• Form: indeclinable/adjectival (used as first member of compound)

• वाहिनौ: bearing/carrying (well)
• वाहिनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाहिन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• धुरम्: yoke; burden
• धुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुर्
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• उद्यम्य: having lifted/raised
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-यम्
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), indeclinable

• वहतः: carrying, bearing
• वहतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: present active participle, masculine nominative dual

• तथा: so, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा
• Form: indeclinable

• वर्तेत: should act/behave; should conduct himself
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, singular, Atmanepada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै
• Form: indeclinable (emphatic particle)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (king)
• dhura (yoke/burden)
• two oxen (damyau)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must be trained, self-controlled, and capable—like well-broken oxen—so that he can steadily carry the heavy responsibility of protecting and administering the kingdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he uses a practical agrarian metaphor—two disciplined oxen bearing a yoke—to illustrate how a king should manage the weight of statecraft.