Shloka 18

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

यो नोपकर्तु शकनोति नापकर्तु महीपति: । न शक्‍्यरूपश्रोद्धर्तुमुपेक्ष्यस्तादृशो भवेत्‌

Transliteration

yo nopakartuṁ śaknoti nāpakartu mahīpatiḥ | na śakyarūpaś chroddhartum upekṣyas tādṛśo bhavet ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：若有一位国王既不能施惠，亦不能为害——而将其彻底毁灭又似乎不合其宜——那么对此等君主，当置之不理，予以冷置。

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• उपकर्तुम्: to help, to do a favor
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपकृ (धातु)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• शक्नोति: is able
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: nor / not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• अपकर्तुम्: to harm, to do injury
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपकृ (धातु)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• महीपतिः: king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• शक्य: possible / feasible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: यत् (potential passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रूप: form, manner (i.e., in such a way)
• रूप: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रोद्धर्तुम्: to trust / to place confidence (lit. to hold faith)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रध्/श्रद्धा + धृ (धातु-आधारित प्रयोग; ‘श्रद्धा धर्तुम्’)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• उपेक्ष्यः: to be ignored / should be disregarded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: ण्यत् (gerundive; to be neglected/ignored), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तादृशः: such (of that kind)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: should be / would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mahīpati (a king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a ruler is neither useful as an ally (cannot benefit) nor dangerous as an enemy (cannot harm), and eliminating him is not appropriate, the best policy is strategic non-engagement—ignore and move on rather than waste resources.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king on practical governance and diplomacy, outlining how to respond to different types of rulers; here he recommends upekṣā (disregard) toward an ineffective king who is not worth alliance, hostility, or destruction.