Shloka 22

राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्

Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable

Devanagari script

यत्राबलो वध्यमानस्त्रातारं नाधिगच्छति । महान्‌ दैवकृतस्तत्र दण्ड: पतति दारुण:

Transliteration

yatrābalo vadhyamānas trātāraṁ nādhigacchati | mahān daivakṛtas tatra daṇḍaḥ patati dāruṇaḥ ||

Translation

乌塔提耶宣示：“凡无助之人遭受伤害而寻不得护佑之处，天道所定的巨大而惨烈的刑罚，必将降临在那有罪的压迫者身上。”

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• अबलः: a weak (person)
• अबलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अबल
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वध्यमानः: being slain/being harmed
• वध्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान (from √वध्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular; present passive participle

• त्रातारम्: a protector
• त्रातारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रातृ
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: indeclinable (negation)

• अधिगच्छति: finds/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (अधि-गम्)
• Form: present tense, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• दैवकृतः: made by fate/divine (ordained)
• दैवकृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैवकृत (दैव + कृत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular; past passive participle (कृत) used adjectivally

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• दण्डः: punishment
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पतति: falls (upon)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत्
• Form: present tense, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• दारुणः: terrible
• दारुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Utathya
• daiva (divine agency/fate)
• daṇḍa (punishment/rod of justice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Oppression of the helpless inevitably invites retribution: if no human protector appears, divine/cosmic justice (daiva) itself imposes a severe punishment on the wrongdoer. The verse reinforces dharma as an inescapable moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-instructional setting, the sage Utathya states a principle about punishment and protection: the weak may lack immediate worldly support, but the aggressor does not escape—daṇḍa, backed by daiva, descends upon the perpetrator.