Shloka 10
Vāmadeva’s Rājadharma: Norm-Setting, Counsel, and the Prevention of Rāṣṭra-Vināśa (वामदेव-प्रोक्तं राजधर्मम्)
(अमाययैव वर्तेत न च सत्य॑ त्यजेद् बुध: । दमं धर्म च शीलं च क्षत्रधर्म प्रजाहितम् ।।
amāyayāiva varteta na ca satyaṃ tyajed budhaḥ | damaṃ dharmaṃ ca śīlaṃ ca kṣatradharmaṃ prajāhitam || nāpatrapet praśneṣu nāvibhāvyaṃ giraṃ sṛjet | na tvaret na cāsūyet tathā saṃgṛhṇāte paraḥ ||
瓦摩提婆说：“智王当以无欺之道自处，永不舍真。自制、行义、淑德、刹帝利之职分与黎民之利，皆不可弃。有人问讯，不当羞于作答；未加思量，不可轻吐一言；行事不可躁急；亦不可好为苛责。以此德行，纵是仇敌亦将归于其势。”
वामदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s power is grounded in ethical discipline: be truthful and free of deceit, practice self-control and good character, prioritize the people’s welfare, and regulate speech—answer without embarrassment, speak only after reflection, avoid haste and malice. Such steadiness makes even adversaries manageable.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and peace, the sage Vāmadeva lays down practical norms of rājadharma—how a king should behave, speak, and decide—linking personal virtue to political effectiveness, including the pacification of enemies.