प्रजोपद्रवनिष्ठस्य राज्ञोऽराज्ञोऽथवा प्रभोः । अर्थेन ये मृता युद्धे ते वै निरयगामिनः ॥ ३० ॥
prajōpadravaniṣṭhasya rājñō’rājñō’thavā prabhōḥ | arthēna yē mṛtā yuddhē tē vai nirayagāminaḥ || 30 ||
Translation
Those who die in battle for a lord bent on harming his subjects, whether a king or not a king, go indeed to hell.
Word by word
- prajā
- his subjects
- upadrava
- on harming
- niṣṭhasya
- bent
- rājñō
- (rājñaḥ) a king
- arājñō
- (arājñaḥ) not a king
- athavā
- or
- prabhōḥ
- of a lord
- arthēna
- for
- yē
- those who
- mṛtā
- die
- yuddhē
- in battle
- tē
- they
- vai
- indeed
- niraya
- to hell
- gāminaḥ
- go
Meaning
The other side of v. 29. A ruler who oppresses his own people, whether a crowned king or some lesser master (the first commentary: a landholder), is no righteous cause, and dying for him leads down, not up. Loyalty to such a master is not a virtue.