Shloka 22

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

राजर्षित्वेन राजेन्द्र भैक्ष्यचर्या न सेवया । अपेतगृहधर्मोडपि चरेज्जीवितकाम्यया,गृहस्थ-धर्मोका त्याग कर देनेपर भी क्षत्रियको ऋषिभावसे वेदान्तश्रवण आदि संन्यास-धर्मका पालन करते हुए जीवनरक्षाके लिये ही भिक्षाका आश्रय लेना चाहिये, सेवा करानेके लिये नहीं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | rājarṣitvena rājendra bhaikṣyacaryā na sevayā | apetagṛhadharmo 'pi carej jīvitakāmyayā ||

Translation

قال بيشما: «يا ملك الملوك، من يحيا حياة الحكيم الملكي (راجَرشي) فليقتات بالاستعطاء، لا بخدمة الناس طلبًا للرزق. وحتى بعد أن ينبذ واجبات ربّ البيت، فليمضِ في طريقه—لا يطلب الصدقة إلا لحفظ الحياة—مع التزام آداب الزهد والانصراف، والمواظبة على السماع والتأمل في المعنى الروحي.»

Word by Word

राजर्षित्वेनby/through (the state of) royal-sagehood

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

भैक्ष्यचर्याम्the practice of living on alms

नnot

सेवयाby service (as a means of livelihood)

अपेतhaving departed from; having given up

गृहधर्मात्from the householder’s duty

अपिeven; although

चरेत्should practice/undertake

जीवितकाम्ययाfor the sake of desiring life (i.e., to preserve life)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that a Kshatriya who adopts a renunciant, royal-sage mode of life should not seek livelihood through service or dependence on employment; he may accept alms only as a minimal support to preserve life while pursuing renunciant disciplines and spiritual inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction to the king, Bhishma lays down norms of conduct for one who has withdrawn from householder duties: the proper means of sustenance is restrained mendicancy (bhaikṣya), not service, emphasizing dignity, detachment, and ethical self-restraint.