Shloka 1

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ७३ “लोक मिलाकर कुल ३९३ “लोक हैं।) नशा (0) आज अन+- चतु:सप्ततितमो< ध्याय: ब्राह्मण और क्षत्रियके मेलसे लाभका प्रतिपादन करनेवाला मुचुकुन्दका उपाख्यान भीष्म उवाच योगक्षेमो हि राष्ट्रस्य राजन्यायत्त उच्यते । योगक्षेमो हि राज्ञो हि समायत्त: पुरोहिते,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! राष्ट्रका योगक्षेम राजाके अधीन बताया जाता है; परंतु राजाका योगक्षेम पुरोहितके अधीन है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yogakṣemo hi rāṣṭrasya rājanyātta ucyate | yogakṣemo hi rājño hi samāyattaḥ purohite ||

Translation

قال بيشما: أيها الملك، إن رفاه المملكة وأمنها يُقال إنهما يعتمدان على الحاكم. غير أن رفاه الملك وأمنه هو نفسه يعتمدان بدورهما على كاهن البلاط (البوروهِتا).

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

योगक्षेमःwelfare and security (acquisition and protection)

हिindeed/for

राष्ट्रस्यof the kingdom/state

राजन्O king

आयत्तःdependent (on), subject to

उच्यतेis said/is called

योगक्षेमःwelfare and security

हिindeed/for

राज्ञःof the king

हिindeed/for

समायत्तःfully dependent (on), resting upon

पुरोहितेin/with the priest (purohita)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājan (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

purohita (royal priest)

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?

The kingdom’s welfare depends on the king’s rule, but the king’s own welfare depends on the purohita—signaling that political power must be guided and protected by dharmic counsel, learning, and proper conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma addresses the king and begins a teaching that links statecraft to priestly guidance, setting up a discussion on cooperation between royal authority and brahminical counsel.