Shloka 17

Bhaṅgāśvanopākhyāna — On comparative affection in strī–puruṣa union (भङ्गाश्वनोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

पुत्रा दाराश्न भृत्याश्न पौरजानपदाश्न ते

Transliteration

putrā dārāś ca bhṛtyāś ca paurajānapadāś ca te

Translation

Bhīṣma sagte: „Deine Söhne, deine Frauen, deine Diener und ebenso die Menschen deiner Stadt und deines Landes—sie alle fallen in den Bereich deiner Verantwortung.“

Word by Word

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दाराः: wives
• दाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भृत्याः: servants
• भृत्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पौराः: townsmen/citizens
• पौराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जानपदाः: countrymen/people of the countryside
• जानपदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानपद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: they/those (your)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• sons
• wives
• servants
• citizens (townspeople)
• subjects (provincial inhabitants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A leader or householder is ethically bound to protect and provide for those dependent on him—family, servants, and the wider community of citizens and subjects.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma continues his instruction on dharma by enumerating the groups connected to the addressee—family and the people of the realm—highlighting the scope of one’s obligations and accountability.