Shloka 33

Nīti-upadeśa to a Rājaputra: Self-restraint, Alliances, and Rival-Management (नीतिउपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अथैतद्‌ रोचते राजन पुनर्ब्रहि ब्रवीमि ते । यदि तुम मेरी बतायी हुई नीतिके अनुसार कार्य करोगे तो तुम्हें पुन: महान्‌ वैभव, राज्य, राज्यकी मन्त्रणा और विशाल सम्पत्तिकी प्राप्ति होगी। राजन्‌! यदि मेरी यह बात तुम्हें रचती हो तो फिरसे कहो, क्या मैं तुमसे इस विषयका वर्णन करूँ?

Transliteration

atha etad rocate rājan punar brūhi bravīmi te | yadi tvam mayā kathitāyā nītyā anuṣṭhāsyasi tataḥ punar mahad vaibhavaṁ rājyaṁ rājya-mantraṇāṁ ca vipulāṁ sampattiṁ ca prāpsyasi | rājan yadi meyaṁ vāk tava rocate punar eva vada—kim aham etad viṣayaṁ te varṇayāmi ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Wenn dir dies gefällt, o König, so sprich erneut, und ich will dir weiter berichten. Wenn du nach der von mir gelehrten Staatsklugheit handelst, wirst du abermals großen Wohlstand erlangen—Herrschaft, Rat und Verwaltung des Reiches und reichen Besitz. O König, wenn dir meine Worte zusagen, so sage es noch einmal: Soll ich dir diese Sache im Einzelnen darlegen?“

Word by Word

• {'atha': 'now

• thereupon', 'etat': 'this (teaching/matter)', 'rocate': 'pleases

• is agreeable', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'punar': 'again

• once more', 'brūhi': 'speak

• say (imperative)', 'bravīmi': 'I speak

• I will tell', 'te': 'to you', 'yadi': 'if', 'mayā': 'by me', 'kathitāyāḥ nītyāḥ': 'of the taught nīti

• policy/ethical conduct', 'anuṣṭhāsyasi': 'you will practice/undertake

• you will carry out', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'mahat': 'great', 'vaibhavam': 'splendor

• power', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• sovereignty', 'rājya-mantraṇām': 'state counsel

• deliberation/administration of the realm', 'vipulām': 'vast

• abundant', 'sampattim': 'wealth

• prosperity', 'prāpsyasi': 'you will obtain', 'vāk': 'speech

• words', 'viṣayam': 'topic

• subject-matter', 'varṇayāmi': 'I describe

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the King (Yudhiṣṭhira, addressed as rājan)
• rājya (kingdom/sovereignty)
• rājya-mantraṇā (royal counsel/administration)
• sampatti (wealth/resources)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that adherence to nīti—practical ethical governance and disciplined conduct—restores a ruler’s prosperity: stable sovereignty, sound counsel in statecraft, and material well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhīṣma continues instructing King Yudhiṣṭhira on royal duty. Here he pauses to confirm the king’s receptivity, promising further exposition and linking the king’s future success to following the counsel already given.