Shloka 7

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

नैकशाखेन धर्मेण राज्ञो धर्मो विधीयते । दुर्बलस्य कुतः प्रज्ञा पुरस्तादनुपाहृता,एक शाखावाले (एकदेशीय) धर्मसे राजाका धर्म-निर्वाह नहीं होता। जिसने पहले अध्ययनकालमें एकदेशीय धर्मविषयक बुद्धिकी शिक्षा ली, उस दुर्बल राजाको पूर्ण प्रज्ञा कहाँसे प्राप्त हो सकती है?

Transliteration

naikaśākhena dharmeṇa rājño dharmo vidhīyate | durbalasya kutaḥ prajñā purastād anupāhṛtā ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Das Dharma eines Königs lässt sich nicht recht begründen und nicht recht ausführen, wenn er sich nur auf einen einzigen Zweig des Dharma stützt. Woher sollte bei einem schwachen Herrscher wahre praktische Weisheit kommen, wenn sie ihm nicht zuvor durch Übung, Schulung und Unterweisung zugetragen wurde?“

Word by Word

नnot

एकशाखेनby a single branch (only one school/one-sided approach)

धर्मेणby (a) dharma / law / duty

राज्ञःof the king

धर्मःdharma (right conduct/duty)

विधीयतेis established / is ordained / is carried out

दुर्बलस्यof the weak (person/king)

कुतःwhence? how (can it be)?

प्रज्ञाwisdom / discernment

पुरस्तात्previously / beforehand

अनुपाहृताnot previously brought/instilled (to him)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (rājā)

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?

A ruler’s dharma requires broad, multi-faceted understanding; partial or one-sided knowledge cannot sustain just governance. Without prior instruction and cultivation of discernment, a weak king cannot develop the wisdom needed to rule well.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and ethics, Bhishma continues advising on rajadharma, stressing that kingship demands comprehensive training and that inadequate education leads to deficient judgment in rule.