Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ यो रक्षति नृप: स धर्मेणेति पूज्यते । अधीते चापि यो वितप्रो वैश्यो यश्चार्जने रत:

Transliteration

tasmād yo rakṣati nṛpaḥ sa dharmeṇeti pūjyate | adhīte cāpi yo vipraḥ vaiśyo yaścārjane rataḥ ||

Translation

Darum wird der König, der (sein Volk) schützt, als einer geehrt, der gemäß dem Dharma handelt. Ebenso werden der Brāhmaṇa, der (Veda und heilige Lehre) studiert, und der Vaiśya, der dem Erwerb und der Mehrung zugetan ist, gepriesen, wenn jeder in seiner eigenen rechten Pflicht standhaft bleibt.

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

यःwho

रक्षतिprotects

नृपःking

सःhe

धर्मेणby/with righteousness (dharma)

इतिthus

पूज्यतेis honored/worshipped

अधीतेstudies/recites

चand

अपिalso/even

यःwho

वित्तप्रःa giver of wealth (one who gives money)

वैश्यःa Vaiśya

यःwho

चand

अर्जनेin acquisition/earning

रतःengaged/delighting (in)

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

nṛpa (king)

vipra (brāhmaṇa)

vaiśya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Each social role is honored when it fulfills its own dharma: the king by protecting, the brāhmaṇa by study, and the vaiśya by diligent livelihood and acquisition carried out within righteous bounds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara is explaining standards of dharma in the Śānti Parva, identifying the defining duties by which different members of society—especially the ruler, the brāhmaṇa, and the vaiśya—are recognized and praised.