Shloka 48

Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)

Devanagari script

अवाप्त: क्षत्रधर्मस्ते राज्यं प्राप्तमकण्टकम्‌ । रक्षस्व धर्म कौन्तेय श्रेयान्‌ यः प्रेत्य भारत

Transliteration

avāptaḥ kṣatradharmas te rājyaṃ prāptam akaṇṭakam | rakṣasva dharma kaunteya śreyān yaḥ pretya bhārata ||

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: „Du hast die Pflicht eines Kṣatriya erfüllt und ein Reich ohne Dornen erlangt — frei von feindlichen Hindernissen. Darum, o Sohn der Kuntī, schütze das Dharma selbst; denn dieses Dharma, o Bhārata, ist das höhere Gut und bringt Wohlergehen selbst nach dem Tod.“

Word by Word

• {'avāptaḥ': 'attained, accomplished', 'kṣatra-dharmaḥ': 'the duty/law of the warrior-ruler (kṣatriya), including protection and just governance', 'te': 'by you / your', 'rājyam': 'kingdom, sovereignty', 'prāptam': 'obtained, received', 'akaṇṭakam': 'without thorns

• unobstructed, free from enemies/impediments', 'rakṣasva': 'protect, preserve (imperative)', 'dharma': 'righteous order

• just conduct', 'kaunteya': 'son of Kuntī (address to Yudhiṣṭhira/Pāṇḍava)', 'śreyān': 'better, superior, conducive to true welfare', 'yaḥ': 'which/that (referring to dharma)', 'pretya': 'after death

• in the hereafter', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)'}

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• rājya (the kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after achieving political success, a ruler’s highest obligation is to safeguard Dharma—just order and righteous conduct—because it yields the greatest welfare, including in the hereafter.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s counsel to the post-war king, Vyāsa addresses Yudhiṣṭhira: having fulfilled kṣatriya duty and gained an unobstructed kingdom, he must now preserve Dharma through righteous governance.