Shloka 13

राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान

Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence

Devanagari script

उपजापश्च भृत्यानामात्मन: पुरदर्शनम्‌ । अविश्वास: स्वयं चैव परस्याश्वासनं तथा,उत्थान हि नरेन्द्राणां बृहस्पतिरभाषत । राजधर्मस्य तन्मूलं श्लोकांश्षात्र निबोध मे बृहस्पतिने राजाओंके लिये उद्योगके महत्त्वका प्रतिपादन किया है। उद्योग ही राजधर्मका मूल है। इस विषयमें जो श्लोक हैं, उन्हें बताता हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca |

Upajāpaś ca bhṛtyānām ātmanaḥ puradarśanam |

Aviśvāsaḥ svayaṃ caiva parasyāśvāsanaṃ tathā |

Utthānaṃ hi narendrāṇāṃ Bṛhaspatir abhāṣata |

Rājadharmasya tanmūlaṃ ślokān atra nibodha me ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “The testing of one’s servants, personal inspection of the city, prudent self-reliance without naïve trust, and also the ability to reassure others—Brihaspati has declared these as the ‘rising up’ (active exertion) of kings. Since such energetic initiative is the very root of royal duty, listen from me to the verses taught on this subject.”

Word by Word

• {'upajāpaḥ': 'testing, probing, discreet examination (especially of subordinates)', 'bhṛtyānām': 'of servants/retainers/officials', 'ātmanaḥ': 'of oneself

• personally', 'puradarśanam': 'inspection/overseeing of the city (pura)', 'aviśvāsaḥ': 'lack of blind trust

• cautious distrust', 'svayam': 'oneself

• personally', 'parasyāśvāsanam': 'reassuring/encouraging another

• giving confidence to others', 'tathā': 'and likewise

• also', 'utthānam': 'energetic effort, initiative, active exertion

• rising to action', 'narendrāṇām': 'of kings, rulers', 'Bṛhaspatiḥ': 'Brihaspati (preceptor of the gods

• authority on polity)', 'abhāṣata': 'said, declared', 'rājadharmasya': 'of rāja-dharma, the duties/law of kingship', 'tanmūlam': 'its root/foundation', 'ślokān': 'verses', 'atra': 'here, on this topic', 'nibodha': 'understand

• take note', 'me': 'from me

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bṛhaspati
• narendra (kings)
• bhṛtya (servants/retainers)
• pura (city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s dharma rests on utthāna—active, disciplined initiative: scrutinizing officials, personally inspecting the city, avoiding blind trust while remaining capable of reassuring and stabilizing others.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma cites Brihaspati’s counsel and introduces verses explaining why energetic vigilance and hands-on governance form the foundation of rāja-dharma.