Shloka 13

दुर्ग-निवेश-राजधर्मः | Fortified Capital and the King’s Residential Polity

Rājadharma

Devanagari script

काष्ठलोहतुषाड्रारदारुशृड्रास्थिवैणवान्‌ । मज्जा स्नेहवसा क्षौद्रमौषधग्राममेव च

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: kāṣṭha-loha-tuṣa-aṅgāra-dāru-śṛṅga-asthi-veṇavān | majjā-sneha-vasā-kṣaudram auṣadha-grāmam eva ca ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Man soll einen wohlgefüllten Vorrat an brauchbaren Stoffen bereithalten—Holz und Eisen, Spreu und Holzkohle, Bauholz, Horn, Knochen und Bambus; ebenso Mark, Öle und Fette, Honig und eine vollständige Auswahl heilkräftiger Kräuter.“

Word by Word

• काष्ठ: wood/timber
• काष्ठ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लोह: metal/iron
• लोह: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तुष: husk/chaff
• तुष: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अङ्गार: coal/charcoal
• अङ्गार: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दारु: wood/log
• दारु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शृङ्ग: horn
• शृङ्ग: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वैणव: made of bamboo/reed
• वैणव: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैणव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मज्जा: marrow
• मज्जा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• स्नेह: oil/fat
• स्नेह: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वसा: animal fat
• वसा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षौद्र: honey
• क्षौद्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौद्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• औषध: medicine/herb
• औषध: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ग्रामम्: collection/group
• ग्रामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• wood (kāṣṭha/dāru)
• iron (loha)
• husk (tuṣa)
• charcoal (aṅgāra)
• horn (śṛṅga)
• bone (asthi)
• bamboo (veṇu)
• marrow (majjā)
• oil/fat (sneha/vasā)
• honey (kṣaudra)
• medicinal herbs/medicines (auṣadha-grāma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma includes practical foresight: maintaining essential supplies—fuel, building materials, tools, fats, honey, and medicines—so that a household or polity can protect health and stability in times of need.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Bhīṣma continues listing what should be stored/kept ready, emphasizing organized provisioning as part of responsible administration.