Shloka 18

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

Rājadharma

Devanagari script

पूजयेद्‌ धार्मिकान्‌ राजा निगृह्लीयादधार्मिकान्‌ । नियुज्ज्याच्च प्रयत्नेन सर्ववर्णान्‌ स्वकर्मसु

Transliteration

pūjayed dhārmikān rājā nigṛhṇīyād adhārmikān | niyuñjyāc ca prayatnena sarvavarṇān svakarmasu ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Der König soll die Dharmischen ehren und fördern und die Undharmischen zügeln und bestrafen. Mit eifrigem Bemühen soll er zudem alle varṇa in ihre jeweiligen Pflichten einsetzen, damit das Reich geordnet, gerecht und mit rechtem Verhalten im Einklang bleibt.“

Word by Word

• पूजयेत्: should honor
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (injunctive sense: should), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धार्मिकान्: righteous (persons)
• धार्मिकान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निगृह्णीयात्: should restrain/punish
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ग्रह्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (injunctive sense: should), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अधार्मिकान्: unrighteous (persons)
• अधार्मिकान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधार्मिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नियुञ्ज्यात्: should engage/appoint
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-युज्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (injunctive sense: should), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सर्ववर्णान्: all the varnas/classes
• सर्ववर्णान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ववर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• स्वकर्मसु: in their own duties/works
• स्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (raja)
• Dharmic people (dharmikah)
• Adharmic people (adharmikah)
• All varnas (sarva-varnah)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The king’s primary ethical duty is to uphold dharma by rewarding and honoring the righteous, restraining and punishing wrongdoing, and ensuring that society functions through everyone performing their proper duties (svakarma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical governance: how a ruler should treat virtuous and vicious subjects and how to maintain social stability by directing all varṇas toward their prescribed responsibilities.