Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शरभ: शरभस्थाने सिंह: सिंह इवोर्जित: । व्याप्रो व्याप्र इव स्थाप्यो द्वीपी द्वीपी यथा तथा,शरभको शरभकी जगह, बलवान सिंहको सिंहके स्थानमें, बाघको बाघकी जगह तथा चीतेको चीतेके स्थानपर नियुक्त करना चाहिये (तात्पर्य यह कि चारों वर्णोके लोगोंको उनकी मर्यादाके अनुसार कार्य देना उचित है)

Transliteration

śarabhaḥ śarabhastāne siṃhaḥ siṃha ivorjitaḥ | vyāghro vyāghra iva sthāpyo dvīpī dvīpī yathā tathā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Let the śarabha be placed in the post suited to a śarabha; the powerful lion in the lion’s own place; the tiger in the tiger’s proper station; and the leopard likewise in its own. In the same way, each should be appointed according to his own nature and rightful sphere.”

Word by Word

शरभःthe śarabha (a powerful beast)

शरभस्थानेin the place/position of the śarabha

सिंहःa lion

इवlike, as

ऊर्जितःstrong, vigorous

व्याघ्रःa tiger

इवlike, as

स्थाप्यःshould be placed/appointed

द्वीपीa leopard (lit. 'spotted one')

द्वीपीa leopard

यथाas, just as

तथाso, in that manner

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

śarabha

lion (siṃha)

tiger (vyāghra)

leopard/panther (dvīpī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Appointments and responsibilities should be assigned according to inherent capacity, nature, and rightful sphere (yogyatā and maryādā). Misplacing roles—like putting one creature into another’s station—disrupts order; proper placement sustains dharma and effective governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous rule and social order, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira through a vivid animal analogy: each type of strength has its proper domain, so a ruler should allocate offices and duties to those fit for them, preserving stability and justice.