Shloka 15

अध्याय ५७ — राज्ञः नित्यप्रयत्नः, रक्षा-प्रधानता, तथा त्याग-नीतिः

Chapter 57: Constant Royal Vigilance, Primacy of Protection, and Principles of Dismissal

Devanagari script

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्माश्च रक्षितव्या महीक्षिता | धर्मसंकररक्षा च राज्ञां धर्म: सनातन:,राजाको चारों वर्णोंके धर्मोकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये, प्रजाको धर्मसंकरतासे बचाना राजाओंका सनातन धर्म है

Transliteration

cāturvarṇyasya dharmāś ca rakṣitavyā mahīkṣitā | dharmasaṅkararakṣā ca rājñāṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O king, the duties of the four social orders must be safeguarded by the ruler. To protect the people from the confusion and intermixture of duties (dharma-saṅkara) is the eternal obligation of kings.”

Word by Word

• चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य: of the fourfold social order
• चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्माः: duties, laws
• धर्माः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• रक्षितव्याः: to be protected
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Passive sense, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महीक्षिता: by the king (protector of the earth)
• महीक्षिता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीक्षित्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्मसंकररक्षा: protection against confusion/mixing of dharmas
• धर्मसंकररक्षा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मसंकररक्षा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• धर्मः: duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सनातनः: eternal, perennial
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahīkṣitā (the king addressed)