Shloka 5
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
युधिछ्िर उवाच य एष राजनू् राजेति शब्दश्चरति भारत । कथमेष समुत्पन्नस्तन्मे ब्रूहि परंतप,युधिष्ठिर बोले--शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले भरत-वंशी नरेश! लोकमें जो यह राजा शब्द चल रहा है, इसकी उत्पत्ति कैसे हुई है? यह मुझे बतानेकी कृपा करें
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ya eṣa rājan rājeti śabdaś carati bhārata | katham eṣa samutpannas tan me brūhi paraṃtapa ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O king, O scion of Bharata’s line—this word ‘rājā’ (king) is current in the world. How did this designation arise? Tell me, O subduer of foes.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-centered inquiry into kingship: before discussing a ruler’s duties, Yudhiṣṭhira asks about the very origin and meaning of the title ‘rājā’, implying that ethical governance begins with understanding the concept and purpose of rulership.
In the Śānti Parva’s discourse on peace and governance, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Bharata-line king/sage and asks how the term ‘rājā’ came to be used in the world, inviting an explanation of the beginnings of kingship and its rationale.