Shloka 130

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

शुभं हि कर्म राजेन्द्र शुभत्वायोपकल्पते । आत्मना कारणैश्वैव समस्येह महीक्षित:

Transliteration

śubhaṃ hi karma rājendra śubhatvāyopakalpate | ātmanā kāraṇaiś caiva samasy eha mahīkṣitaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O best of kings, a wholesome deed truly conduces to auspiciousness. Here, O ruler of the earth, it is by one’s own self—and by the causes one sets in motion—that one comes to an even, well-settled state.”

Word by Word

• शुभम्: auspicious (deed/act)
• शुभम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• कर्म: action/deed
• कर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शुभत्वाय: for auspiciousness
• शुभत्वाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभत्व
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• उपकल्पते: is conducive/leads (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√कॢप् (कल्पते)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• आत्मना: by oneself/with the self
• आत्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कारणैः: by means/causes
• कारणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• समस्य: having done/after doing (properly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• महीक्षितः: the king/earth-protector
• महीक्षितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीक्षित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by rājendra/mahīkṣitaḥ)