Shloka 8

Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order

Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतेश्वरं देवं प्रभुं नारायणं पुरा । जग्मु: सुबहुश: शूरा राजानो दण्डनीतये

Transliteration

sarvabhūteśvaraṁ devaṁ prabhuṁ nārāyaṇaṁ purā | jagmuḥ subahuśaḥ śūrā rājāno daṇḍanītaye, rājendra |

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “In former times, many heroic kings repeatedly approached Nārāyaṇa—the divine Lord, sovereign of all beings—seeking instruction in daṇḍanīti, the science of governance and just punishment. O best of kings, all the worlds, together with their highest codes of conduct, are encompassed within the king’s dharma; this I have already told you.”

Word by Word

• सर्वभूतेश्वरम्: lord of all beings
• सर्वभूतेश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूतेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देवम्: god
• देवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभुम्: master, lord
• प्रभुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नारायणम्: Narayana
• नारायणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• जग्मुः: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सुबहुशः: very many times / in great numbers
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुबहुशस्

• शूराः: heroes, valiant men
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दण्डनीतये: for the science/practice of punishment (statecraft)
• दण्डनीतये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डनीति
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Nārāyaṇa
• kings (rājānaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That rajadharma (the king’s duty) is comprehensive—embracing the welfare and moral order of all realms—and that daṇḍanīti (just discipline and governance) is a sacred, principled science best learned by approaching the highest divine authority, Nārāyaṇa.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing the king, recalls an ancient precedent: many valorous rulers once went to Nārāyaṇa to learn daṇḍanīti, establishing that righteous governance is grounded in dharma and guided by divine wisdom.