Shloka 17

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

उच्छिद्यमानमात्मान ज्ञात्वा राजा महामति: । पूर्वापकारिणो हन्याल्लोकद्विष्टांश्व॒ सर्वश:

Transliteration

ucchidyamānam ātmānaṃ jñātvā rājā mahāmatiḥ | pūrvāpakāriṇo hanyāl lokadviṣṭāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: When a king of great intelligence realizes that his very existence is being cut off—his rule and life being targeted—he should decisively eliminate those who have previously harmed him, and also those who bear hatred toward the people, rooting them out completely.

Word by Word

• उच्छिद्यमानम्: being cut off / being destroyed
• उच्छिद्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्-छिद् (धातु) → उच्छिद्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having known / realizing
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महामतिः: very wise / of great intellect
• महामतिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्व-अपकारिणः: former wrongdoers / prior offenders
• पूर्व-अपकारिणः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपकारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हन्यात्: should kill / should destroy
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• लोक-द्विष्टान्: those who hate the people / public-haters
• लोक-द्विष्टान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विष् (धातु) → द्विष्ट (कृदन्त) / द्विष्ट (विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• सर्वशः: entirely / in every way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• the people/public (loka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A prudent king must protect the realm and the people by decisively neutralizing those who threaten his existence and those who are hostile to public welfare; punishment here is presented as a duty of governance (rājadharma), not personal vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on royal conduct, Bhishma advises on how a ruler should respond when he learns of plots or forces aiming at his destruction: he should act firmly against prior offenders and public-haters to prevent wider harm.