Shloka 1

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline

Devanagari script

अत पञ्चसप्ततितमोब ध्याय: राजाके कर्तव्यका वर्णन

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: yayā vṛttyā mahīpālo vivardhayati mānavān | puṇyāṁś ca lokān jayati tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhishthira said: “Grandfather, tell me by what conduct a king nourishes and uplifts his people, and by what he also wins the blessed worlds. Teach me that path.”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यया: by which
• यया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वृत्त्या: conduct; mode of rule; policy
• वृत्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• महीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विवर्धयति: causes to prosper; increases
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु) + वि
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मानवान्: people; men
• मानवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पुण्यान्: meritorious; holy
• पुण्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• लोकान्: worlds; realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जयति: wins; conquers; attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that (method/means)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितामह: O grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• mahīpāla (the king, as a role)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames kingship as a moral discipline: a ruler’s right conduct should both foster the welfare and growth of the people and lead the ruler toward spiritual merit—showing that political power is accountable to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and asks for instruction on the proper conduct of a king—how to govern so that subjects prosper and the king attains blessed realms.