Shloka 15

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

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

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच नाहं राज्यसुखान्वेषी राज्यमिच्छाम्यपि क्षणम्‌ | धर्मार्थ रोचये राज्यं धर्मश्चात्र न विद्यते

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: nāhaṃ rājyasukhānveṣī rājyam icchāmy api kṣaṇam | dharmārthaṃ rocaye rājyaṃ dharmaś cātra na vidyate ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “I do not seek the pleasures of kingship; I do not desire the kingdom even for a moment. I once approved of sovereignty only for the sake of dharma, yet here I find no dharma at all.”

Word by Word

• {'Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'na aham': 'not I

• I do not', 'rājya-sukha': 'the pleasures/comforts of kingship', 'anveṣī': 'a seeker

• one who pursues', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• rule', 'icchāmi': 'I desire

• I wish', 'api': 'even

• also', 'kṣaṇam': 'a moment

• an instant', 'dharma-artham': 'for the sake/purpose of dharma', 'rocaye': 'I approve

• I choose', 'dharmaḥ': 'dharma

• duty', 'atra': 'here

• in this matter/realm', 'na vidyate': 'is not found

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kingship is not justified by personal enjoyment; it is acceptable only as a vehicle for dharma. If rule becomes disconnected from righteousness, it loses its legitimacy and moral purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s reflective aftermath of the war, Yudhiṣṭhira voices disillusionment with sovereignty. He declares that he never wanted rule for pleasure and that he had accepted it only to uphold dharma, but now perceives a troubling absence of dharma in the situation.