Shloka 32

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

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

Devanagari script

यं हि वैद्या: कुले जाता ह्वृत्तिभयपीडिता: । प्राप्य तृप्ता: प्रतिष्ठन्ति धर्म:को5भ्यधिकस्तत:

Transliteration

yaṃ hi vaidyāḥ kule jātā vṛttibhaya-pīḍitāḥ | prāpya tṛptāḥ pratiṣṭhanti dharmo 'bhyadhikas tataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: When learned and well-born men—physicians by lineage—are distressed by fear for their livelihood, and, having obtained the protection of a king, become content and are able to live with dignity and stability, what greater act of dharma can there be for that king than this?

Word by Word

• {'yaṃ': 'whom

• that (king) whom', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'vaidyāḥ': 'physicians

• learned medical men', 'kule jātāḥ': 'born in a (good/noble) family

• of reputable lineage', 'vṛtti': 'means of livelihood

• subsistence', 'bhaya': 'fear

• anxiety', 'pīḍitāḥ': 'afflicted

• oppressed', 'prāpya': 'having reached/obtained

• having taken refuge with', 'tṛptāḥ': 'satisfied

• content', 'pratiṣṭhanti': 'stand firm

• live with standing/respectability', 'dharmaḥ': 'righteous duty

• moral merit', 'abhyadhikaḥ': 'greater

• superior', 'tataḥ': 'than that

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā, implied)
• vaidyas (physicians)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s highest dharma includes giving refuge and secure livelihood to worthy, learned people who are distressed—so they can live contentedly and with dignity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on royal duty, Bhishma explains to the ruler that providing protection and stable support to well-born, learned physicians (and by extension other dependents/experts) is a supremely meritorious act of governance.