Shloka 33

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

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

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच कि तात परमं स्वर्ग्यं का ततः प्रीतिरुत्तमा । कि ततः परमैश्चर्य ब्रूहि मे यदि पश्यसि

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kiṃ tāta paramaṃ svargyaṃ kā tataḥ prītir uttamā | kiṃ tataḥ paramaiśvaryaṃ brūhi me yadi paśyasi ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Dear father, what is the highest means that leads to heaven? What is the finest joy that arises from it? And what is the greatest form of prosperity beyond even that? If you truly perceive these matters, tell me.”

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'kim': 'what?', 'tāta': 'dear father

• revered elder (a respectful address)', 'paramam': 'supreme

• highest', 'svargyam': 'leading to heaven

• conducive to svarga', 'kā': 'which? what kind of?', 'tataḥ': 'from that

• beyond that', 'prītiḥ': 'joy

• gladness', 'uttamā': 'best

• highest', 'parama-aiśvaryam': 'supreme lordly prosperity

• highest excellence/sovereign fortune', 'brūhi': 'tell (me)', 'me': 'to me

• my', 'yadi': 'if', 'paśyasi': 'you see

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a graded ethical inquiry: (1) the supreme practice that leads to heaven, (2) the highest inner joy born of that practice, and (3) an even greater ‘aiśvarya’—suggesting that true excellence is not merely external reward but a higher good that surpasses heavenly merit, inviting reflection on dharma’s deeper fruits.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions an elder teacher, asking for guidance on the best heaven-leading discipline, the finest satisfaction it yields, and what surpasses even those—preparing the ground for a discourse on values beyond mere reward.