Shloka 34

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

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

Devanagari script

भीष्य उवाच यस्मिन्‌ भयार्दित: सम्यक्‌ क्षेमं विन्दत्यपि क्षणम्‌ । स स्वर्गजित्तमो<स्माकं सत्यमेतद्‌ ब्रवीमि ते

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca yasmin bhayārditaḥ samyak kṣemaṃ vindaty api kṣaṇam | sa svargajittamo 'smākaṃ satyam etad bravīmi te ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O king, the person in whose presence one who is tormented by fear can find true safety and calm—even for a single moment—he, among us, is the most worthy to win heaven. This is the truth I declare to you.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'yasmin', 'definition': 'in whom

• in whose presence'}, {'term': 'bhayārditaḥ', 'definition': 'afflicted/tormented by fear'}, {'term': 'samyak', 'definition': 'properly

• completely'}, {'term': 'kṣemam', 'definition': 'security, welfare, peace, safety'}, {'term': 'vindati', 'definition': 'finds

• obtains'}, {'term': 'api kṣaṇam', 'definition': 'even for a moment'}, {'term': 'saḥ', 'definition': 'he

• that person'}, {'term': 'svargajittamaḥ', 'definition': 'most excellent in winning heaven

• most deserving of heaven'}, {'term': 'asmākam', 'definition': 'among us

• of us'}, {'term': 'satyam', 'definition': 'truth'}, {'term': 'etad', 'definition': 'this'}, {'term': 'bravīmi', 'definition': 'I say

• I declare'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'to you'}]

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the king (addressed as rājan, i.e., Yudhishthira in Shanti Parva context)
• svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The highest moral worth is attributed to one who becomes a refuge for others: if a fear-stricken person can gain genuine peace and safety even briefly by approaching someone, that person is supremely deserving of heavenly merit. Dharma is measured here by the capacity to protect and console.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and emphasizes a standard of righteousness: the truly great are those whose presence grants security to the frightened, and such beneficence is praised as a direct cause of attaining heaven.