Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपन बछ। है २ >> षण्णवतितमो< ध्याय: राजाके छलरहित धर्मयुक्त बर्तावकी प्रशंसा भीष्म उवाच नाधर्मेण महीं जेतुं लिप्सेत जगतीपति: । अधर्मविजयं लब्ध्वा को नु मन्येत भूमिप:,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि![ किसी भी भूपालको अधर्मके द्वारा पृथ्वीपर विजय प्राप्त करनेकी इच्छा कभी नहीं करनी चाहिये। अधर्मसे विजय पाकर कौन राजा सम्मानित हो सकता है?

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | nādharmeṇa mahīṃ jetuṃ lipseta jagatīpatiḥ | adharmavijayaṃ labdhvā ko nu manyeta bhūmipaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: A ruler who bears responsibility for the world should never desire to conquer the earth by unrighteous means. For if one gains victory through adharma, what king could truly be regarded as honorable or worthy of esteem?

Word by Word

nanot

adharmeṇaby unrighteousness

mahīmthe earth

jetumto conquer

lipsetshould desire

jagatīpatiḥlord of the world (king)

adharma-vijayaman unrighteous victory

labdhvāhaving obtained

kaḥwho?

nuindeed/then (emphasis)

manyetawould be considered / would think (as)

bhūmipaḥa king

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Yudhishthira

king (bhūmipa/jagatīpati)

earth/realm (mahī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that political success must be grounded in dharma: conquest or governance achieved through adharma lacks moral legitimacy, and such a victor cannot be truly honored as a rightful king.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on rajadharma after the war. Here he begins by warning that a ruler should not seek dominion through unrighteous methods, because an unjust victory undermines a king’s reputation and rightful standing.