Shloka 29

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

पारम्पर्यागते द्वारे ये केचिदनुवर्तिन: । परिचर्यावतो द्वारे ये च केचन वर्गिण:,जो परम्परासे प्राप्त हुए राजद्वारपर रक्षा आदि सेवाका कार्य करते हों अथवा जो राजसेवक मन्त्री आदिके द्वारपर पहरा देते हों तथा किसी यूथके अधिपति हों, उनको भी नहीं मारना चाहिये

Transliteration

pāramparyāgate dvāre ye kecid anuvartinaḥ | paricaryāvato dvāre ye ca kecana vargiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: No deben ser muertos quienes, por sucesión hereditaria, sirven en la puerta real cumpliendo el deber que les fue asignado; ni quienes montan guardia en las puertas de los servidores del rey, como los ministros, o quienes son jefes de una tropa o unidad. El sentido ético es que las personas dedicadas a funciones de protección o servicio en el umbral del gobierno, especialmente por deber establecido, no han de ser tratadas como combatientes a los que se da muerte.

Word by Word

पारम्पर्यागतेin/at the traditionally inherited (post/position)

द्वारेat the gate/door

येwho (those who)

केचित्some (certain persons)

अनुवर्तिनःfollowers/attendants (those who serve by following orders)

परिचर्यावतःthose engaged in service/attendance

द्वारेat the gate/door

येwho (those who)

चand

केचनsome (others)

वर्गिणःleaders/men belonging to a troop or group

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

royal gate (rājadvāra)

ministers (mantrin, implied by context)

royal attendants/servants (rājasevaka, implied)

troop/unit (yūtha, implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in conflict, dharma restricts violence: hereditary gatekeepers, attendants, and organized guards performing protective/service duties at the royal threshold are not legitimate targets for killing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on righteous conduct and governance-related ethics; here he specifies categories of personnel connected with palace and ministerial gates—guards and service-followers—who should be spared.