Shloka 22

Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma

Devanagari script

एवं सद्धिर्विनीतेन पथा गन्तव्यमित्युत । राजर्षीणां वृत्तमेतदवगच्छ युधिछ्ठिर,युधिष्ठिर! इस प्रकार श्रेष्ठ पुरुष जिस मार्गसे गये हैं, उसीपर तुम्हें भी चलना चाहिये। इसीको तुम राजर्षियोंका सदाचार समझो

Transliteration

evaṁ saddhir vinītena pathā gantavyam ity uta | rājarṣīṇāṁ vṛttam etad avagaccha yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Así se declara: debes avanzar por el sendero disciplinado y bien guiado que han seguido los buenos y los nobles. Comprende esto, oh Yudhishthira, como la conducta establecida de los sabios reyes (rajarṣis): una norma ética que debe adoptarse y vivirse».

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this way

सत्भिःby the good (men)

विनीतेनby/with the disciplined (manner)

पथाby the path, along the way

गन्तव्यम्is to be gone; should be followed

इतिthus (quotative)

उतand, also (emphatic)

राजर्षीणाम्of the royal sages

वृत्तम्conduct, practice

एतत्this

अवगच्छunderstand, know

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira (repeated for emphasis)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Yudhishthira

Rajarshis (royal sages)

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?

Dharma is best learned and practiced by following the disciplined path exemplified by virtuous people and the time-tested conduct of royal sages; ethical life is grounded in exemplary tradition (sadācāra) and personal self-restraint (vinaya).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to the grieving king Yudhishthira, Bhishma continues his counsel on righteous governance and personal conduct, urging him to adopt the established standards of king-sages and to walk the same disciplined path followed by the noble.