Shloka 3

राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान

Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence

Devanagari script

भरद्वाजश्न भगवांस्तथा गौरशिरा मुनि: । राजशान्‍्त्रप्रणेतारो ब्रह्माण्या ब्रह्मवादिन:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

bharadvājaś ca bhagavāṁs tathā gauraśirā muniḥ |

rājaśāstra-praṇetāro brahmaṇyā brahmavādinaḥ ||

eteṣāṁ caiva vinā bhagavān viśālākṣaḥ mahātapāḥ śukrācāryaḥ sahasra-netro indraḥ prācetaso manuḥ |

ete sarve brāhmaṇa-bhaktā brahmavādinaś ca rājaśāstrasya praṇetāraḥ |

rājñe prajā-pālana-rūpaṁ dharmam eva praśaṁsanti |

dharmātmāsu śreṣṭha kamala-nayana yudhiṣṭhira rākṣaṇika-dharmasya sādhanāni vakṣyāmi śṛṇu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «El venerable Bharadvāja y el sabio Gauraśiras son autores de la ciencia de la realeza: devotos de Brahman y proclamadores de Brahman. Además de ellos, el ilustre Viśālākṣa, el gran asceta Śukrācārya, Indra de los mil ojos, Manu hijo de Pracetas y otros más: estos videntes, devotos de los brahmanes y expositores de la verdad sagrada, han establecido los principios del gobierno real. Todos ellos ensalzan, para un rey, el dharma cuya forma misma es proteger y nutrir al pueblo. Oh Yudhiṣṭhira, de ojos de loto, el mejor entre los justos, ahora describiré los medios por los cuales se sostiene este dharma protector: escucha.»

Word by Word

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvaja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भगवान्: venerable, blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गौरशिराः: Gaurashiras (the sage, 'white-headed')
• गौरशिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: promulgators/authors of political science
• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजशास्त्रप्रणेता
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मण्याः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मवादिनः: expounders of Brahman (Vedic/absolute truth)
• ब्रह्मवादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Yudhishthira (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bharadvaja (Bharadvāja)
• Gauraśiras (Gauraśirā)
• Viśālākṣa
• Śukrācārya
• Indra
• Manu (Prācetasa Manu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma grounds kingship in rākṣaṇika-dharma: the king’s foremost righteousness is protecting and sustaining the people. Political authority is validated by welfare and protection, as taught by revered rājaśāstra authorities who are aligned with Brahmanic ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on statecraft after the war. Here he cites a lineage of authoritative sages and deities associated with rājaśāstra, then announces he will explain the practical means for maintaining the king’s protective duty toward subjects.