Shloka 186

Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

सर्वान्‌ सुपरिणीतांस्तान्‌ कारयेथा युधिष्ठिर । युधिष्ठिर! जो धर्मज्ञ

Transliteration

sarvān supariṇītāṁs tān kārayethā yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «Oh Yudhiṣṭhira, procura que todos esos hombres bien adiestrados y de buena conducta sean debidamente empleados y sostenidos. Te alaben o te censuren—los versados en el dharma, firmes en el valor y que jamás vuelven la espalda en la batalla; los que se ganan la vida residiendo en el reino o viven bajo la protección del rey; así como los ministros y los neutrales—honra a todos por igual. Deber del rey es amparar y respetar a tales personas sin dejarse mover por la aprobación o el reproche.»

Word by Word

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुपरिणीतान्: well-guided / well-conducted
• सुपरिणीतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपरिणीत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कारयेथाः: you should cause (to be done) / you should have (them) treated
• कारयेथाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Causative (ṇic), Parasmaipada

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• ministers (mantri-gaṇa)
• neutral parties (taṭastha-varga)
• warriors who do not retreat in battle

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should honor and properly employ worthy people—dharma-knowers, steadfast warriors, dependents, ministers, and neutral parties—without being influenced by whether they praise or criticize him. Respect for merit and social support is a central duty of kingship (rājadharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on statecraft and righteous rule after the war. Here he emphasizes impartial conduct: the king must maintain dignity and fairness by honoring key social and political groups regardless of their opinions about him.