Shloka 29

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

पारम्पर्यागते द्वारे ये केचिदनुवर्तिन: । परिचर्यावतो द्वारे ये च केचन वर्गिण:

Transliteration

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

Translation

Bhishma dit : Ceux qui, par succession héréditaire, servent à la porte royale en suivant le devoir qui leur est assigné, et ceux qui montent la garde aux portes des serviteurs du roi tels que les ministres, ou qui commandent une troupe ou une unité, ne doivent pas être mis à mort. Le point éthique est que les personnes engagées dans des fonctions de protection ou de service au seuil du pouvoir, surtout par devoir établi, ne doivent pas être traitées comme des combattants à abattre.

Word by Word

• पारम्पर्यागते: in/at the traditionally inherited (post/position)
• पारम्पर्यागते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारम्पर्यागत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• द्वारे: at the gate/door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (certain persons)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् + चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अनुवर्तिनः: followers/attendants (those who serve by following orders)
• अनुवर्तिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुवर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिचर्यावतः: those engaged in service/attendance
• परिचर्यावतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिचर्यावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्वारे: at the gate/door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• केचन: some (others)
• केचन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् + चन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वर्गिणः: leaders/men belonging to a troop or group
• वर्गिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्गिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• royal gate (rājadvāra)
• ministers (mantrin, implied by context)
• royal attendants/servants (rājasevaka, implied)
• troop/unit (yūtha, implied)

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.