Shloka 1

Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa

The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

ऑपनआक्रात बछ। 2 विशर्त्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: राजथधर्मका साररूपमें वर्णन युधिछिर उवाच राजवृत्तान्यनेकानि त्वया प्रोक्तानि भारत | पूर्व: पूर्वनियुक्तानि राजधर्मार्थवेदिभि:,युधिष्ठिने कहा--भारत! राजधर्मके तत्त्वको जाननेवाले पूर्ववर्ती राजाओंने पूर्वकालमें जिनका अनुष्ठान किया है, उन अनेक प्रकारके राजोचित बर्तावोंका आपने वर्णन किया

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | rājavṛttāny anekāni tvayā proktāni bhārata | pūrvaiḥ pūrvanīyuktāni rājadharmārthavedibhiḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô Bhārata, tu as décrit bien des formes de conduite royale—ces pratiques que, jadis, établirent et observèrent les souverains d’autrefois, connaisseurs du véritable dessein et du sens du rāja-dharma (le devoir de la royauté).»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजवृत्तानि: royal practices / kingly conduct
• राजवृत्तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजवृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनेकानि: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रोक्तानि: told / spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पूर्वैः: by the earlier (kings/people)
• पूर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पूर्वनियुक्तानि: previously enjoined/appointed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-नियुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• राजधर्मार्थवेदिभिः: by knowers of royal duty and purpose
• राजधर्मार्थवेदिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधर्मार्थवेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata (addressed figure, traditionally Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate royal conduct (rājavṛtta) is grounded in rāja-dharma as understood by knowledgeable predecessors; good governance is presented as a tradition of ethically informed practices rather than personal whim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira responds to the ongoing instruction on rāja-dharma, acknowledging that the elder has already explained many established norms of kingship practiced by earlier rulers who understood the principles and aims of governance.