Shloka 8
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
वसुहोमो<पि राज्ञो वै पाद्यमर्घ्य न्यवेदयत् । सप्ताड्स्य तु राजस्य पप्रच्छ कुशलाव्यये,वसुहोमने भी राजाको पाद्य और अर्घ्य निवेदन किया तथा सातों अंगोंसे युक्त उनके राज्यका कुशल-समाचार पूछा
Vasuhomo 'pi rājño vai pādyam arghyaṃ nyavedayat | saptāṅgasya tu rājasya papraccha kuśalāvyaye ||
Bhīṣma dit : Vasuhoma, lui aussi, présenta au roi les offrandes d’usage : l’eau pour laver les pieds et l’arghya d’honneur. Puis, soucieux des devoirs de la royauté, il s’enquit du bien-être du royaume dans ses sept membres constitutifs, demandant si l’État était en sûreté, bien gouverné et exempt de détresse.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights two pillars of dharma in public life: proper hospitality and honor (pādya, arghya) and responsible governance. A ruler’s legitimacy is tied to the welfare of the ‘seven limbs’ of the polity—an ethical reminder that kingship is measured by the health and stability of the whole state, not merely personal power.
In Bhīṣma’s narration, Vasuhoma approaches the king, performs the formal courtesies by offering pādya and arghya, and then asks about the kingdom’s well-being in terms of the classical ‘seven-limbed’ framework of statecraft—checking whether the realm is secure and flourishing.