Shloka 48

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

परिहासश्च भृत्यैस्ते नात्यर्थ वदतां वर । कर्तव्यो राजशार्दूल दोषमत्र हि मे शृूणु,वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ राजसिंह! तुम्हें सेवकोंके साथ अधिक हँसी-मजाक नहीं करना चाहिये; इसमें जो दोष है, वह मुझसे सुनो

Transliteration

parihāsaś ca bhṛtyais te nātyarthaṁ vadatāṁ vara | kartavyo rājaśārdūla doṣam atra hi me śṛṇu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô le meilleur des orateurs, ô tigre parmi les rois ! Tu ne dois pas te livrer à des plaisanteries et à des badinages excessifs avec tes serviteurs. Écoute de ma bouche le défaut qui se cache dans une telle familiarité.»

Word by Word

परिहासःjesting, joking

चand

भृत्यैःwith servants

तेof you/your

नnot

अत्यर्थम्excessively, too much

वदताम्of those speaking (i.e., who speak)

वरO best one

कर्तव्यःshould be done / is to be done

राजशार्दूलO tiger among kings

दोषम्fault, defect

अत्रhere, in this matter

हिindeed, for

मेfrom me

शृणुhear (you)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājaśārdūla (the king addressed, traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira)

bhṛtya (servants/retainers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should avoid excessive familiarity and joking with servants, because it can erode respect, blur boundaries of authority, and invite lapses in discipline—creating practical and ethical harm in governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on proper royal conduct. Here he cautions against overindulgent banter with attendants and signals that he will explain the specific fault that arises from it.