Shloka 3

राजधर्मस्य नवनीतम्—रक्षा, दण्ड, चार, उत्थान

Rājadharma’s ‘Essence’: Protection, Punishment, Intelligence, and Royal Diligence

Devanagari script

भरद्वाजश्न भगवांस्तथा गौरशिरा मुनि: । राजशान्‍्त्रप्रणेतारो ब्रह्माण्या ब्रह्मवादिन:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

bharadvājaś ca bhagavāṁs tathā gauraśirā muniḥ |

rājaśāstra-praṇetāro brahmaṇyā brahmavādinaḥ ||

eteṣāṁ caiva vinā bhagavān viśālākṣaḥ mahātapāḥ śukrācāryaḥ sahasra-netro indraḥ prācetaso manuḥ |

ete sarve brāhmaṇa-bhaktā brahmavādinaś ca rājaśāstrasya praṇetāraḥ |

rājñe prajā-pālana-rūpaṁ dharmam eva praśaṁsanti |

dharmātmāsu śreṣṭha kamala-nayana yudhiṣṭhira rākṣaṇika-dharmasya sādhanāni vakṣyāmi śṛṇu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Le vénérable Bharadvāja et le sage Gauraśiras sont auteurs de la science de la royauté : dévoués à Brahman et proclamateurs de Brahman. Outre eux, l’illustre Viśālākṣa, le grand ascète Śukrācārya, Indra aux mille yeux, Manu fils de Pracetas, et d’autres encore : ces voyants, dévoués aux brahmanes et interprètes de la vérité sacrée, ont posé les principes du gouvernement royal. Tous louent, pour un roi, le dharma dont la forme même est de protéger et de nourrir le peuple. Ô Yudhiṣṭhira aux yeux de lotus, le meilleur des justes, je vais maintenant décrire les moyens par lesquels ce dharma de protection est maintenu : écoute.»

Word by Word

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvaja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भगवान्: venerable, blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गौरशिराः: Gaurashiras (the sage, 'white-headed')
• गौरशिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: promulgators/authors of political science
• राजशास्त्रप्रणेतारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजशास्त्रप्रणेता
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मण्याः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मवादिनः: expounders of Brahman (Vedic/absolute truth)
• ब्रह्मवादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Yudhishthira (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bharadvaja (Bharadvāja)
• Gauraśiras (Gauraśirā)
• Viśālākṣa
• Śukrācārya
• Indra
• Manu (Prācetasa Manu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma grounds kingship in rākṣaṇika-dharma: the king’s foremost righteousness is protecting and sustaining the people. Political authority is validated by welfare and protection, as taught by revered rājaśāstra authorities who are aligned with Brahmanic ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on statecraft after the war. Here he cites a lineage of authoritative sages and deities associated with rājaśāstra, then announces he will explain the practical means for maintaining the king’s protective duty toward subjects.