Shloka 49

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

अन्निदैर्गरदैश्वैव प्रतिरूपककारकै: । श्रेणिमुख्योपजापेन वीरुधश्छेदनेन च

Transliteration

annidair garadaiś caiva pratirūpakakārakaiḥ | śreṇimukhyopajāpena vīrudhaś chedanena ca

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Par les incendiaires, par les empoisonneurs, par les faussaires; par la sollicitation corruptrice des chefs de corporations; et par l’abattage des lianes et des plantes—(de tels actes sont comptés parmi les fautes les plus graves).»

Word by Word

अन्निदैःby food-givers (providers of food)

गरदैःby poisoners / poison-givers

चand

एवindeed / just

प्रतिरूपककारकैःby makers of counterfeits / forgers

श्रेणिमुख्योपजापेनby bribery/secret instigation of guild-leaders (chiefs of corporations)

वीरुधःcreepers / vines

छेदनेनby cutting / by severing

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Bhīṣma identifies destructive and deceitful acts—arson, poisoning, counterfeiting, corrupt manipulation of guild leadership, and wanton destruction of vegetation—as serious ethical violations because they endanger life, erode trust, and damage communal welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is listing categories of harmful wrongdoing, moving from direct physical threats (fire, poison) to economic deception (counterfeiting, corrupt guild influence) and finally to damage of shared natural resources (cutting plants/creepers).