Shloka 86

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

नाधर्मो विद्यते तत्र धर्म एव तु केवलम्‌ | इति कार्तयुगानेतान्‌ धर्मान्‌ विद्धि युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

nādharmo vidyate tatra dharma eva tu kevalam | iti kṛtayugān etān dharmān viddhi yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «En cet âge, l’adharma n’existe pas du tout ; seule la dharma demeure, et rien d’autre. Aussi, ô Yudhiṣṭhira, sache que tels sont les devoirs et les normes du Kṛta (Satya) Yuga.»

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अधर्मः: unrighteousness, adharma
• अधर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विद्+यते; √विद् in sense 'to exist/ be found')
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• तत्र: there, in that (time/place)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• धर्मः: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: only, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• केवलम्: alone, exclusively
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus, so (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• कृतयुगान्: the Kṛta-yugas (Satya-yugas)
• कृतयुगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• एतान्: these
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• धर्मान्: duties, dharmas
• धर्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विद्धि: know, understand
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (√विद्)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun (Proper)
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛta Yuga (Satya Yuga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that in the Kṛta/Satya Yuga, adharma is absent and dharma alone prevails; therefore the standards being described should be understood as the ideal yuga-specific model of righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance; here he frames his guidance by contrasting ages, identifying the Kṛta (Satya) Yuga as a time when only dharma exists.