Shloka 17

दुर्ग-निवेश-राजधर्मः | Fortified Capital and the King’s Residential Polity

Rājadharma

Devanagari script

प्राज्ञा मेधाविनो दान्ता दक्षा: शूरा बहुश्रुता: । कुलीना: सत्त्वसम्पन्ना युक्ता: सर्वेषु कर्मसु,विद्वान, बुद्धिमान, जितेन्द्रिय, कार्यकुशल, शूर, बहुज्ञ, कुलीन तथा साहस और धैर्यसे सम्पन्न पुरुषोंको यथायोग्य समस्त कर्मोमें लगावे

Transliteration

prājñā medhāvino dāntā dakṣāḥ śūrā bahuśrutāḥ | kulīnāḥ sattva-sampannā yuktāḥ sarveṣu karmasu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Qu’on emploie, comme il convient, dans tout devoir et toute entreprise, des hommes sages et clairvoyants, maîtres d’eux-mêmes, capables et efficaces, courageux, instruits, de bonne lignée, et doués d’une fermeté de caractère.»

Word by Word

प्राज्ञाःwise, discerning

मेधाविनःintelligent, possessing intellect

दान्ताःself-controlled, restrained

दक्षाःskilled, capable

शूराःbrave, heroic

बहुश्रुताःwell-read, learned (lit. much-heard)

कुलीनाःof noble family

सत्त्वसम्पन्नाःendowed with virtue/strength of character

युक्ताःengaged, properly employed

सर्वेषुin all

कर्मसुin actions, in duties

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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 or leader should assign responsibilities only to suitably qualified people—those marked by wisdom, learning, self-control, competence, courage, good conduct, and moral steadiness—so that public duties are carried out in harmony with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous governance and practical statecraft; here he lists the virtues of men who should be appointed to various tasks and offices.