Shloka 68

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

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्षाश्न परोक्षाशक्ष सर्वाधिकरणेष्वथ । वृत्तेर्भरतशार्दूल नित्यं चैवान्ववेक्षणम्‌,भरतवंशके सिंह युधिष्ठिर! समस्त न्यायालयोंमें जो प्रत्यक्ष और परोक्ष विचार होते हैं तथा वहाँ जो राजकीय पुरुषोंके व्यवहार होते हैं, उन सबका प्रतिदिन निरीक्षण करना चाहिये। इसका भी उक्त शास्त्रमें उल्लेख है

Transliteration

pratyakṣāś ca parokṣāś ca sarvādhikaraṇeṣv atha | vṛtter bharataśārdūla nityaṃ caivānvavekṣaṇam ||

Translation

Bhishma bersabda: “Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, harimau di antara keturunan Bharata! Engkau hendaknya setiap hari mengawasi seluruh urusan peradilan—baik yang diputus berdasarkan bukti langsung maupun yang disimpulkan secara tidak langsung—serta tingkah laku dan transaksi para pejabat raja dalam persidangan itu. Pengawasan yang terus-menerus demikian pun diperintahkan dalam ajaran-ajaran otoritatif.”

Word by Word

• {'pratyakṣa': 'directly perceived

• based on immediate evidence', 'parokṣa': 'indirect

• inferred or not directly seen', 'sarva-adhikaraṇa': 'all cases/tribunals

• all matters under jurisdiction', 'atha': 'and then

• moreover', 'vṛtti': 'conduct, behavior, practical dealings (especially of officials)', 'bharataśārdūla': '‘tiger among the Bharatas’

• honorific address', 'nityam': 'always

• continually', 'eva': 'indeed

• emphatically', 'anvavekṣaṇam': 'close inspection, supervision, oversight'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Bharata lineage (Bharatas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must ensure justice by personally and regularly supervising all legal proceedings—those based on direct proof and those based on indirect inference—and by monitoring the integrity and behavior of state officials, so that administration remains fair and free from abuse.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira on practical governance, emphasizing daily oversight of courts and officials as a duty grounded in śāstric authority.