Shloka 4

मयूरवद्राजधर्मः (Mayūra-vat Rāja-dharma) — The Peacock-Model of Protective Kingship

Devanagari script

अनुरूपाणि कर्माणि भृत्येभ्यो य: प्रयच्छति । स भृत्यगुणसम्पन्नो राजा फलमुपाश्रुते,जो राजा अपने सेवकोंको उनकी योग्यताके अनुरूप कार्य सौंपता है, वह भृत्यके गुणोंसे सम्पन्न हो उत्तम फलका भागी होता है

Transliteration

anurūpāṇi karmāṇi bhṛtyebhyo yaḥ prayacchati | sa bhṛtya-guṇa-sampanno rājā phalam upāśrute ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「家臣に、その才分と位分にかなう務めを授ける王は、良き奉仕の徳を身に備え、かく整った政により、すぐれた果を得る。要は、責務を能力にふさわしく配することこそが、忠誠と能率とダルマを国に保つ正しい統治である。」

Word by Word

अनुरूपाणिsuitable, appropriate

कर्माणिtasks, duties, works

भृत्येभ्यःto the servants

यःwho

प्रयच्छतिgives, assigns, bestows

सःhe

भृत्यगुणसम्पन्नःendowed with (good) qualities of servants / having good servants

राजाking

फलम्result, fruit

उपाश्रुतेobtains, attains

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (rājā)

servants/retainers (bhṛtya)

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 should allocate responsibilities according to each servant’s suitability and competence; such fitting assignment strengthens service-virtues (guṇa) in the administration and yields the best outcomes (phala) for the king and the kingdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma is advising the king on practical governance: effective rule depends on discerning people’s capacities and entrusting them with appropriate duties.