Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 14

Kāpavya-carita (कापव्यचरित) — Reforming Dasyus through Regulated Rāja-Dharma

यथा सुमधुरौ दम्यौ सुदान्तौ साधुवाहिनौ | धुरमुद्यम्य वहतास्तथा वर्तेत वै नृप:,जैसे मनोहर आकृतिवाले, सुशिक्षित तथा अच्छी तरहसे बोझ ढोनेमें समर्थ नयी अवस्थाके दो बैल कंधोंपर भार उठाकर उसे सुन्दर ढंगसे ढोते हैं, उसी प्रकार राजाको भी अपने राज्यका भार अच्छी तरह सँभालना चाहिये

yathā sumadhurau damyau sudāntau sādhuvāhinau | dhuram udyamya vahatas tathā varteta vai nṛpaḥ ||

ビーシュマは言った。「姿もよく、よく馴らされ、厳しく調教され、轭(くびき)に耐えうる若い牡牛が二頭、肩に荷を載せて安定して見事に運ぶように、王もまたそのように振る舞うべきである。すなわち、自国の重荷を能く支え、能く治めよ。」

यथाjust as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
Formindeclinable (comparative particle)
सुमधुरौvery gentle/sweet (in disposition)
सुमधुरौ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुमधुर
Formmasculine, nominative, dual
दम्यौto be tamed / tractable
दम्यौ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदम्य
Formmasculine, nominative, dual
सुदान्तौwell-trained, well-restrained
सुदान्तौ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुदान्त
Formmasculine, nominative, dual
साधुwell, properly
साधु:
TypeAdjective
Rootसाधु
Formindeclinable/adjectival (used as first member of compound)
वाहिनौbearing/carrying (well)
वाहिनौ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवाहिन्
Formmasculine, nominative, dual
धुरम्yoke; burden
धुरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधुर्
Formfeminine, accusative, singular
उद्यम्यhaving lifted/raised
उद्यम्य:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-यम्
Formabsolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), indeclinable
वहतःcarrying, bearing
वहतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवह्
Formpresent active participle, masculine nominative dual
तथाso, in that manner
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
Formindeclinable
वर्तेतshould act/behave; should conduct himself
वर्तेत:
TypeVerb
Rootवृत्
Formoptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, singular, Atmanepada
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
Formindeclinable (emphatic particle)
नृपःthe king
नृपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
Formmasculine, nominative, singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
N
nṛpa (king)
D
dhura (yoke/burden)
T
two oxen (damyau)

Educational Q&A

A ruler must be trained, self-controlled, and capable—like well-broken oxen—so that he can steadily carry the heavy responsibility of protecting and administering the kingdom.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he uses a practical agrarian metaphor—two disciplined oxen bearing a yoke—to illustrate how a king should manage the weight of statecraft.