Shloka 4

Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच शृणुष्व राजन यद्‌ वृत्तं ब्रह्मदत्तनिवेशने । पूजन्या सह संवादं ब्रह्मुदत्तस्य भूपते:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca śṛṇuṣva rājan yad vṛttaṃ brahmadattaniveśane | pūjanyā saha saṃvādaṃ brahmadattasya bhūpate ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王よ、ブラフマダッタの邸で起こったことを聞きなさい。統治者よ、ブラフマダッタが一人の尊ぶべき婦人と交わした対話を、私は語って聞かせよう。」

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

शृणुष्वlisten

राजन्O king

यत्which/what

वृत्तम्the event, what happened

ब्रह्मदत्त-निवेशनेin the dwelling/settlement of Brahmadatta

पूजन्याwith the venerable lady (worthy of worship)

सहtogether with

संवादम्conversation, dialogue

ब्रह्मदत्तस्यof Brahmadatta

भूपतेO lord of the earth (king)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by address 'rājan/bhūpate')

Brahmadatta

Pūjanyā (a venerable lady)

Brahmadatta-niveśana (Brahmadatta's residence)

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?

The verse frames dharma-instruction through attentive listening and respectful dialogue: a king is urged to learn from an exemplary conversation, implying that ethical governance is strengthened by honoring worthy counsel and reflecting on instructive narratives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins introducing an illustrative episode: he asks the king to hear what occurred at Brahmadatta’s residence and announces that he will recount Brahmadatta’s dialogue with a revered woman, setting up a didactic story within the Shanti Parva discourse.