Shloka 40

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नैव मृदुर्नित्यं तीक्ष्णो नैव भवेन्नूप: । वासन्तार्क इव श्रीमान्‌ न शीतो न च घर्मद:

Transliteration

tasmān naiva mṛdur nityaṁ tīkṣṇo naiva bhaven nṛpaḥ | vāsantārka iva śrīmān na śīto na ca gharmadaḥ ||

Translation

ゆえに、大王よ、統治者は常に柔らかであってはならず、また執拗に苛烈であってもならぬ。春の季節の輝く太陽が、過度に冷やすこともなく、焼けつくように照りつけることもないように、王もまた均衡を保つべきである—残虐に陥らぬ剛さ、弱さに堕さぬ温和さを。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore / from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: ablative (pañcamī), singular, masculine/neuter (pronominal)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation particle

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: emphatic particle

• मृदुः: gentle / soft
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य
• Form: accusative singular used adverbially

• तीक्ष्णः: harsh / sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation particle

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: emphatic particle

• भवेत्: should be / may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: vidhi-liṅ (optative), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वासन्त: vernal / of spring
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासन्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular (used as qualifier in compound)

• अर्कः: sun
• अर्कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इव: like / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: comparative particle

• श्रीमान्: splendid / glorious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमन्त्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation particle

• शीतः: cold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: nor / not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation particle

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• घर्मदः: heat-giving / scorching
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घर्मद
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (the king)
• vāsantārka (the spring sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches the principle of moderation in rulership: a king must avoid extremes of leniency and severity, cultivating a steady, balanced authority that protects without oppressing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira in context), using the image of the gentle spring sun to illustrate how a ruler should govern with measured firmness and measured compassion.