Shloka 65

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

तथा जनपदाश्रैव पुरं च कुरुनन्दन । एतत्‌ सप्तात्मकं राज्यं परिपाल्यं प्रयत्नत:,कुरुनन्दन! राजाको उचित है कि सात वस्तुओंकी अवश्य रक्षा करे। वे सात कौन हैं? यह मुझसे सुनो। राजाका अपना शरीर, मन्त्री, कोश, दण्ड (सेना), मित्र, राष्ट्र और नगर-- से राज्यके सात अड़् हैं, राजाकों इन सबका प्रयत्नपूर्वक पालन करना चाहिये

Transliteration

tathā janapadāś caiva puraṁ ca kurunandana | etat saptātmakaṁ rājyaṁ paripālyaṁ prayatnataḥ ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「同様に、クル族の喜びよ、国土（民と田地）と王都の城邑も守らねばならぬ。国は七つの要肢から成るゆえ、これらすべてを怠りなく努めて護持すべきである。」

Word by Word

• {'tathā': 'likewise

• in the same manner', 'janapadāḥ': 'territories and their people

• the realm/countryside (districts)', 'ca eva': 'and indeed

• also', 'puram': 'city

• capital/fortified town', 'kurunandana': 'O Kurus’ delight (address to the Kuru prince, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'etat': 'this', 'saptātmakaṁ': 'having seven constituents

• seven-limbed', 'rājyam': 'kingdom

• state', 'paripālyam': 'to be protected/maintained

• to be governed and preserved', 'prayatnataḥ': 'with effort

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kurunandana (Yudhishthira)
• janapada (realm/territory)
• pura (city/capital)
• rājya (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must preserve the kingdom as a seven-part organism (saptātmaka/saptāṅga): governance is sustained by protecting its key supports—especially the realm (janapada) and the city (pura)—with constant diligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadhrama, Bhishma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and continues outlining what a ruler must safeguard, emphasizing that the state has essential limbs and must be maintained through careful, sustained effort.