Shloka 37

राजधर्मः—प्रजापालनं दानयज्ञश्च

Royal Duty—Protection of Subjects, Generosity, and Sacrificial Discipline

Devanagari script

धृष्ट शूरं प्रहर्तारिमनृशंसं जितेन्द्रियम्‌ । वत्सलं संविभक्तारमुपजीवन्ति तं नरा:,जो राजा निर्भय, शूरवीर, प्रहार करनेमें कुशल, दयालु, जितेन्द्रिय, प्रजावत्सल और दानी होता है, उसीका आश्रय लेकर मनुष्य जीवन-निर्वाह करते हैं

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭaśūraṁ prahartāram anṛśaṁsaṁ jitendriyam | vatsalaṁ saṁvibhaktāram upajīvanti taṁ narāḥ ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「人々は、恐れを知らぬ勇者にして、侵す者を打ち伏せる術に長けながらも慈悲を失わず、諸感官を制し、臣民をわが子のように慈しみ、財を惜しみなく分かち与える王に帰依して生を支える。そのような統治者こそ、勇と仁、そして自制の規律によって、社会の確かな拠り所となるのだ。」

Word by Word

धृष्टम्bold, fearless

शूरम्hero, brave man

प्रहर्तारम्striker, assailant (one who smites)

अनृशंसम्compassionate, not cruel

जितेन्द्रियम्self-controlled (having conquered the senses)

वत्सलम्affectionate

संविभक्तारम्distributor, giver (one who apportions)

उपजीवन्तिlive by, subsist on

तम्him, that (person)

नराःmen, people

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (ideal ruler)

people/subjects (narāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

An ideal king sustains society by combining fearlessness and the capacity to punish with compassion, self-mastery, parental care for subjects, and generous distribution of resources; people naturally depend on such a ruler for security and livelihood.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma describes the traits of a worthy ruler, explaining why subjects ‘live by’ taking refuge in a king who protects firmly yet remains humane and disciplined.