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Shloka 26

Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas

Kekaya Exemplum

नमे राष्ट्रे विधवा ब्रह्मबन्धु- न॑ ब्राह्मण: कितवो नोत चोर: । अयाज्ययाजी न च पापकर्मा न मे भयं विद्यते राक्षसेभ्य:,मेरे राज्यमें कोई स्त्री विधवा नहीं है तथा कोई भी ब्राह्मण अधम, धूर्त, चोर, अनधिकारियोंका यज्ञ करानेवाला और पापाचारी नहीं है; इसलिये मुझे राक्षसोंसे तनिक भी भय नहीं है

na me rāṣṭre vidhavā brahmabandhur na brāhmaṇaḥ kitavo nota coraḥ | ayājyayājī na ca pāpakarmā na me bhayaṁ vidyate rākṣasebhyaḥ ||

ビーシュマは言った。「我が国には寡婦はおらず、バラモンの名を汚す卑しき『バラモン』もいない。賭博に溺れるバラモンも、盗人もいない。不適格な者のために祭祀を執り行う祭官もおらず、罪業をなす者もいない。ゆえに私はラークシャサ(rākṣasa)を少しも恐れない。」

nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
meof me / my
me:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootasmad
Form—, Genitive, Singular
rāṣṭrein (my) kingdom
rāṣṭre:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootrāṣṭra
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
vidhavāa widow
vidhavā:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootvidhavā
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
brahma-bandhuḥa Brahmin only by name (unworthy Brahmin)
brahma-bandhuḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootbrahma-bandhu
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
brāhmaṇaḥa Brahmin
brāhmaṇaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootbrāhmaṇa
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
kitavaḥa gambler / cheat
kitavaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootkitava
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
utaand also / nor
uta:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootuta
coraḥa thief
coraḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootcora
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ayājya-yājīone who officiates sacrifices for the unfit
ayājya-yājī:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootayājya-yājin
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
pāpa-karmāevil-doing / sinful in deeds
pāpa-karmā:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootpāpa-karman
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
meto me / for me (my)
me:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootasmad
Form—, Genitive, Singular
bhayamfear
bhayam:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootbhaya
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
vidyateexists / is found
vidyate:
TypeVerb
Root√vid (vindati/vidyate)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada
rākṣasebhyaḥfrom the rākṣasas (demons)
rākṣasebhyaḥ:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootrākṣasa
FormMasculine, Ablative, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
R
rāṣṭra (kingdom/realm)
R
rākṣasas

Educational Q&A

A ruler’s security is grounded in dharma: when society is free from exploitation, crime, and corrupt ritual practice, the realm becomes spiritually and socially protected—so even ‘external’ threats like rākṣasas are not feared.

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and social ethics, Bhishma describes the moral condition of a well-ordered kingdom—no vulnerable widows left unprotected, no criminality, and no religious corruption—and concludes that such righteousness removes fear of hostile forces.