Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 21

भीष्मस्योत्तरायणप्रतीक्षा तथा युधिष्ठिरागमनम् | Bhīṣma’s uttarāyaṇa moment and Yudhiṣṭhira’s arrival

Devanagari script

समश्रितानां वरद: शत्रूणामपि धर्मवित्‌ | नीतिज्ञो नीतिसम्पन्नो ब्रह्मवादी जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

samaśritānāṁ varadaḥ śatrūṇām api dharmavit | nītijño nītisampanno brahmavādī jitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

ພຣະອົງເປັນຜູ້ປະທານພອນແກ່ຜູ້ທີ່ມາພຶ່ງພາ—ແມ່ນແຕ່ສັດຕູກໍຕາມ—ແລະເປັນຜູ້ຮູ້ທັນທຳມະ. ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນນິຕິການປົກຄອງ ແລະພ້ອມດ້ວຍຄວາມປະພຶດຖືກຕ້ອງ; ຮູ້ແລະປະກາດພຣະພຣະຫມັນ (Brahman) ແລະເປັນຜູ້ຊະນະອິນທຣີ—ເປັນກະສັດຜູ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງອັນສົມບູນ ຜູ້ມີໃຈເມດຕາແລະຄວາມແຈ້ງຊັດໃນທຳມະ ກະທັ້ງຕໍ່ຜູ້ເຄີຍຕໍ່ຕ້ານ.

Word by Word

• समाश्रितानाम्: of those who have taken refuge
• समाश्रितानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु) → समाश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वरदः: giver of boons
• वरदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शत्रूणाम्: of enemies
• शत्रूणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• धर्मवित्: knower of dharma
• धर्मवित्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नीतिज्ञः: knower of polity/ethics
• नीतिज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीतिज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नीतिसम्पन्नः: endowed with good conduct/policy
• नीतिसम्पन्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीतिसम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मवादी: speaker/expounder of brahman (Vedic truth)
• ब्रह्मवादी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मवादी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: one whose senses are conquered; self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

ईश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (speaker)
• śatravaḥ (enemies, as a category)
• samaśritāḥ (those who seek refuge, as a category)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical ideal: true greatness combines protection of the vulnerable with principled conduct toward all, even enemies. Mastery of nīti (practical governance) must be grounded in dharma and inner self-control (jitendriya), so that power expresses generosity, restraint, and moral clarity rather than vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, the speaker (Īśvara) describes the defining virtues of an exemplary protector/ruler: one who grants refuge and boons, understands dharma, is skilled in policy, speaks spiritual truth, and has conquered the senses—thereby framing the standards by which leadership and character are to be judged.