Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 40

Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)

Devanagari script

श्रीक्ष राज्यं च कोशकश्ष क्षत्रियाणां युधिषछ्ठिर

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | śrīś ca rājyaṃ ca kośaś ca kṣatriyāṇāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | rājā yudhiṣṭhira! lakṣmī rājyaṃ ca kośaś ca—etat sarvaṃ śāstre kṣatriyārthaṃ vihitaṃ dṛśyate | rājan! kṣatriyo dharmānusāreṇa samudraparyantāṃ pṛthivīṃ bahulāṃ ca sampadaṃ prāpnoti | nareśvara! rājā (kṣatriyaḥ) daṇḍadhārī bhavati | kṣatriyāt paraṃ rakṣākāryaṃ nānyena śakyate kartum |

Translation

ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຢຸທິສະຖິຣະ, ຄວາມຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ (śrī), ອຳນາດອະທິປະໄຕ (rājya), ແລະຄັງຫຼວງ (kośa) ໄດ້ຖືກກຳນົດໃນຄຳພີ (śāstra) ໃຫ້ເປັນພາລະກິດອັນຄວນຄອງຂອງກະສັດຕຣິຍະ (Kṣatriya). ໂອ ພະຣາຊາຢຸທິສະຖິຣະ, ເຫັນຢູ່ວ່າ ລັກສະມີ (Lakṣmī) ຄວາມໂຊກດີແຫ່ງລາຊະ, ອານາຈັກ ແລະຄັງຫຼວງ ທັງໝົດນີ້ ຖືກບັນຍັດໄວ້ເພື່ອບົດບາດຂອງກະສັດຕຣິຍະ. ໂດຍປະພຶດຕາມທຳມະຂອງຕົນ ກະສັດຕຣິຍະອາດໄດ້ມາຊຶ່ງອຳນາດເຫນືອແຜ່ນດິນຈົນຮອດທະເລທີ່ລ້ອມຮອບ ແລະສະສົມຊັບສິນອັນມະຫາສານ. ໂອ ເຈົ້າແຫ່ງມະນຸດ, ກະສັດ—ເປັນກະສັດຕຣິຍະ—ແມ່ນຜູ້ຖືດັນດາ (daṇḍa) ໄມ້ແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດ; ແລະນອກຈາກກະສັດຕຣິຍະ ບໍ່ມີໃຜອື່ນທີ່ສາມາດປະກອບການປົກປ້ອງໄດ້ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ»។

Word by Word

• श्रीः: fortune, prosperity
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राज्यम्: kingdom, sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कोशः: treasury
• कोशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kshatriyas
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhishthira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakshmi; prosperity
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कोशः: treasury
• कोशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शास्त्रे: in the scripture
• शास्त्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: for/of the Kshatriyas
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कृते: for (the sake of)
• कृते: Sampradana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विहितम्: ordained, prescribed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु: धा)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दृश्यते: is seen, is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/Impersonal usage

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वधर्मेण: by/according to his own duty
• स्वधर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• समुद्रपर्यन्ताम्: bounded by the ocean
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्रपर्यन्त
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पृथिवीम्: earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महतीम्: great, vast
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्पदम्: wealth, prosperity
• सम्पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्पद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्नोति: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दण्डधारः: bearing the rod (of punishment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डधार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: is, becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• क्षत्रियात्: from a Kshatriya; than a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अन्यतः: from another (person), otherwise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः

• रक्षणम्: protection
• रक्षणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्तुम्: to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शक्यते: is possible
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/Impersonal usage

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Kshatriya
• Lakshmi (Sri)
• Danda (rod of punishment)
• Earth bounded by the seas (samudraparyantā pṛthivī)
• Kingdom (rājya)
• Treasury (kośa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma asserts that sovereignty, wealth, and the treasury are legitimate and scripturally sanctioned for the Kshatriya when pursued according to dharma, because the king’s defining obligation is protection—upheld through danda (lawful discipline and punishment).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing King Yudhishthira on rajadharma. Here he explains why kingship, resources, and coercive authority properly belong to the Kshatriya: only such a ruler can effectively protect society and maintain order.