Shloka 31

Devanagari script

व्यक्तश्चानुग्रहो यस्य यथार्थश्चापि निग्रह: । गुप्तात्मा गुप्तराष्ट्रश्न स राजा राजधर्मवित्‌,जिसका अनुग्रह सबपर प्रकट है तथा जिसका निग्रह (दण्ड देना) भी यथार्थ कारणसे होता है, जो अपनी और अपने राज्यकी सुरक्षा करता है, वही राजा राजधर्मका ज्ञाता है

Transliteration

vyaktaś cānugraho yasya yathārthaś cāpi nigrahaḥ | guptātmā guptarāṣṭraś ca sa rājā rājadharmavit ||

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ກະສັດຜູ້ທີ່ຄວາມເມດຕາຂອງພຣະອົງປາກົດແຈ້ງຕໍ່ທຸກຄົນ, ແລະການລົງໂທດຂອງພຣະອົງກໍເຮັດແຕ່ເມື່ອມີເຫດຜົນທີ່ແທ້ແລະເໝາະສົມ; ຜູ້ທີ່ປົກປ້ອງທັງຕົນເອງແລະອານາຈັກໃຫ້ປອດໄພ—ກະສັດເຊັ່ນນັ້ນແມ່ນຜູ້ຮູ້ຈັກຫນ້າທີ່ແຫ່ງການເປັນກະສັດຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ.

Word by Word

व्यक्तःmanifest, evident

चand

अनुग्रहःfavor, grace

यस्यof whom, whose

यथार्थःproper, justified, true-to-purpose

चand

अपिalso, even

निग्रहःrestraint, punishment

गुप्तात्माone whose self is guarded; self-controlled

गुप्तराष्ट्रःone whose kingdom is protected

सःhe, that (person)

राजाking

राजधर्मवित्knower of the duties of kingship

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

the king (rājā)

the kingdom/realm (rāṣṭra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous king balances two public functions: visible benevolence (anugraha) that reassures and supports the people, and justified punishment (nigraha) that is applied only for real and fitting causes. Alongside this, he maintains prudent self-control and protects the realm; these together define true knowledge of rājadharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on the marks of a competent and dharmic ruler. This verse summarizes the ideal: transparent kindness, principled discipline, and vigilant protection of both the ruler’s person/counsel and the kingdom.