Shloka 4

राजधर्मप्रश्नः — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry into Rājadharma (Śānti-parva 56)

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गों हि समासक्तो राजधर्मेषु कौरव । मोक्षधर्मश्ष विस्पष्ट: सकलो<त्र समाहित:,कुरुनन्दन! राजाके धर्मोमें धर्म, अर्थ और काम तीनोंका समावेश है, और यह स्पष्ट है कि सम्पूर्ण मोक्षधर्म भी राजधर्ममें निहित है

Transliteration

trivargo hi samāsakto rājadharmeṣu kaurava | mokṣadharmaś ca vispaṣṭaḥ sakalo ’tra samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ກົວຣະວະ, ໃນຣາຊະທັມ ເປົ້າໝາຍສາມປະການແຫ່ງຊີວິດ—ທັມ, ອັດຖະ, ແລະ ກາມະ—ຖືກຜູກຮ່ວມກັນ ແລະເຄື່ອນໄຫວຢ່າງແຂງຂັນ. ແລະກໍແຈ້ງຊັດວ່າ ຄຳສອນທັງປວງວ່າດ້ວຍມົກສະ (mokṣa-dharma) ກໍຖືກຮວບຮວມໄວ້ຢ່າງຄົບຖ້ວນໃນຣາຊະທັມນີ້».

Word by Word

त्रिवर्गःthe triad (dharma-artha-kama)

हिindeed/for

समासक्तःattached/engaged

राजधर्मेषुin the duties/laws of kingship

कौरवO Kaurava

मोक्षधर्मःthe dharma of liberation

चand

विस्पष्टःclearly (set forth)/evident

सकलःentire/whole

अत्रhere/in this (context)

समाहितःincluded/contained; brought together

कुरुनन्दनO joy of the Kurus

Speaker

युधिषछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kaurava (addressee)

Rāja-dharma

Trivarga (dharma-artha-kāma)

Mokṣa-dharma

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?

Rāja-dharma is not merely political technique; it integrates the full spectrum of human aims (dharma, artha, kāma) and can also encompass the principles that lead toward mokṣa. Ethical governance is presented as a comprehensive discipline with spiritual depth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Kuru elder/kinsman and frames the discussion: the science of kingship contains within it both worldly responsibilities and the broader moral-spiritual teachings, including those oriented to liberation.