Shloka 12

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

शुश्रूषाकृतकार्यस्य कृतसंतानकर्मण: । अभ्यनुज्ञातराजस्य शूद्रस्य जगतीपते,पृथ्वीनाथ! जो शूद्र तीनों वर्णोकी सेवा करके कृतार्थ हो गया है, जिसने पुत्र उत्पन्न कर लिया है, शौच और सदाचारकी दृष्टिसे जिसमें अन्य त्रैवर्णिकोंकी अपेक्षा बहुत कम अन्तर रह गया है अथवा जो मनुप्रोक्त दस धर्मोके पालनमें तत्पर रहा हैः, वह शूद्र यदि राजाकी अनुमति प्राप्त कर ले तो उसके लिये संन्यासको छोड़कर शेष सभी आश्रम विहित हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | śuśrūṣākṛtakāryasya kṛtasantānakarmaṇaḥ | abhyanugyātarājasya śūdrasya jagatīpate pṛthvīnātha |

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ ຈອມໂລກ ໂອ ຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງແຜ່ນດິນ—ເມື່ອຊູດຣະຜູ້ໜຶ່ງໄດ້ສຳເລັດໜ້າທີ່ດ້ວຍການຮັບໃຊ້ຢ່າງອຸທິດ, ໄດ້ສ້າງສາຍຕະກູນໂດຍມີລູກຫຼານ, ແລະໃນຄວາມບໍລິສຸດກັບຄວາມປະພຶດດີໄດ້ເກືອບບໍ່ແຕກຕ່າງຈາກຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ (ຫຼືຂະຫຍັນປະພຶດທຳສິບປະການຕາມທີ່ມະນູສອນ) ແລ້ວ—ຖ້າໄດ້ຮັບອະນຸຍາດຈາກກະສັດ—ອາສຣົມທຸກຂັ້ນ ຍົກເວັ້ນແຕ່ການສະຫຼະທິ້ງ (ສັນຍາສ) ແມ່ນຖືກກຳນົດໃຫ້ຊອບທຳສຳລັບເຂົາ.

Word by Word

• शुश्रूषा-कृत-कार्यस्य: of one whose duty/work has been accomplished by service
• शुश्रूषा-कृत-कार्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा + कृत + कार्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (genitive dependent on शूद्रस्य), Genitive, Singular

• कृत-संतान-कर्मणः: of one who has performed the act of begetting offspring
• कृत-संतान-कर्मणः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + संतान + कर्मन्
• Form: Masculine (कर्मन्-stem), Genitive, Singular

• अभ्यनुज्ञात-राजस्य: of one permitted/authorized by the king
• अभ्यनुज्ञात-राजस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यनुज्ञात + राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शूद्रस्य: of a Śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जगती-पते: O lord of the world
• जगती-पते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पृथ्वी-नाथ: O lord of the earth
• पृथ्वी-नाथ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी + नाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (rājā)
• Shudra (śūdra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that eligibility for prescribed life-stages is linked to ethical maturity and social responsibility: a Shudra who has fulfilled duties (service, family responsibilities, purity and good conduct) and has royal authorization may undertake the lawful āśramas—except saṃnyāsa (formal renunciation).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma addresses the ruler (Yudhishthira) and lays down a rule about social and religious life: he describes conditions under which a Shudra is permitted to follow recognized āśrama-based disciplines, emphasizing conduct, responsibility, and the king’s regulatory role.