Shloka 18

Devanagari script

बलात्कृतानां बलिभि: कृपणं बहु जल्पताम्‌ | नाथो वै भूमिपो नित्यमनाथानां नृणां भवेत्‌

Transliteration

balātkṛtānāṁ balibhiḥ kṛpaṇaṁ bahu jalpatām | nātho vai bhūmipo nityam anāthānāṁ nṛṇāṁ bhavet ||

Translation

ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກຜູ້ມີອໍານາດກົດຂີ່ຮັງແກ ຈະຄໍາຄວນຢ່າງນ່າສົງສານ ແລະເວົ້າລາຍລະອຽດຍືດຍາວ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ພະຣາຊາຄວນເປັນຜູ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງທີ່ແທ້ຈິງເສມອ—ເປັນທີ່ພຶ່ງຂອງຜູ້ຄົນທີ່ບໍ່ມີທີ່ພຶ່ງອື່ນ».

Word by Word

बलात्from force; forcibly

कृतानाम्of those done/made

बलिभिःby the strong (men)

कृपणम्the wretched/helpless (person)

बहुmuch; greatly

जल्पताम्let them prattle/speak

नाथःprotector; lord

वैindeed

भूमिपःking; ruler of the earth

नित्यम्always

अनाथानाम्of the helpless; of those without a protector

नृणाम्of men

भवेत्should be; ought to become

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

bhūmipa (the king/ruler)

anāthāḥ (the unprotected/helpless people)

balinaḥ (the powerful)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches rajadharma: a king’s constant duty is to serve as a reliable refuge for the unprotected, restraining the strong from coercing the weak and preventing society from descending into helpless lamentation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics, Bhishma is advising Yudhishthira on the responsibilities of kingship, emphasizing that the ruler must actively protect those who lack power or patrons.