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

ഭീഷ്മൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ യുധിഷ്ഠിരാ! ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളിൽ ലക്ഷ്മി, രാജ്യം, രാജകോശം—ഇവയെല്ലാം ക്ഷത്രിയന്റെ ചുമതലയായിട്ടാണ് വിധിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതു. സ്വധർമ്മം അനുസരിച്ച് ക്ഷത്രിയൻ സമുദ്രപര്യന്തം ഭൂമിയിൽ ആധിപത്യംയും അപാര സമ്പത്തും ന്യായമായി നേടാം. ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ! രാജാവ്—ക്ഷത്രിയൻ—ദണ്ഡധാരിയാണ്; ക്ഷത്രിയനെ ഒഴികെ മറ്റാരാലും യഥാർത്ഥ സംരക്ഷണകർമ്മം നിർവഹിക്കാനാവില്ല.

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.