Shloka 29

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

पारम्पर्यागते द्वारे ये केचिदनुवर्तिन: । परिचर्यावतो द्वारे ये च केचन वर्गिण:,जो परम्परासे प्राप्त हुए राजद्वारपर रक्षा आदि सेवाका कार्य करते हों अथवा जो राजसेवक मन्त्री आदिके द्वारपर पहरा देते हों तथा किसी यूथके अधिपति हों, उनको भी नहीं मारना चाहिये

Transliteration

pāramparyāgate dvāre ye kecid anuvartinaḥ | paricaryāvato dvāre ye ca kecana vargiṇaḥ ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പാരമ്പര്യമായി ലഭിച്ച നിയമിതധർമ്മം അനുസരിച്ച് രാജദ്വാരത്തിൽ കാവൽ-സേവയിൽ നിൽക്കുന്നവരെയും, മന്ത്രിമാർ മുതലായ രാജസേവകരുടെ വാതിലുകളിൽ കാവൽ നിൽക്കുന്നവരെയും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഏതെങ്കിലും സംഘ/യൂഥത്തിന്റെ അധിപതികളെയും കൊല്ലരുത്.

Word by Word

पारम्पर्यागतेin/at the traditionally inherited (post/position)

द्वारेat the gate/door

येwho (those who)

केचित्some (certain persons)

अनुवर्तिनःfollowers/attendants (those who serve by following orders)

परिचर्यावतःthose engaged in service/attendance

द्वारेat the gate/door

येwho (those who)

चand

केचनsome (others)

वर्गिणःleaders/men belonging to a troop or group

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

royal gate (rājadvāra)

ministers (mantrin, implied by context)

royal attendants/servants (rājasevaka, implied)

troop/unit (yūtha, implied)

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?

Even in conflict, dharma restricts violence: hereditary gatekeepers, attendants, and organized guards performing protective/service duties at the royal threshold are not legitimate targets for killing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on righteous conduct and governance-related ethics; here he specifies categories of personnel connected with palace and ministerial gates—guards and service-followers—who should be spared.