Shloka 31

Devanagari script

वेदवेदाड्वित्‌ प्राज्ञ: सुतपस्वी नूपो भवेत्‌ । दानशीलश्चव सततं यज्ञशीलक्ष भारत,भरतनन्दन! राजाको वेदों और वेदाड़ोंका विद्वान, बुद्धिमान, तपस्वी, सदा दानशील और यज्ञपरायण होना चाहिये

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: vedavedāṅgavid prājñaḥ sutapāsvī nṛpo bhavet | dānaśīlaś ca satataṃ yajñaśīlaś ca Bhārata, Bharatanandana ||

Translation

ഭരതനന്ദനാ! രാജാവ് വേദങ്ങളിലും വേദാംഗങ്ങളിലും പണ്ഡിതനായും, പ്രാജ്ഞനായും, തപസ്വിയായും, നിത്യദാനശീലനായും, യജ്ഞപരായണനായും ഇരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

वेदवेदाङ्गवित्knower of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas

प्राज्ञःwise, intelligent

सुतपस्वीvery ascetic; of good austerity

नृपःking

भवेत्should be

दानशीलःhabitually generous; of giving-nature

चand

सततम्always, continually

यज्ञशीलःdevoted to sacrifice; of sacrificial disposition

भारतO Bhārata

भरतनन्दनO delight of Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Bharatanandana (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Veda

Vedāṅga

nṛpa (king)

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?

Bhishma defines the ethical profile of righteous kingship: the ruler should unite learning (Veda and Vedāṅga), practical wisdom, self-discipline through austerity, generosity, and commitment to yajña—understood as religious duty and public welfare—so that governance remains aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira after the war, listing the virtues a king must cultivate to rule justly and stabilize society.