Shloka 34

Vyavahāra-Śuddhi and Rājadharma: Clean Administration, Counsel, and Proportional Punishment

Chapter 86

Devanagari script

एतच्छास्त्रार्थतत्त्वं तु मया55ख्यातं तवानघ । अविश्वासो नरेन्द्राणां गुह्मां परममुच्यते

Transliteration

etacchāstrārthatattvaṃ tu mayākhyātaṃ tavānagha | aviśvāso narendrāṇāṃ guhyāṃ paramam ucyate ||

Translation

ഹേ അനഘാ, ഈ ശാസ്ത്രോപദേശത്തിന്റെ അർത്ഥ-തത്ത്വം ഞാൻ നിനക്കു വ്യക്തമാക്കിയിരിക്കുന്നു. രാജാക്കന്മാർക്കായി വിവേകപൂർവ്വമായ അവിശ്വാസം തന്നെയാണ് പരമഗുഹ്യമെന്ന് അറിയുക.

Word by Word

एतत्this

शास्त्रार्थतत्त्वम्the true essence of the meaning of the śāstra

तुbut/indeed

मयाby me

आख्यातम्has been declared/told

तवto you/for you

अनघO sinless one

अविश्वासःdistrust/lack of faith

नरेन्द्राणाम्of kings (lords of men)

गुह्यम्a secret

परमम्supreme/very great

उच्यतेis said/is called

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Bhīṣma frames a key principle of rāja-dharma: a ruler must practice aviśvāsa—measured distrust or vigilant caution—as a guarded, high-level secret, because uncritical trust can endanger governance, security, and justice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and kingship. Here he concludes a point by saying he has revealed the essence of the teaching and highlights “prudent distrust” as a confidential maxim particularly relevant to kings.