Shloka 44

Devanagari script

यमो यच्छति भूतानि सर्वाण्येवाविशेषत: । तथा राज्ञानुकर्तव्यं यन्तव्या विधिवत्‌ प्रजा:,जैसे यमराज सभी प्राणियोंपर समानरूपसे शासन करते हैं, उसी प्रकार राजाको भी बिना किसी भेदभावके समस्त प्रजाओंपर विधिपूर्वक नियन्त्रण रखना चाहिये

Transliteration

yamo yacchati bhūtāni sarvāṇy evāviśeṣataḥ | tathā rājñānukartavyaṃ yantavyā vidhivat prajāḥ ||

Translation

യമൻ എല്ലാ ജീവികളെയും വ്യത്യാസമില്ലാതെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് ഭരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, രാജാവും ധർമ്മവിധിപ്രകാരം പക്ഷപാതമില്ലാതെ തന്റെ എല്ലാ പ്രജകളെയും ശാസനത്തോടെ നിയന്ത്രിക്കണം.

Word by Word

यमःYama (the god of death/justice)

यच्छतिrestrains, controls, governs

भूतानिbeings, creatures

सर्वाणिall

एवindeed, just

अविशेषतःwithout distinction, impartially

तथाthus, in the same way

राज्ञाby the king

अनुकर्तव्यम्should be done/imitated (ought to be followed)

यन्तव्याःare to be restrained/controlled

विधिवत्according to rule, duly

प्रजाःsubjects, people

Speaker

उतथ्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yama

King (rājā)

Subjects (prajā)

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?

A king must govern like Yama—impartially and without favoritism—restraining and regulating all subjects according to established law and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, the sage Utathya advises the ruler by presenting Yama as the model of even-handed authority, urging lawful and unbiased governance over the entire populace.