Shloka 64

Devanagari script

कच्चित्ते ब्राह्मणा श्शर्म सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदाः।आशंसन्ते महाप्राज्ञ पौरजानपदैस्सह।।।।

Transliteration

kaccit te brāhmaṇāḥ śarma sarvaśāstrārthakovidāḥ | āśaṃsante mahāprājña paurajānapadaiḥ saha ||

Translation

ഹേ മഹാപ്രാജ്ഞനേ, എല്ലാ ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളുടെയും അർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിപുണരായ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർ—നഗരവാസികളും ജനപദവാസികളും കൂടെ—നിന്റെ ക്ഷേമവും സന്തോഷവും ആശംസിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: I trust; is it the case that
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle), ‘I trust?/is it so?’

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शर्म: happiness; welfare
• शर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदाः: knowing the meanings of all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र-अर्थ-कोविद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) of ‘ब्राह्मणाः’; समास-विग्रहः: सर्वेषां शास्त्राणाम् अर्थेषु कोविदाः

• आशंसन्ते: wish; pray for
• आशंसन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• महाप्राज्ञ: O highly wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular)

• पौरजानपदैः: with the townsmen and countryfolk
• पौरजानपदैः: Sahakaraka (सहकारकः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर-जानपद (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); समास-विग्रहः: पौरैः च जानपदैः च

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (सहकारकः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (indeclinable of accompaniment)

Context

I trust you eschew the fourteen faults of kings, like atheism, falsehood, anger, inattention, procrastination, evading the wise, indolence, gratification of all five senses, planning alone in the affairs of the kingdom, consultation with people who are proficient in worthless acts, failure to implement decisious, inability to keep the counsel secret and omission of auspicious practices and setting out against all the enemies at a time.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma
• Brāhmaṇas
• Jānapadas (countryfolk)
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

A king’s legitimacy depends on dharmic approval: the learned (brāhmaṇas) and the people (urban and rural) should sincerely wish for the ruler’s welfare because he protects them with justice and truth.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker assesses Bharata’s relationship with key social groups—religious scholars and the general populace—as part of guidance on governance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Public-minded kingship: earning trust and blessings through righteous conduct.