Shloka 186

Adhyāya 90 — Protection of Livelihoods, Brahmanical Subsistence Norms, and Royal Oversight (राष्ट्रवृत्ति-राष्ट्रगुप्ति-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

सर्वान्‌ सुपरिणीतांस्तान्‌ कारयेथा युधिष्ठिर । युधिष्ठिर! जो धर्मज्ञ

Transliteration

sarvān supariṇītāṁs tān kārayethā yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

हे युधिष्ठिर! जे सुशिक्षित व सुचरित्र आहेत, त्या सर्वांना यथायोग्य कामात लाव आणि त्यांचे पालन कर. ते तुझी प्रशंसा करो वा निंदा—जे धर्मज्ञ, धैर्यवान, संग्रामात कधीही पाठ न दाखवणारे; जे राज्यात राहून उपजीविका करतात किंवा राजाच्या आश्रयाने जगतात; तसेच मंत्रीगण आणि तटस्थ वर्गातील लोक—या सर्वांचा सत्कार कर. राजाने प्रशंसा-निंदेच्या अधीन होऊ नये.

Word by Word

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुपरिणीतान्: well-guided / well-conducted
• सुपरिणीतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपरिणीत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कारयेथाः: you should cause (to be done) / you should have (them) treated
• कारयेथाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Causative (ṇic), Parasmaipada

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• ministers (mantri-gaṇa)
• neutral parties (taṭastha-varga)
• warriors who do not retreat in battle

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should honor and properly employ worthy people—dharma-knowers, steadfast warriors, dependents, ministers, and neutral parties—without being influenced by whether they praise or criticize him. Respect for merit and social support is a central duty of kingship (rājadharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on statecraft and righteous rule after the war. Here he emphasizes impartial conduct: the king must maintain dignity and fairness by honoring key social and political groups regardless of their opinions about him.