Shloka 56

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

त्याजितो हि मया जातिमेष राजा भृगूद्धह | ततस्तेनाभ्यनुज्ञातो ययौ राजा प्रतर्दन:

Transliteration

tyājito hi mayā jātim eṣa rājā bhṛgūddhaha | tatas tenābhyanujñāto yayau rājā pratardanaḥ ||

Translation

“ହେ ଭୃଗୁଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଏହି ରାଜାକୁ ମୁଁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ତାହାର ଜାତି-ସ୍ଥିତି ତ୍ୟାଗ କରିବାକୁ ବାଧ୍ୟ କରିଥିଲି। ପରେ ତାଙ୍କର ଅନୁମତି ପାଇ ରାଜା ପ୍ରତର୍ଦନ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କଲା।”

Word by Word

• त्याजितः: was caused to abandon / was made to give up
• त्याजितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्याजित (√त्यज् + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• हि: indeed / for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• जातिम्: caste / birth-status
• जातिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भृगूद्धह: O foremost among the Bhṛgus
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: भृगु-उद्धह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: having been permitted / authorized
• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभ्यनुज्ञात (अभि+अनु+√ज्ञा + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• ययौ: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतर्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: प्रतर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pratardana
• Bhṛgu (lineage/people: Bhṛgus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between birth-based identity (jāti) and conduct/discipline: a respected figure (Bhīṣma, in narration) can compel a ruler to relinquish attachment to social identity, implying that dharma may demand transcending mere birth-status when higher moral or spiritual aims are at stake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts that he caused King Pratardana—praised as eminent among the Bhṛgus—to give up his jāti-identity. After this act, Pratardana receives permission (abhyanujñā) and then departs, indicating the close of an instruction/disciplinary episode.